x
News

NBA Players Will Not Be Tested for Cannabis This Season

October 12, 2021 11:30 am ET

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has announced that it will not subject players to random cannabis testing during the upcoming 2021-22 season.

The policy is an extension of rules put in place in March 2020 that suspended drug screening during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even when the 2019-20 season resumed via the Disney World bubble, cannabis testing did not resume alongside testing for performance enhancers.

While cannabis is still technically prohibited, the association is halting screening for it in order to focus on “performance-enhancing products and drugs of abuse” like methamphetamine, cocaine, and opiates, according to Sporting News. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver hasn’t committed to making the policy permanent but remarked that society’s views on marijuana have changed.

Decriminalizing cannabis in sports has been a hot topic in recent years. Sha’Carri Richardson’s widely publicized suspension from the Olympics due to the testing positive for cannabis at trials catalyzed a wave of support for pro-cannabis reform. In September, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), an international independent agency that conducts research on substance use in sports, announced its intent to review the ban on cannabis use for athletes.

The NBA’s 75th anniversary season will begin on Oct. 19.

Post Your Comments

{"post_type":"post","post_status":"publish","posts_per_page":3,"post__not_in":[18235,1207,17340,12335,16396,12370,27416,27600,27467,27300,27266,27471]}

Latest News

May 31, 2023
Rosin and Live Rosin Explained

Rosin and live rosin are distinctively similar yet very different types of cannabis concentrates. They are both made from cannabis, but only…

May 31, 2023
Rose Petals and Cannabis: A Charming Match for Romantic Rollers

Cannabis extractions aren’t the only thing consumers add to their roll-ups these days. Rose petals can add a feminine touch to herbal…

May 26, 2023
Nebraska Pushes for Medical Cannabis, Tennessee’s THC Seltzers, & CBD Fruit Preservatives

Nebraska advocates are working to get medical cannabis on the ballot, THC seltzers are building buzz in Tennessee, and researchers tested CBD…