The NBA Stops Testing for Cannabis - Other Sports Should Follow Suit

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has extended its policy of not randomly drug testing players for cannabis throughout the 2021 - 2022 season . Although the relaxation of the rules is temporary, it could become permanent. We do not know the extent of cannabis use amongst players in the NBA, but there are many who use both THC and CBD in order to recover after games and reduce pain. Athletes from many other sports, including American Football and mixed martial arts (MMA) , have said similar things - that they use cannabis to heal from and prevent injuries (particularly traumatic brain injuries) and as a post-game recovery tool . Utilizing cannabis can also help avoid the need for opioid-based painkillers .

The NBA's change in attitude towards cannabis could be due to several factors. There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has played a major part in getting cannabis legalized, as people start to see its value in treating stress, insomnia, depression, anciety and chronic pain in these trying times (not to mention its economic value!). The other, most recent big story is of gold medal-favorite, Sha'Carri?Richardson , missing out on the Olympics after testing positive for THC. As for the NBA specifically, the head of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), Michele Roberts, joined the Cresco Labs board of directors.

Is the NBA the Only One Changing Its Policies Towards Cannabis?

No. the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB) have also ended suspensions for testing positive to cannabis. The NFL actually extended this to "any drug", but this doesn't mean that NFL players caught with drugs in their system don't face any penalties or sanctions. NFL players caught abusing any substance will be required to enter an intervention program on top of loss of salary, and arrests related to drug offences may still attract suspension. MLB players have seen marijuana removed from its list of banned substances.

Why Is Cannabis Prohibited in Sports in the First Place?

Essentially, any athlete caught using non-prescription, federally illegal drugs will likely face sanction. Even though medical cannabis is legal in many states throughout the US, until it is federally legal, it is unlikely that sporting organizations will change their tune. Also, many countries the world over have some form of cannabis prohibition, and not putting it on a list of prohibited substances would have certainly raised some eyebrows.

The other issue is with creating a standard set of rules for international competitions. At the moment, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibits substances based on three criteria:

Criteria 1: They can harm or potentially harm the health of the athlete.

Criteria 2: They are performance-enhancing, or has the potential to do so.

Criteria 3: They violate the spirit of sport.

If the drug fulfils two out of three of these criteria, then they are banned. Cannabis fulfils two of them, including Criteria 2. Yes, to many people's surprise, cannabis can be seen as a "performance enhancing drug" (PED) as it can improve oxygenation of the tissues via bronchodilation (i.e. THC can "open up" the lungs) and reduce performance-related anxiety! Of course, almost any drug or medicine - prescription or not - can fall under any of the top 3 criteria, and some athletes have complained about this stringency and the extremely sensitive tests .

WADA and the New Olympic Standard

In 1999, after a long series of doping scandals that go back decades, WADA was set up to battle doping in the Olympics. And whilst there are athletes who are still getting through to the finals, many of them are also being caught. This has led many sports to adopt WADA-style rules, so as to both clean up and legitimize their sport.

Unfortunately, WADA rules can be quite strict and unforgiving, and any substance that falls under the criteria they've set out will be prohibited. This includes cannabis. Those who want to see WADA change these rules will have to:

a) Campaign to see cannabis legalized worldwide.

b) Convince sporting organizations to drop cannabis from their testing regimes.

c) Show that cannabis is not a PED that goes against the spirit of the sport.

At the moment, it's not necessarily b) and c) that are the problem, but a), as not all countries want to see cannabis legalized. This will no doubt influence sporting and Olympic organizations' attitude towards cannabis, as not every place will be so tolerant of atheletes they see as "taking drugs". For better or for worse, such ocurences can damage the image and the spread of a sport.

Are PEDs Just the Reality of Sports?

Another, deeper issue is the fact that PED use is rife throughout most elite sports. Many athletes don't go through drugs tests, and not all sports can afford to test athletes all the time, let alone ensure Olympic-style testing. There are also many ways to "game" the drug testing system, and the payoffs (multi-year contracts worth millions, sponsorship deals etc.) can make PED usage seem worth it. In fact, some have even argued that we should allow PED usage in sports , as the current regime leaves those who don't use PEDs in too disadvantaged of a situation.

At the moment, the only way to ensure cheating doesn't go on in Olympic sports is to make tests as stringent as possible - cannabis is merely stuck in the crossfire of this long-raging battle.

Why Should Cannabis Be Taken Off the List of Prohibited Substances?

There is definitely a need for painkillers and anti-anxiety drugs that are not opioid- or sedative- based. Such substances are addictive, often more damaging to health than cannabis, and their usage can lead to long-term problems for athletes well after their careers are over. Cannabis and plant-derived cannabinoids (phytocannabinoids) may well be an answer to such problems.

There are several other reasons to take cannabis off the prohibited drugs list, including:

• It being an excellent anti-inflammatory that can aid post-exercise recovery .
• The fact that there is no definitive evidence that cannabis enhances performace.
• Long-term brain damage is a reality for those playing contact sports. Cannabinoids like CBD may help reduce or even reverse chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) .
• Many of the arguments against cannabis use in sport stem from the idea that it violates the "spirit of the sport". However, attitudes towards cannabis are changing, and many see cannabis use as a personal decision rather than one that should be punished.
• The consequences for athletes caught up under the drug testing system - even if they ingested it accidentally - can be out-of-proportion. A two-year ban can derail an athlete's career, and amateurs and those in lesser-known sports can be needlessly harmed by such strict policies.

For the Moment, the Rules Are the Rules

For most sports, cannabis is a prohibited substance, and any athlete who tests positive for it will be suspended. The "clean" image is all-important in sports, as it is important for many to be seen as a healthy, hardworking role model whose example should be followed. Sadly, the idea of athletes utilizing cannabis - even for legitimate reasons - conflicts with this image.