NCAA panel recommends marijuana be dropped from banned substance list

An NCAA panel on Friday called for the removal of marijuana from the organization’s list of banned drugs and suggested the testing should be limited to performance-enhancing substances.

The Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports recommended halting cannabis tests at such events until a final decision is made, likely this fall. 

Legislation would still have to be introduced and approved by all three NCAA divisions to take effect. Administrators in Division II and III had asked the committee to study the issue.

The latest move from the panel comes as the U.S. is seeing more and more states allowing medical or recreational marijuana use. The committee increased the THC threshold needed for a positive test and recommended revamped penalties for athletes earlier this year. The threshold for THC was raised from 35 to 150 nanograms per millimeter, matching the World Anti-Doping Agency.

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Last December, the committee noted that marijuana and its byproducts are not considered performance-enhancing substances. 

The panel suggested stressing policies that focus on the potential threats from marijuana use and the need to reduce the harm and use of cannabis products instead of focusing on penalties.

For schools that test, the panel said officials should use those results to find “problematic” cannabis use.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.