NCAA turns college sports on its head with marijuana change

In a decision that will reverberate throughout the sports industry, the NCAA announced a major change regarding college players and marijuana.

Cannabis has been scientifically proven to be effective for sports injuries, inflammation, and chronic pain. Both the American Medical Association and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have agreed on the medical benefits of cannabis. However, the professional and amateur sports industries are not fans. But things may soon change. Today, the NCAA is turning college sports on its head with a marijuana amendment… and is this just the first step?

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College sports are an important part of American culture, with about a third of the population being fans. Today, the NCAA's Division I Council voted to remove the use of cannabis products from the list of prohibited drugs for championship and postseason football participation. Football is a very demanding sport on the body, but the decision was based on a number of factors.

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The NCAA Division I Council has voted to remove the use of cannabis products from the class of prohibited drugs for championship and postseason participation in football, and to vacate all penalties currently being served against student-athletes who previously tested positive for cannabinoids.

Illinois State Athletic Director Josh Whitman said in a statement that cannabis products “do not provide a competitive advantage.”

“The council’s focus is on policies that focus on the health and well-being of student-athletes, not on punishing cannabis use,” he continued.

The vote came after the Committee on Competition Protection and Medical Aspects of Sport recommended that each of the division's three governing bodies introduce and pass legislation that would remove cannabinoids from the list of prohibited drug classes.

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This could be a sign that things are changing. College sports is a weak industry worth over $14 billion, while the professional sports industry is worth anywhere from $471 billion to over a trillion according to the Best-Howard model.