The NHL and NBA Still Consider Cannabis a Problem

While the MLB and NFL are taking some positive steps toward embracing the benefits many professional athletes find in marijuana use, the NHL and the NBA both continue to treat marijuana as a banned substance.

In the NHL, players are tested for marijuana use, but they are not punished for positive tests. Instead, the NHL views instances when players demonstrate high levels of THC as a health care issue, and provide them with compassionate treatment options.

The league harshest on marijuana is the NBA, where players are subject to four random drug tests during the regular season. A first positive test results in a player being sent to a drug program, with a second positive test resulting in the punishment of a $25,000 fine. Should a third violation occur, a player is suspended for five games, with any further violations resulting in a suspension of an additional five games for every violation thereafter.

The NHL’s empathetic marijuana stance and the recent and impending policy changes in the MLB and NFL are positive for athletes. In relaxing league policies on marijuana use, players will no longer be forced to hide the fact that they are using the natural substance. Studies have shown that cannabis and CBD products have a positive effect in elevating the many physical aches and pains that come along with being a professional athlete. In addition, many major league players have recently begun to open up about the significant stress relief they experience by using these products.

The NBA’s current policy on marijuana, however, is not reflective of the times we are living in, nor has it been built in the best interest of its players.

Today, the NBA’s marijuana policy remains rooted in David Stern’s 2000 decision to begin testing for marijuana; the beginning of what many consider to be a racist and heavy-handed effort to “clean up” the league, which largely punished players for simply being who they are.