NCAA Committee Supports Removal of Cannabis from Prohibited Substances List

On June 16, the Committee on Competition Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports (CSMAS) of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) released a statement of its support for removing cannabis from the Prohibited Substances List.

The NCAA is governed by three divisions: Divisions I, II, and III. According to a press release, CSMAS met in Indianapolis last week at the recommendation of Departments II and III and urged them to “keep thinking about it.” [NCAA’s] Cannabis policy and whether NCAA drug testing should be limited to performance-enhancing substances.”

In order for cannabis to be removed from the NCAA substance list, Divisions I, II, and III must introduce and pass legislation. This latest update was prompted by the 2022 Cannabinoids in College Sports Summit that took place in December 2022. Ultimately, the consensus was that “cannabis is not a performance-enhancing drug and that a harm reduction approach to cannabis is best implemented at school level.”

CSMAS’ rationale in advance of this recommendation includes: an emphasis on testing for substances that enhance athletic ability and give competitors an unfair advantage, adopting a harm reduction philosophy similar to the approach to alcohol, and educating student Athletes, among other things, about the health effects of cannabis. It also said that while considering changes to the association’s current cannabis policies, she also “supports a comprehensive communication and education campaign providing cannabis-related guidance to members.”

The committee also approved a trace limit for the metabolic modulator GW1516 (also known as Cardarine or Endurobol) to be less than 0.1 nanograms per milliliter (npm).

The NCAA Mental Health Advisory Group first met in December 2022 and is working on an update for an NCAA Mental Health Best Practices document. NCAA Chief Medical Officer Brian Hainline explained the importance of supporting athletes’ mental health. “Since I began my stint with the NCAA in 2013 and the formation of the NCAA Mental Health Task Force, the mental health and well-being of student-athletes has been an ongoing issue and top priority,” said Hainline. “The Mental Health Advisory Group is part of an ongoing effort to strengthen our program and educational resources for members and student athletes.”

CSMAS said it had reviewed an early draft of the Mental Health Advisory Group document and expressed its preliminary support. According to the June 16 announcement, the Mental Health Advisory Group will continue working on their final updates to CSMAS sometime this year, with the expectation of making the updates available between 2024 and 2025.

In February 2022, CSMAS announced that it would increase the THC limit for a positive cannabis drug test from 35 npm to 150 npm to match that set by the World Anti-Doping Agency. “The review of the NCAA’s approach to cannabis testing and management is consistent with member feedback on how to better support and educate student athletes in a society with rapidly evolving public health and cultural views regarding cannabis use,” said Hainline last year. “Marijuana is not considered a performance-enhancing substance, but it remains important for member schools to engage student-athletes in substance prevention and provide management and support as needed.”

Other sports agencies and federations are also pushing for improved cannabis policies. In April, the National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) announced that they are considering removing cannabis from their list of prohibited substances for players and plan to also open up opportunities for players to invest in cannabis companies .

Also last month, the Chicago Cubs became the first MLB team to partner with a CBD company called MYND Drinks. “We’re proud to be the first club to partner with a CBD company, but what was even more important to us was making sure the brand fit right,” said Alex Seyferth, vice president of corporate partnerships for the Chicago Cubs. “MYND DRINKS is a Chicago-based company that promotes overall well-being and helps alleviate the stresses of everyday life, just like a 1:20 a.m. Friday game at Wrigley Field.” The partnership includes signage at Wrigley Field and other marketing efforts .