The American Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) recommends removing cannabis from the list of banned substances

Last week, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sport (CMAS) has recommended removing cannabis from its list of banned substances, calling instead for a «robust educational strategy».

The sports association, which organizes the athletic programs of many of America's leading colleges and universities, first announced its plans for these reforms in June. Some American sports federations like the NBA, MMA or MLB already no longer screen for cannabis.

The committee concluded that removing cannabis from its testing protocols :

• recognizes the ineffectiveness of existing policy, which includes prohibition, testing and penalization
• affirms the role of the NCAA drug-testing program in addressing only performance-enhancing substances
• and stresses the importance of moving towards a harm reduction strategy that prioritizes education and support at school level over penalties.

In a statement, James Houle, chairman of the commission and chief sports psychologist at Ohio State, said that «when it comes to making a decision on something as important as this, we agree that members should have the opportunity to vote on the final outcome.».

«We recommend a radical paradigm shift when it comes to cannabinoids. We want to modernize the strategy with the latest research to give schools the best opportunity to support the health of student-athletes,» said James Houle in a press release.

The NCAA said the recommendation «aims to refocus the health of student-athletes while recognizing members» opinions and the changing cultural and legal landscapes surrounding cannabinoids« and is »based on extensive study informed by industry and subject matter experts," including physicians and addiction experts.

In 2022, CMAS raised the cannabinoid thresholds for failing a test from 35 to 150 nanograms per milliliter of blood, thus aligning itself with on World Anti-Doping Agency policies.