The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is the governing body for college sports. The organization has long had a strict stance on drugs, including marijuana, which has been banned for decades.
Recently, however, there have been calls to reconsider this policy and remove cannabis from the list of banned substances. This would be a major shift in how the NCAA views marijuana and could have far-reaching implications for student-athletes nationwide.
The primary reasons behind this potential change are due to the changes in society’s views on cannabis and the fact that marijuana is not a performance-enhancing drug. The NCAA wants to take a more informed and balanced approach to the issue, shifting to a harm reduction philosophy similar to alcohol use policies.
Other considerations include providing education on the potential benefits/risk of cannabis use and recognizing that student-athletes should have autonomy regarding legal recreational activities.
History Of The NCAA’s Rules On Marijuana
The NCAA has had a long-standing policy of prohibiting the use of marijuana among its student-athletes. This policy was backed up by drug testing and punishments for those who failed. Before February 2020, anyone found with traces of marijuana in their system would be punished regardless of how small the amount was.
In February 2022, however, the NCAA made a major change to this policy. They increased the threshold for what is considered a positive test result from 15 nanograms/milliliter to 35 nanograms/milliliter. This means that trace amounts below 35 nanograms/milliliter will no longer register as positive results on tests, reducing the chances of students being punished for accidental exposure to cannabis.
Furthermore, they punish for positive tests. Instead of a-year suspension from competition, student-athletes will now be subject to counseling and assessment by mental health professionals before being allowed back on the playing field.
The NCAA’s recent changes indicate that there is an increased understanding of marijuana use among college students, as well as an acknowledgment that it should not be treated like other banned substances. This could be seen as a first step towards removing cannabis from the list of prohibited drugs altogether.
Why Should The NCAA Remove Marijuana From The Banned Drug List?
At the 2022 Summit on Cannabinoids in College Athletics, a consensus was reached that marijuana is not a performance-enhancing drug. This means that using it has no tangible benefits and it should, therefore, not be treated as an illegal substance.
The NCAA also wants to shift toward a more informed and balanced approach when it comes to marijuana use among student-athletes. They want to move away from simply punishing those who test positive and instead focus on education and harm reduction strategies.
This would involve educating students about the potential health risks associated with cannabis consumption, providing resources for identifying problematic cannabis use, and offering guidance on how best to mitigate any negative effects of usage. This approach is similar to alcohol use policies prioritizing safety and education rather than punishment.
Removing marijuana from its list of banned substances could have several positive implications for college athletes across the country. The most obvious would be increased access to cannabis as a natural medicine with fewer restrictions. This could provide student-athletes with an alternative treatment option that is both safe and effective, especially for those dealing with chronic pain or anxiety.
Another benefit of removing marijuana from the NCAA’s banned drug list would be the opportunity to conduct more research on its potential benefits for athletes. Currently, there is very limited data on how cannabis can affect performance due to its usage and availability restrictions.
Removing these barriers could lead to groundbreaking discoveries about the effects of marijuana on athlete performance and health, as well as provide insight into how best to manage cannabis use among student-athletes.
What Will It Take To Remove Cannabis From The List?
In order to officially remove marijuana from the banned drug list, each of the three NCAA divisions must introduce and adopt legislation. This could take some time as the legislative process usually involves multiple steps and can take many months or even years before being approved.
In the meantime, the NCAA Board of Governors has asked that teams stop testing for drugs at championships while the legislative process is underway. This will allow student-athletes to compete without fear of punishment for any trace amounts of cannabis in their systems.
Overall, the NCAA’s recent changes to their marijuana policy are a step in the right direction. They demonstrate that they are open to reevaluating how cannabis is treated among college athletes.
If all three divisions can agree on legislation and get the support of the Board of Governors, it could lead to marijuana being removed from the banned drug list altogether – something that would benefit student-athletes across the country.
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