In a landmark decision, the NCAA has voted to remove cannabis as a banned substance for Division I athletes. In a statement from the Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman, Cannabis does not “provide a competitive advantage” and that the council’s focus is now on the health and well-being of the student-athletes rather than punishing them.
The NCAA’s History With Cannabis
The NCAA has had quite a past as far as cannabis is concerned.
In 2015, two Oregon players, wide receiver Darren Carrington and special teamer Ayele Forde tested positive for marijuana and were both suspended from Oregon’s national championship game against Ohio State.
The year prior, in 2014, former Michigan basketball star Mitch McGary tested positive for marijuana during the NCAA tournament and would face a year-long suspension. McGary would later declare for the NBA Draft and would be selected with the 21st overall pick by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In 2019, three Oklahoma football players tested positive for marijuana. Runningback Rhamondre Stevenson, linebacker Ronnie Perkins, and wide receiver Trejan Bridges were suspended for 6 games, including the Peach Bowl against the undefeated LSU Tigers who would go on to win the CFP National Championship.
There are many more stories to speak of, and it’s almost become a consensus that the cannabis policies in college sports have been too strict for too long.
Luckily, as part of this new policy, student-athletes who are facing suspension for cannabis or those already serving suspensions will have their punishments discontinued.
Ultimately, you could argue that the judgment of the student-athletes and how they use cannabis products is up to them. It’s up to them to be responsible, for not letting cannabis use cause their play and academics to suffer as a result.
This is another major win for cannabis as an entity. We are seeing increased tolerance of marijuana in sports more and more. Cannabis is being looked at in a different light now, not being looked at as something that is performance-enhancing or something overly dangerous.
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