A committee of the National Collegiate Athletic Association has recommended that marijuana be removed from the list prohibited substances for college athletes.
The NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports announced on Friday that its members met last week and decided to advise the three governing bodies of the association to implement legislation to stop testing and penalizing players for cannabinoids.
Three months ago, the committee expressed its desire to formalize a similar recommendation. In June, the committee said it would solicit additional input from members before taking possible action in the autumn.
The committee stated that the reasoning behind the decision is multifaceted. Ending the cannabis ban 1) “acknowledges the ineffectiveness of existing policy (banning, testing and penalizing),” 2) affirms its belief that cannabis is not a “performance-enhancing drug” and 3) promotes the “importance of moving toward a harm-reduction strategy.”
The panel stated that Friday. This recommendation is based upon extensive research conducted by subject matter experts, including doctors and substance abuse experts.
The NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports recommended that each of the three divisional governance bodies introduce and adopt legislation that would remove cannabinoids from the list of NCAA banned drug classes.https://t.co/j5Y5TvEGvM
NCAA PR (@NCAA_PR September 22, 2020
The recommendation was made to “recenter student-athletes’ health, while taking into account the opinions of members and the changing cultural and legal landscapes around cannabinoids,” according to it.
The reform would be based on the policy change made by the NCAA last year, which increased the THC threshold for college athletes to 150 nanograms/milliliter. This aligned the NCAA rules with those of the World Anti-Doping Agency.
In a Friday press release, James Houle said, “We agree that when making a decision about an important topic such as this, the membership should be able to vote on the outcome.” James Houle is the committee chair and the lead sport psychologist at Ohio State. “We recommend a major shift in the cannabinoids paradigm. We want to modernize our strategy to reflect the latest research in order to provide schools with the best chance to support student-athletes’ health.
The committee also recommended that at the same moment that the governing bodies remove marijuana and its components from the list of banned substances, they develop “a robust education strategy to accompany any potential changes to cannabinoid laws.”
This is part of an emerging theme within professional sports organizations in the wake of state-level marijuana decriminalization.
—
Marijuana Moment tracks more than 1,000 cannabis and drug policy bills that have been introduced in state legislatures, and Congress. Patreon supporters who pledge at least $25/month gain access to our interactive charts, maps and hearing calendar.
Discover more about our marijuana bills tracker. Become a Patreon supporter to gain access.
—
The National Basketball Association and its players’ union signed a collective agreement in which marijuana was removed from the list of banned substances and rules were laid out that allowed players to promote and invest in cannabis brands, with certain exceptions.
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.
In June, the NFL and its Players Union announced that , they will jointly award another round of funding for independent research into the therapeutic benefits CBD as an alternative pain treatment to opioids.
The New York Media Softball League, which includes teams from The Wall Street Journal High Times and BuzzFeed in its ranks, announced in July that a sponsoring deal would be launched with a Kentucky CBD company.
The collaboration idea was inspired from Major League Baseball’s (MLB) moves and some teams such as the Kansas City Royals, Chicago Cubs and others that have recently partnered up with CBD businesses .
MLB announced last year its league-wide collaboration with a popular CBD product . Charlotte’s Web Holdings signed a deal to become “Official Cannabis of MLB” with the league.
While some have welcomed the changes, others have criticized WADA for its continued cannabis ban. In an editorial published last month , a panel of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) stated that athletes who use marijuana violate the “spirit” of sport and are therefore unfit to be role models.
After the U.S. Sha’Carri Richison, a runner from the United States, was banned from competing in Olympic events in 2021 due to a positive THC result.
After the suspension, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said that international marijuana rules “must be changed,” both the White House and Joe Biden himself indicated it was time to implement new policies. Congress lawmakers amplified this message.
A Wisconsin Democratic Senator unveils a new marijuana legalization bill at a hemp farm
The first time Marijuana moment was published, the post NCAA panel recommends removing marijuana from banned substances list for college athletes.
