There National Basketball Association (NBA) has reportedly removed cannabis from its list of banned substances and will no longer test players under a new seven-year collective agreement.
This decision, first reported on Saturday by American journalist Shams Charania of The Athletic And Stadiumcontinues the league’s decision to temporarily suspend cannabis testing for the past three seasons.
Sources: NBA players will no longer be prohibited for marijuana under the new seven-year Collective Bargaining Agreement. It’s been removed from the anti-drug testing program, a process that began during 2019-20 season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 1, 2023
NBA commissioner Adam Silver indicated in late 2020 that this policy could become permanent after the league suspended cannabis testing when players were playing in a quarantined “bubble” in Orlando at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. coronavirus.
“We decided that, given everything that was going on in society, all the pressures and stress players were under, we didn’t need to play Big Brother right now,” he said. at the time. “I think society’s view of cannabis has changed to some degree. »
Rather than imposing widespread testing, the commissioner said the league would target players who show signs of problematic addiction, not those who “use cannabis on an occasional basis”.
According to Charania, “NBA players will no longer be banned from cannabis under the new seven-year collective bargaining agreement. He was removed from the drug testing program, a process that began in the 2019-20 season,” he reported.
The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association announced earlier Saturday that they “have reached an agreement in principle on a new collective bargaining agreement, pending ratification by players and team governors”, but details will not be released until that a term sheet be finalized.
