College athletes may soon be able to celebrate a win with a joint instead of a victory cigar.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association has long prohibited the use of cannabis, and athletes are regularly tested for THC and sometimes punished if it’s detected.
On Friday, however, NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports recommended removing marijuana from the list of banned substances, the NCAA said in a news release.
The organization cited “the shifting cultural and legal landscapes surrounding cannabinoids” as at least partially underpinning the decision.
Performance-enhancing drugs would remain banned, but as for cannabis, the organization instead would focus on “a ‘robust educational strategy’ for college athletes when it comes to cannabis,” according to a report from CBS Sports.
“When making a decision on an important topic like this, we agree that the membership should have an opportunity to vote on the final outcome,” said James Houle, committee chair and lead sport psychologist at Ohio State, in the release. “We are recommending a big shift in the paradigm when it comes to cannabinoids. We want to modernize the strategy with the most up-to-date research to give schools the best opportunity to support the health of student-athletes.”
Source: Cameron Kiszla – ktla.com
