The National Basketball Association (NBA) is not only considering the removal of cannabis from its list of prohibited substances for players, but it also plans to permit players to endorse and invest in cannabis businesses.
This development comes as part of the new seven-year collective bargaining agreement that was recently put together.
The agreement is also anticipated to eliminate drug testing requirements for cannabis.
Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium was the first to report on the cannabis investment policy.
The NBA’s broader marijuana reform would officially establish a policy that has been in place for the past three seasons, where cannabis testing was temporarily suspended.
While many professional sports leagues are moving in a similar direction, the NBA’s decision to allow players to endorse and invest in marijuana companies would make it particularly progressive on this issue.
Compared to Major League Baseball (MLB), which announced last year that teams could sell sponsorships to CBD businesses and has since signed a deal with a major CBD brand to be promoted at the upcoming World Series, the NBA’s policy appears to be more extensive.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver suggested in late 2020 that the league’s temporary policies could become permanent after initially suspending cannabis testing when players competed in a quarantined “bubble” in Orlando at the start of the coronavirus pandemic that year.
No more ‘Big Brother’
Silver stated that, given the changes in society’s views on marijuana and the pressures and stress players faced, there was no need for the league to act as “Big Brother” at that time.
Instead of requiring blanket tests, the commissioner said the league would focus on reaching out to players who exhibit signs of problematic dependency, rather than those who casually use marijuana.
Now, as Charania reports, “NBA players will no longer be prohibited for marijuana under the new seven-year Collective Bargaining Agreement.”
He also noted that the removal of marijuana from the anti-drug testing program began during the 2019-20 season. The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association announced on Saturday that they had “reached a tentative agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, pending ratification by players and team governors.” However, the details will not be released until a term sheet is finalised.
Michele Roberts, a former head of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) who also joined the board of major cannabis company Cresco Labs in 2020, had previously predicted that a formal change to codify the policy could be imminent.
This latest move by the NBA comes amidst ongoing national discussions about cannabis testing policies for athletes—an issue that gained international attention following the suspension of US runner Sha’Carri Richardson from the Olympics due to a positive THC test.
Richardson expressed that she would feel “blessed and proud” if her case contributed to a policy change for other athletes.
Even the White House and President Joe Biden weighed in on the situation, questioning whether the marijuana ban should “remain the rules.”
Change is in the air
This progressive stance by the NBA reflects the changing attitudes towards marijuana in society and may cannabis other sports leagues to reconsider their own policies.
The potential removal of cannabis from the list of banned substances and allowing players to invest in and promote cannabis businesses could pave the way for more open discussions around cannabis use and its benefits, particularly for athletes dealing with pain management and stress.
It remains to be seen how these changes in the NBA’s cannabis policy might impact athletes and the sports world at large.
However, the ongoing dialogue surrounding cannabis use in sports and the evolving legal landscape suggest that this issue will continue to gain momentum, potentially leading to a shift in how athletes and sports organisations approach cannabis in the future.
