Officials will vote in June on a new proposal for collegiate athletics that would remove cannabis from the list substances used in drug testing at National Collegiate Athletic Association championships. The approach, say proponents, is consistent with the design of rules that focus on reducing harm instead of punishing student-athletes.
The plan would be based on a change that raised the threshold of THC for college athletes to align NCAA rules with the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) standards.
The new proposal would treat marijuana like alcohol. The NCAA does not intend to promote marijuana use. However, it is believed that cannabis doesn’t give athletes an unfair advantage.
“Cannabis is not a performance-enhancing drug, and we determined that the drug testing conducted at NCAA championships should focus on substances that impact competitive outcomes,” Pat Chun, athletics director at Washington State and chair of the Strategic Vision and Planning Committee, said in a statement last week. To be clear, it does not mean NCAA members endorse or promote the use of cannabinoids. Instead of focusing on testing student-athletes and then penalizing them for using cannabis, NCAA efforts need to focus on harm reduction strategies, similar in nature to alcohol.
Division I Council introduces proposals into legislative cycle, including one that would remove cannabinoids from drug testing at championships.https://t.co/XWd7j9dn7d
NCAA News (@NCAA_PR 11 January 2024
The change will take effect in August, if it is adopted. The change would be retroactive “to any penalties associated with a prior positive test”, the body stated in an announcement.
Last week, the NCAA Division I Council introduced a policy proposition. This is one of the governing bodies in the association. The vote on the formal adoption of the change is expected to take place in June. However, the director of Sports Science Institute at NCAA has stated that it may take longer for similar legislation to be passed in Divisions I or II.
The latest development comes after a preliminarily recommendation made by the NCAA’s Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports in June that each of the three governing bodies of the organization remove marijuana from their list of banned substances.
Members of the committee who were part of a panel discussing cannabinoid policies at an NCAA conference in Phoenix last weekend said that testing should aim to identify and treat drug abuse problems among athletes, rather than disqualifying those athletes from competition if they test positive.
According to a Cronkite News report, “One thing we know is that education and treatment strategies work better than punishments.” Nadine Mastroleo of Binghamton University in New York, a faculty representative for athletics and a member of CSMAS, said this. The last part of this process is to test on campus or locally. This is the best way to find individuals who may have a real problem, and could use some help to reduce their usage and recover from any problems that they might be experiencing.
In the past, post-season games have seen college athletes being tested. Positive tests can result in a season’s loss of eligibility. Officials claim that the changes will focus on players who are using drugs in a problematic way rather than punishing them for one mistake.
“Harm reduction interventions, which means meeting people where they are at, are more likely to reduce cannabis-related health effects than abstinence only approaches,” said CSMAS Member Deena Casiero. She is the head team physician of the University of Connecticut. We know that random testing of small groups at championships will not be as effective as educating athletes on what cannabis is doing to their body.
In formally recommending that shift last September, the NCAA committee said that ending the cannabis ban “acknowledges the ineffectiveness of existing policy (banning, testing and penalizing),” affirms the body’s belief that cannabis is not a “performance-enhancing drug” promotes the “importance of moving toward a harm-reduction strategy.”
The panel stated that “the timing of the discussion and adoption of potential legislation will be a decision made by each NCAA divisional governance structure.” This recommendation is based upon extensive research informed by subject matter experts, including doctors, substance abuse experts and membership practitioners.
Several sports organizations have amended their policies on marijuana testing for athletes in response to the legalization of marijuana by states.
Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) removed marijuana from their list of banned substances last month. This is a continuation of an earlier reform which limited THC-related sanctions.
In June last year, NBA and its players’ union signed a collective agreement which removed marijuana from the list of banned substances. It also laid out rules that allowed players to promote and invest in cannabis brands under certain circumstances.
Nevada’s sports regulators voted also last year to submit a regulatory amendment proposal to the governor which would protect athletes against being punished for using or possessing cannabis according to state law.
In 2020, the National Football League (NFL’s) policy on drug testing will change demonstrably as part of an agreement with collective bargaining.
The NFL and its Players Union announced in June last year that , they would award a second 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 last 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 with CBD companies .
MLB announced that it would be partnering with a popular CBD CBD brand to create a league-wide in 2022. Charlotte’s Web Holdings signed a deal to become “Official Cbd of MLB” with the league.
The World Anti-Doping Agency has been criticized for its continued cannabis ban, despite the fact that many advocates welcome these changes. In an August opinion piece, members of a panel at the World Anti-Doping Agency said that athletes who use marijuana violate the “spirit” of sport and are therefore unfit to be role models.
After the U.S. Sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson has been banned from competing in Olympic events after a positive THC result in 2021.
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.
The Biden White House characterized WNBA star Brittney Grinders as being “wrongfully arrested” after she pleaded to possessing illegal cannabis vape cartridges. This was in Russia 2022, when Griner pleaded guilty.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-OR, wrote an op-ed in Marijuana Moment, last year, saying: “If the NCAA calls for a reasonable and rational drug policy, is Congress far behind?.”
A study found that marijuana use before working out can enhance enjoyment and a runner’s high, but also cause more exertion
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