The National Basketball Association (NBA), isn’t only removing marijuana form its banned substances list for players , but it’s also planning on allowing those players to promote and invest in cannabis businesses.
This is the latest detail in the reporting of the seven-year collective bargaining deal that was reached over the weekend. It also includes the possibility that marijuana will be exempt from drug testing. Shams Charania, of The Athletic and Stadium, first mentioned the cannabis investment policy.
Game changer: The new collective bargaining agreement with the league will allow players to invest in NBA and WNBA team, and also promote and/or fund sports betting and cannabis businesses, sources tell @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 2, 2023
It would codify the league’s decision to temporarily suspend marijuana testing during the last three seasons.
While many professional sports leagues are moving in this direction, the NBA would be unique in allowing players to promote and invest in marijuana businesses.
Major League Baseball (MLB), last year, announced that teams could offer sponsorships to CBD-based businesses. The league has now signed a deal to promote a major CBD brand at the upcoming World Series. However, the NBA’s policy seems more expansive.
In late 2020 , NBA Commissioner Adam Silver indicated that the league’s temporary policies could become permanent. This was after the league had initially suspended cannabis testing during which players were competing in a quarantined bubble in Orlando.
He stated that he and his team decided, “given all the things happening in society, given the stress that players were experiencing, that we didn’t need to act like Big Brother right now.” “I believe society’s view of marijuana has changed to some extent.”
The commissioner stated that the league will not mandate blanket testing but instead reach out to those with signs of problem dependency and not those who “use marijuana casually”.
Charania stated that “NBA players won’t be banned from marijuana use under the new seven year Collective Bargaining Agreement.”
He reported that the anti-drug testing program has been rescinded, which was a process that started in 2019-20 season.
The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association announced Saturday that they had reached a tentative agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. However, details will not be released until a term sheet has been finalized.
The NBPA’s goal in this negotiation has been to protect and enrich the lives of our players and create a framework that recognizes them as true partners with the governors of both the NBA (and the business world)! https://t.co/cZsXJgHw9R
— Tamika Tremaglio (@tamikaNBPA) April 1, 2023
Michele Roberts (former head of the National Basketball Players Association, NBPA), who joined Cresco Labs‘s board in 2020, had previously predicted that a formal revision to codify the policy might be made soon.
It was announced in 2021 that Weedmaps , an online marijuana marketplace, will team up with NBA star Kevin Durant to form a multiyear partnership. This partnership aims to de-stigmatize cannabis and highlight the potential value of the plant for “athlete wellbeing and recovery.”
The NBA’s latest action comes as the national debate continues about cannabis testing policies. This issue was highlighted after Sha’Carri Richardson was banned from the Olympics for having a positive THC test.
According to the runner, she would feel “blessed” and proud if the attention to her case would result in a policy change for other runners. The case was also discussed by President Joe Biden and the White House. They suggested that the ban on marijuana should “remain in place of the rules.”
The World Anti-Doping Agency, (WADA), decided to keep cannabis on the banned substances list for international athletes last year. This was after a scientific review that found that cannabis use violates the spirit of the sport.
MLB stands out from other professional sports leagues in being more open to changing marijuana policy. It clarified, for example, in a 2020 memo, that players won’t face any penalties for using marijuana when they’re not working. However, they can’t be sponsored personally by marijuana companies or invest in the industry.
Also, the league stated that NSF International was collaborating with it to analyze and certify legal, contaminant free CBD products so teams can store them on their premises.
This update was based on MLB’s 2019 decision to remove marijuana from its league’s banned substances list. Players who had tested positive for THC were required to undergo mandatory treatment. Failure to comply could result in a fine up to $35,000. This penalty has been eliminated.
As laws change and medical applications become more accepted, a number of athletic governance organizations have relaxed their rules regarding cannabinoids.
UFC stated in 2021 that they will no longer punish fighters for positive marijuana tests.
Separately, NCAA student athletes would not lose eligibility to play if they have a positive marijuana test according to rules that were recommended last year by a key committee.
The NFL’s drug-testing policy has been changed in 2020 by a collective bargaining agreement.
Under a collective bargaining agreement, NFL players are no longer subject to suspension for positive drug tests. Instead, they will be fined. Under the deal, the threshold for determining whether a person has a positive THC test was increased.
Snoop Dogg is a marijuana icon and was featured on the Super Bowl halftime shows last year. An ad that indirectly supported legalization was shown. It argued that leagues should stop testing their players for marijuana to allow them to use it instead of prescription opioids.
The arrest of Brittney Griner, a U.S. basketball player, in Russia for using THC vapes was also a discussion topic.
Illinois Senate passes bill to block police from searching cars based on marijuana smell
According to Report , the post NBA Players Will Be able To Invest in Marijuana Industry and Promote Cannabis Brands Under New Union Deal appeared first on Marijuana Moment.
