The National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) are helping usher in a new era in sports and cannabis with a new temporary deal.
While the deal still has to be approved by players and team referees before it becomes official, it appears the NBA will not only remove cannabis from its list of banned substances for players — it also plans to allow players to promote and invest in cannabis companies, as reported by the athlete.
These new details appear in a seven-year collective bargaining agreement compiled last weekend. The agreement will formally incorporate the league’s decision to temporarily suspend cannabis testing for the past three seasons, formally eliminating cannabis drug testing requirements for athletes.
The new NBA path forward
This step has been coming for a long time. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver indicated in 2020 that the league’s temporary policies could one day become permanent after initially suspending cannabis testing.
“We decided, given all the things that were going on in the community, given all the stress and tension the players were under, that we didn’t need to act like Big Brother right now,” Silver said at the time. “I think society’s views on marijuana have changed somewhat.”
In 2021, Weedmaps also announced its partnership with NBA superstar Kevin Durant, teaming up in a multi-year partnership aimed at de-stigmatizing cannabis and demonstrating the plant’s potential in aiding “wellness and healing for athletes.”
While other professional sports leagues have moved steadily in a similar direction, the NBA is standing apart with the goal of allowing players to promote and invest in cannabis companies. The deal will also allow players to invest in NBA and WNBA teams as well as sign non-gambling endorsement deals with sports betting companies.
Revival of cannabis talk and the NBA’s sport
Talk of cannabis and sports has reached new heights as the industry continues to grow. Retired athletes such as Ricky Williams have opened up about their use of cannabis and its benefits during their careers and beyond, particularly in relation to game-related symptoms such as chronic pain or joint pain.
in 2019 interview with High timesWilliams said the NFL is getting better with its approach to cannabis, though he thinks they can do more, too.
“The NFL is a powerful company with a lot of leverage, and if they modified their approach more significantly, a lot of change could happen in the world,” Williams said.
Shakari Richardson She particularly sparked a renewed interest in cannabis politics in sports in 2021, after she was suspended and unable to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for testing positive for THC following the death of her mother. She has said she would feel “blessed and proud” if her story led to a broader policy change for other athletes.
The topic of cannabis and sports also appeared in 2022 after the American basketball player Brittney Griner He was detained in Russia for possession of Vape THC.
With the athletes continuing Open about their cannabis use as it relates to their health and wellness, research He continues to assert that cannabis and cannabis products have the potential to aid athletic training and recovery, though more research is needed on this topic as a whole.
Advancement of cannabis in sports
As the NBA takes the lead in this conversation, other major sports leagues have moved steadily in a similar direction.
During the 2021 season, the NFL Players Association and the NFL agreed to change the league’s cannabis policy. The updated policy states that players must only test for cannabis once a year, at the start of training camp. Previously, players who failed the test were subject to prolonged suspensions, but now they are subject only to a fine.
In 2022, the NFL, too authorized $1 million grants for two studies that will examine the effectiveness of cannabis and its compounds in managing pain in soccer players and providing neuroprotection against concussions.
MLB has also taken a more forward stance in the past several years. in 2020 explained That players won’t be penalized for cannabis use, just a few months later Cannabis removal from the list of prohibited substances. Prior to the change, players who tested positive for THC were referred to mandatory treatment, and those who failed to comply were subject to a fine of up to $35,000.
In 2021, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) announced that it would no longer sanction fighters for positive cannabis tests.
The official NBPA Twitter account shared a file New release The interim deal was announced on April 1st, confirming that “specific details will be provided once the term paper is finalised”.
