NCAA Removes Cannabis from Banned Drug List for Football

The NCAA Division I council has voted to remove cannabis products from the banned drug list for championships and postseason football.

Any punishments currently being served by student athletes who previously tested positive for cannabis will be discontinued.

One collegiate athletic director said that cannabis products don’t provide a competitive advantage and that the council’s focus is on policies centered on student-athlete health and well-being rather than punishment for cannabis use.

In July of 2023, the NCAA’s Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports (CSMAS) signaled its support for removing cannabis from the Association’s banned drug list and testing protocols.

“The NCAA’s decision to reevaluate and update its policies on cannabis use represents a significant change in their stance surrounding use of the medicine,” said Ann Torrez, Executive Director of Arizona Dispensary Association. “By lifting the ban on cannabis for the over 460,000 Division I athletes participating in championships and college football postseason, the NCAA is taking a crucial step in dismantling long-standing stigmas surrounding cannabis.”