According to a recent study, marijuana legalization has a significant impact on recruiting for college basketball teams and negatively impacts football teams.
Researchers from Georgia College & State University, Kennesaw State University and the University of Georgia said that there are many factors which affect college athletic league recruitment trends. They tested whether adult-use cannabis policy affected talent acquisition.
The study, published in the Journal of Sports Economics last week, looked at recruiting data from 2003 to 2019 and applied difference-in-difference models, finding that marijuana legalization appears to be an “important, but complex, driver of college sports recruiting” that should be taken into consideration by National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) leagues.
Teams in college basketball that are located in states where marijuana is legal experience an average of 3.7 positions improvement in the recruiting rankings.
The recruiting rankings of college basketball programs are improved by living in states where recreational marijuana is legal.
The study states that “in absolute terms, being in a state where marijuana is legal has an impact on recruiting which is 50% as strong as having new coaches.”
In contrast, legalizing cannabis for adult use is associated with lower recruitment results for football teams. Colleges located in legalized states have a recruitment ranking that’s an average of 2.9 places worse than “otherwise comparable institutions” who haven’t legalized it for adult use.
The authors stated that “Colleges located in states where recreational marijuana is legal can expect to see improved recruitment outcomes in basketball but reduced recruiting abilities in football.” In both cases, “the effects are significant, suggesting that other NCAA sports (coaches, administrators, fans, etc.) should consider marijuana laws as a possible driver of recruiting effects.”
The study did not rely on individual athlete survey data, so any explanations derived from the findings were “merely conjecture”, though the authors offered some hypotheses.
The marijuana policy of the national leagues could explain the recruitment differences between football and basketball (i.e. The NFL and NBA. The NFL and NBA).
The study states that “given the NBA’s relatively lax position on marijuana, it is possible that NBA-hopeful players may be more likely to use the drug during college, whereas future NFL players will have greater incentives to avoid weed.” This could explain why college basketball recruiting is better in states with legal recreational marijuana.
The article notes that both leagues will adjust their policies in 2020.
NBA and its union of players signed a collective agreement earlier this year that removed marijuana from the list of banned substances, and laid out rules allowing for players to promote and invest in cannabis brands, with certain exceptions.
As part of the collective bargaining agreement, NFL’s policy on drug testing will also change demonstrably by 2020. The agreement stipulates that no player will be suspended for positive drug tests, not just marijuana.
Several professional sports leagues have been affected by the changes in marijuana policy, as a result of the legalization movement. This includes the NCAA.
The NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports recommended in September that remove marijuana from its list of prohibited substances for university athletes.
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.
The new study also suggests that cultural differences could be a factor in the disparity between college basketball and football recruitment. It’s possible that “the basketball community accepts marijuana use in general.”
The report says that “our findings and the NBA’s lax policy may both be manifestations a culture which deems marijuana.” It also adds that, if previous statements about the prevalence of cannabis use by the league’s executive team are true, then “college recruits might feel empowered to use this drug in college, and they may choose to attend colleges in states where recreational use of the drug is allowed.”
The authors stated that “More research is required” despite the fact that these explanations may be plausible.
They said that the results have “predictive powers” regarding the future college athletics, as many states, including New Jersey and New York, New Mexico Virginia, and Connecticut, have legalized marijuana since the study period ended in 2019.
The study states that “based on our results we can expect that colleges in these States will benefit from improved basketball recruitment and on-court performances in the future, relative to their peers.” The study says that these same colleges should expect negative recruiting effects for football in the future, which will lead to a worsened performance on-field. Many universities in these states don’t have football programs but do have well-established basketball teams.”
In other developments in sports drug policy, Nevada sports regulators earlier this year voted to submit a proposed regulatory amendement 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.
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 Cbd of MLB” with the league.
Although advocates have welcomed the changes, WADA has been criticized for its continued cannabis ban. In an August editorial, 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.
RFK Ramaswamy and Williamson Push Psychedelics reform on the Presidential Campaign Trail
Martin Alonso is the photographer of this photo.
The article States that legalize marijuana see increased college basketball recruitment, study finds first appeared on Marijuana Moment.
