Cannabis in sports has moved from automatic punishment to a patchwork of softer rules. The World Anti-Doping Agency still bans cannabis during competition, while several major U.S. leagues have stopped suspending players over it, and some no longer test for it at all. This explainer dates each change, notes what athletes have said on the record and sorts out what research can and can't say about recovery, CBD and topicals. WADA's rules are described as of October 2026, and each league change carries its date.
Why sport banned cannabis: WADA's three criteria and early policies
Under the World Anti-Doping Code, a substance can land on WADA's Prohibited List if it meets any two of three criteria. It has the potential to enhance sport performance, it poses an actual or potential health risk to the athlete, or it violates the spirit of sport. In 2022, WADA's Ethics Expert Advisory Group said it still considered cannabis use contrary to the spirit of sport.
WADA prohibits cannabis in competition only, and its testing line has moved over time. In 2013, it raised the urinary threshold for a THC finding tenfold, from 15 ng/mL to 150 ng/mL. According to WADA, a result above that level points to an athlete who is significantly impaired or uses cannabis frequently. Other organizations drew their own lines: a 2020 systematic review found thresholds across athletic bodies ranging from 15 to 150 ng/mL, with penalties that varied just as widely.
WADA today: in-competition ban, THC threshold, the CBD exception
As of October 2026, the 2026 Prohibited List bans all natural and synthetic cannabinoids in competition, with cannabidiol (CBD) named as the exception. THC is classed as a Substance of Abuse, a category added in the 2021 Code. If an athlete shows that use happened out of competition and had nothing to do with performance, the suspension is three months, and it can drop to one month after an addiction treatment program.
WADA opened a review of cannabis in September 2021, following requests from a small number of stakeholders. In September 2022, its Executive Committee kept THC on the list, noting that it is prohibited in competition only, and only above a urinary concentration of 150 ng/mL.
Two more dates are worth knowing:
- CBD since 2018: starting in 2018, cannabidiol has not been prohibited. WADA cautions, though, that CBD oils and tinctures extracted from cannabis may also contain THC and other cannabinoids that can trigger a positive test.
- The 2027 list: WADA's next list takes effect January 1, 2027. According to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, it rewrites the cannabinoid section so that only the psychoactive components of cannabis, plus compounds that mimic THC such as delta-8 and delta-10 THC and HHC, are prohibited in competition. Non-psychoactive cannabinoids without THC-like effects are not.
Cannabis in sports, league by league: NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, UFC and NCAA
U.S. leagues write their own drug rules, usually through labor agreements with players' unions, and most have relaxed their cannabis policies since 2019. Each date below links to its source.
| League | What changed | When |
|---|---|---|
| MLB | Natural cannabinoids, including THC, CBD and marijuana, came off the drugs-of-abuse list; marijuana-related conduct is handled like alcohol, with mandatory evaluation, voluntary treatment and possible discipline for certain conduct | Announced December 2019, effective with 2020 spring training |
| NFL | Suspensions based solely on a positive THC test ended; testing shrank from four months to two weeks at the start of training camp; the threshold rose from 35 to 150 ng/mL | March 2020 labor agreement |
| NFL | The threshold for a positive THC test rose from 150 to 350 ng/mL, and fines for positive tests were reduced | December 2024 |
| NBA | Marijuana was removed from the anti-drug testing program, a process that began in the 2019-20 season | June 2023 labor agreement |
| NHL | Players weren't punished for positive marijuana tests; only a significantly high level led to a referral to the program's doctors | As described in October 2018 |
| UFC | A positive THC test stopped counting as a violation unless intentional use for performance could be shown | January 2021 |
| UFC | Marijuana came off the prohibited list under a new anti-doping program | Effective December 31, 2023 |
| NCAA (Division I) | Cannabinoids were removed from the banned drug class for championships and postseason football, and penalties being served were discontinued | June 25, 2024 |
A few details matter. Under MLB's 2019 change, marijuana-related conduct is handled like alcohol-related conduct, so certain conduct involving cannabis can still bring discipline from a club or the commissioner's office. In 2018, ESPN described the NHL's approach as the most lenient among major North American leagues. Commissioner Gary Bettman said then that "at least for the time being, we're comfortable with where we are." As ESPN noted in 2021, the athletic commissions that oversee UFC events can still sanction fighters for cannabis. The NCAA change took effect immediately, and the Division I Council's chair said cannabis products don't provide a competitive advantage.
Athletes speaking out (documented public statements only)
The case that put the issue in front of a wide audience came in 2021. Sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson tested positive for a THC metabolite in a sample collected at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials on June 19. She accepted a one-month suspension that began June 28, and her results from the Trials, including her Olympic qualifying result, were disqualified. USADA said her use happened out of competition, was unrelated to performance and that she had completed a counseling program, which allowed the shortest suspension.
Richardson took responsibility publicly on NBC's Today show: "I know what I did. I know what I'm supposed to do. I know what I'm allowed not to do. And I still made that decision." She said she had used cannabis after learning that her biological mother had died. NPR reported the reaction as disappointment and anger, summed up by NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes: "This is so trash, man. Just let her run."
Players have pushed on league policy, too. In 2018, ESPN reported that retired NHL enforcer Riley Cote wanted marijuana removed from the league's drug testing.
Why athletes are curious: pain, sleep and recovery questions, and the evidence so far
Contact sports are hard on bodies, and athletes' interest in cannabis tends to center on pain, sleep and recovery. An online survey of 166 elite contact-sport athletes in Canada, the United States and Australia was published in October 2026. In it, 56% said they currently used cannabinoids, yet only about one in five felt comfortable discussing cannabis with medical staff. The researchers described athletes as increasingly turning to cannabinoids for pain, sleep and recovery.
The evidence is far thinner than the interest. A 2020 systematic review in Sports Health estimated that about 1 in 4 athletes had used cannabis in the past year. Of the performance studies it found, two showed a negative effect and two showed none, and at the time it found no research at all on cannabis and athletic recovery. Leagues have started paying for research. In 2022, the NFL awarded $1 million to research teams at the University of California San Diego and the University of Regina. Their projects look at cannabinoids, pain management and concussion.
Topical and non-topical products: what's known
Topicals, such as balms and lotions, appeal to athletes because they go on the skin instead of being swallowed or inhaled. The research is early: when a 2022 systematic review looked at topical cannabinoids and pain, it turned up just six studies in people, with most of its evidence drawn from animals. For background, see how cannabis topicals are made and used.
CBD draws the most attention among non-intoxicating options. A 2020 review of CBD and sports performance found that direct studies in athletes were lacking. Most of its evidence came from animal research and small trials in people who weren't athletes, and the authors called for controlled studies in athletes before anyone draws conclusions. Our overview of CBD research and our piece on whether CBD can get you high cover the basics.
For tested athletes, the bigger practical issue is contamination. WADA and USADA both warn that CBD products extracted from cannabis can contain THC that leads to a positive test, and USADA notes that the THC isn't always listed on the label.
The Michigan angle: legal for adults 21+, but league and employer rules still apply
Michigan lets adults 21 and older buy, possess and use cannabis, but state law only reaches so far. It doesn't override a league's drug policy, an anti-doping code or an employer's rules; Michigan employers may still enforce drug policies and discipline workers who break them. Pro athletes answer to their league agreements, and Olympic-sport athletes answer to WADA's list.
A few practical points for fans and weekend athletes:
- Game day: cannabis use in public places isn't allowed, and stadium and venue owners can ban it on their property, so leave it out of the stands and the parking lot.
- Team travel: cannabis can't legally cross state lines, even between two states where it's legal.
- College athletes: many are under 21, and Michigan's adult-use protections begin only at 21.
- Rec leagues and pickup games: play sober, since THC can affect coordination. Our guide to cannabis and fitness covers timing and safety around workouts.
21+ only. Please consume responsibly.
