Cannabis and sports
[2][3] Other reasons cited for banning its use include an increased risk of injury in-competition and the view that users of cannabis are not good role models.
[9][11] WADA relaxed its policy towards cannabis in 2013, increasing from 15 ng/mL to 150 ng/mL the level of THC metabolite allowed in urine before an athlete is considered to have failed a drug test.
[15][16] WADA's policy towards cannabis came under scrutiny in 2021 following the banning of U.S. track and field athlete Sha'Carri Richardson from the Tokyo Summer Olympics.
Representatives Barbara Lee, Earl Blumenauer, and 16 other members of Congress who wrote that the policy was "outdated and restrictive" and that the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and WADA should "re-evaluate its criteria and decision to include cannabis, specifically tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) as a prohibited substance".
[17] USADA wrote to Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamie Raskin agreeing that "Ms. Richardson's exclusion from the Tokyo Olympic Games is a heartbreaking situation and that the World Anti-Doping Agency's rules concerning marijuana must change".
[20] A press release stated: "Following receipt of requests from a number of stakeholders, the [Executive Committee] endorsed the decision of the List Expert Advisory Group to initiate in 2022 a scientific review of the status of cannabis.
[27] Also in 2022, the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports (CSMAS) recommended a relaxed penalty structure for divisions to adopt.
[39][40] All-Pro running back Ricky Williams is among the players that have been suspended under the league's old policy, failing multiple tests that led him to miss the entire 2004 and 2006 seasons.
[52][53] Reasons that have been cited in advocating for the change include the potential use of cannabis as a neuroprotectant,[6][7] its use for pain relief as an opioid alternative,[42][53] and the hypocrisy of the league promoting the use of alcohol.
[63] During the early 2000s, All-Pro center Mark Stepnoski served as president of the Texas chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
[70] NFL players who are entrepreneurs in the cannabis industry include Calvin Johnson,[71] Rob Sims,[71] Marshawn Lynch,[72] Tiki Barber,[73] Kyle Turley,[74] Jordan Reed,[75] Marvin Washington,[48] Ricky Williams,[76] and Ryan Shazier.
[77] Johnson and Sims, who are business partners, announced a partnership with Harvard University in 2019 to study the effects of cannabis on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and its benefits in managing pain.
[78] National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) player Megan Rapinoe has served as an "athlete ambassador" for a CBD startup company.
[79] Scottish club Hamilton Academical attracted attention in 2018 when they were sponsored by a local company which also involved the renaming of their ground as the Hope CBD Stadium.
[85] In June 2022, MLB began allowing teams to accept sponsorships for CBD products that are certified by NSF International as not having psychoactive levels of THC.
[90] The National Basketball Association (NBA) removed cannabis from the list of drugs it tests for under a seven-year collective bargaining agreement reached in April 2023.
[93][94][95] Commissioner Adam Silver stated in 2020: "We decided that, given all the things that were happening in society, given all the pressures and stress that players were under, that we didn't need to act as Big Brother right now.
[92][105] Active and retired NBA players that are entrepreneurs in the cannabis industry or that have entered into business partnerships include Kevin Durant,[106] Allen Iverson,[107] Al Harrington,[108] Shawn Kemp,[109] Cliff Robinson,[110] Larry Hughes,[111] Chris Webber,[112] Isiah Thomas,[113] Ben Wallace,[114] Dwyane Wade,[115] Carmelo Anthony,[116] John Wall,[116] John Salley,[117] and Paul Pierce.
[107] Durant announced a separate partnership in 2021 with the company Weedmaps to "deconstruct the negative stereotypes associated with cannabis while elevating the conversation around the plant's potential for athlete wellness and recovery".
[106][120] In the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), cannabis is reported to be a banned substance that the league tests and penalizes players for.
[123] Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Aqib Javed, and Mushtaq Ahmed of the Pakistani national cricket team were arrested in Grenada in April 1993 for possession of cannabis.
[124][126] In 2001, five South African players, Roger Telemachus, André Nel, Paul Adams, Justin Kemp, and Herschelle Gibbs, were caught smoking it at a party.
[143][144] Under the new policy, fighters will no longer be punished for cannabis use except in cases where "further evidence demonstrates the substance was taken for performance-enhancing purposes such as alleviating pain or anxiety".
[145] Jeff Novitzky, senior vice president of athlete health and performance for the UFC, said clear signs of intoxication would need to be present such as "bloodshot eyes, they smell like marijuana, they're slurring or a far-off gaze".
[154] The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the sanctioning body for global auto racing, including Formula One, has banned drivers for cannabis use.
The sponsorship approval followed a lengthy process which involved testing the product at a NASCAR-approved lab to ensure compliance with the 2018 United States farm bill.
When he left the brand and partnered with Four Star Distribution to form Circa, he took this design with him, implementing it in various shoes with various methods; some used a zipper pocket, others used Velcro.
[167] A gold medal in men's snowboarding was temporarily rescinded at the 1998 Winter Olympics after Canadian Ross Rebagliati tested positive for cannabis use.
[185] In February 2009, a photograph of Michael Phelps using a bong went viral; this resulted in a three-month suspension by USA Swimming and the loss of his sponsorship with the Kellogg Company.
[186] USA Track & Field (USATF) said "the merit of the World Anti-Doping Agency rules related to THC should be reevaluated" after the ban of Sha'Carri Richardson from the 2020 Summer Olympics (held in 2021).
