NCAA to Remove Cannabis From List of Banned Substances

Last Friday, the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports expressed its backing for the removal of cannabis from the Association's list of banned drugs and testing protocols. Over the summer, the committee will gather input from the membership, with a final decision expected in the fall.

Divisions II and III referred this matter to the committee, which convened in Indianapolis this week. These divisions asked the CSMAS to further examine the NCAA's cannabis policy and determine if drug testing should be limited to performance-enhancing substances only.

To remove the cannabinoid class from the NCAA's list of banned drugs, each of the three NCAA divisional governance bodies would need to propose and adopt legislation.

Additionally, while legislative action is being considered, the committee will seek support from the NCAA Board of Governors to cease testing for cannabis at NCAA championship events.

Cannabis Does Not Enhance Athletic Performance

The rationale for this change primarily stems from the December 2022 Summit on Cannabinoids in College Athletics. It was concluded that cannabis does not enhance athletic performance and that adopting a harm reduction approach at the school level is the most effective way to address cannabis use. 

Other reasons include a focus on testing for substances that provide an unfair advantage, a shift toward harm reduction similar to approaches with alcohol, and aligning institutional testing with campus efforts to identify problematic cannabis use. The aim is to educate student-athletes about the health risks associated with contemporary cannabis and inform those who choose to legally consume it about relevant harm reduction strategies.

In addition to policy and testing modifications, CSMAS also expressed support for the development of a comprehensive communication and education campaign to guide the NCAA membership on cannabis-related matters.

Trace level threshold CSMAS has accepted a recommendation from the Drug-Testing Subcommittee to establish a trace level threshold of less than 0.1 nanograms per milliliter for the banned hormone and metabolic modulator GW1516. This decision aims to prevent unintended eligibility issues for student-athletes who may test positive due to unintentional ingestion, such as through contaminated supplements, or extended elimination times of the substance.

The rationale behind this change includes considering the impact on student-athletes' clearance for competition or return to eligibility, providing continued education to those who test positive below the threshold regarding GW1516 and supplement use, examining NCAA drug testing and appeal data associated with GW1516 positives, and incorporating insights from subject matter experts regarding concentration levels and elimination response based on administration and exposure.

Cannabis is a Mental Health Issue

The committee has expressed support for the preliminary concepts developed by the Mental Health Advisory Group to update the NCAA Mental Health Best Practices document. With this initial endorsement, the advisory group will continue its work to finalize recommended updates, which the committee will consider later this year. The goal is to make the updates available by the 2024-25 academic year.