The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has announced that it will be easing its restrictive policies for cannabis drug testing among college athletes in the United States. 

In addition to this, the non-profit organization will reduce harsh penalties for students who return a positive test.

The decisions were made by members of the NCAA’s Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports (CSMAS) during a two-day meeting that commenced on February 22 and 23.

Once the meeting came to an end, the CSMAS had officially increased the THC limits for positive tests to 150 nanograms per milliliter from 34 nanograms per milliliter.

Over 1,000 schools across the U.S. will be impacted by the NCAA’s cannabis policy shift

The NCAA’s decision to relax cannabis policy is indicative of the country’s evolving laws and opinions pertaining to cannabis use. Based on the NCAA’s drug use and testing policy update, in excess of 1,000 U.S. schools in three unique divisions will be affected.

“Reconsidering the NCAA approach to cannabis testing and management is consistent with feedback from membership on how to better support and educate student-athletes in a society with rapidly evolving public health and cultural views regarding cannabis use,” said chief medical officer of the athletic association, Dr. Brian Hainline, in a recent press release. 

“[Cannabis] is not considered a performance-enhancing substance, but it remains important for member schools to engage student-athletes regarding substance use prevention and provide management and support when appropriate,” he added.

According to the NCAA, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was responsible for establishing the updated THC threshold for NCAA college athletes. Major sporting federations such as the National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Football League (NFL) have also amended their drug testing rules. 

College athletes who test positive for THC once would not lose eligibility under NCAA’s cannabis policy 

Aside from increasing the THC threshold for college athletes, the NCAA’s cannabis policy update also urges all three divisions to impose less harsh penalties against those who test positive for cannabis. 

Such penalties “are legislated under NCAA bylaws, so each division will be required to separately adopt new legislation before changes are made,” according to the organization.

The previously imposed penalty structure meant that NCAA athletes who tested positive for cannabis on just one occasion would have been forced to miss half of their regular season. What’s more, a second positive test would have forced athletes to abstain from competing for an entire season.

The NCAA’s newly structured cannabis policy states that one positive test would result in “no loss of eligibility if the school provides a management plan and education for the student-athlete.”

Meanwhile, a second positive test would not be deemed cause for eligibility loss “if the school provides additional management and education and confirms the student-athlete was compliant with the original management and education plan.”

However, the NCAA’s cannabis policy update stipulates that “the student-athlete must be withheld from 25 percent of regular-season contests if they were not compliant with the original management and education plan.”

Finally, “if the school provides additional management and education and confirms the student-athlete was compliant with the previous two treatment and education plans,” a third positive test would not impact an athlete’s continued qualification in the competing season.

On the other hand, “the student-athlete must be withheld from 50 percent of regular-season contests if they were not compliant with the previous management and education plan.”

Chair of the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports, Dr. Stephanie Chu, says that the revisions made to the NCAA’s drug testing program were given the go-ahead following careful consideration and in-depth review of the “recommendations made by the Drug Testing Subcommittee, which has been meeting since last fall.”

“The updated cannabis testing policies create a clear pathway for student-athletes to participate in education and management programs specific to their needs at the campus level,” expressed Dr. Chu.

For more information about the NCAA’s updated cannabis policy, visit the official website at www.ncaa.com.