A National Collegiate Athletics Association committee focusing on health and wellness of student athletes has proposed to remove marijuana from its list of banned substances.
The NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports will solicit input from its members this summer, before possibly taking action next fall.
In order to adopt the policy change, all three of NCAA’s divisional governing bodies will need to approve the proposal–though this most recent committee action was already spurred by a request from Divisions II and III to examine whether drug testing should be limited to performance-enhancing substances.
As the reforms are being considered, the panel will seek the Board of Governors’ approval to suspend THC tests for athletes at the NCAA championship.
CSMAS signals its support for removing cannabis from banned drug list and drug-testing protocols:https://t.co/hfMb4Bikcs
NCAA PR (@NCAA_PR June 16, 2020
The committee said that it is recommending that cannabis be removed from the list of banned drugs in part because it does not consider marijuana to be a performance-enhancing substance, an issue that was discussed at the Summit on Cannabinoids in College Athletics in December.
It also said that this reform would be consistent “with a harm reduction philosophy for marijuana, similar to approaches taken with respect to alcohol,” and would allow the organisation to focus on addressing problematic use of cannabis.
The policy change will also enable the NCAA to focus on education regarding “the health risks posed by cannabis today and the methods of consumption,” allowing officials to better identify and explain to student-athletes “relevant harm reduction/mitigation” strategies.
In a Friday press release, NCAA stated that “CSMAS has also indicated its support for a comprehensive education and communication campaign to provide guidance to members about cannabis.”
Last year, , the organization instituted policy changes, which increased the THC level that is considered a positive test by college athletes, from 35 to150 nanograms per milliliter. This aligned the NCAA rules with those of the World Anti-Doping Agency.
“Marijuana is not considered a performance-enhancing substance, but it remains important for member schools to engage student-athletes regarding substance use prevention and provide management and support when appropriate,” Brian Hainline NCAA’s chief medical officer, said at the time.
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Sports organizations have been working to reform the industry as more states legalize marijuana.
The National Basketball Association (NBA), for example, has removed the drug testing requirements of THC while allowing the players to passively investment in the industry. In May, it clarified that players would not be allowed to promote marijuana brands under the latest collective bargaining agreements.
In early 2018, Nevada’s sports regulators passed a resolution to to send a regulatory amendment proposal to the Governor , which would protect athletes against being punished for using or possessing cannabis as per state law.
UFC announced that in 2021 they will no longer punish fighters for positive marijuana tests.
As part of the collective bargaining agreement, the National Football League (NFL’s) policy on drug testing changed demonstrably by 2020.
The Kansas City Royals have recently formed a relationship with a cannabis-brand in order to educate the public about the therapeutic potential of CBD. They are the second Major League Baseball team (MLB) to do this, after the Chicago Cubs.
MLB announced its league-wide partnership with a popular CBD product last year. Charlotte’s Web Holdings signed a deal to become “Official Cannabis of MLB” with the league.
Congressional Resolution Demands Legalization Of Marijuana As Well As Overdose Prevention Sites
The article NCAA panel recommends removing marijuana from the banned substances list for college athletes first appeared on Marijuana moment.
