Congressman Earl Blumenauer On NCAA's Removal Of Cannabis From Banned Substances List

Following news that NCAA regulators will take cannabis off its banned drug substance list, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), founder and co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, reiterated what he said nearly a year ago…if the NCAA can end that ban, so can the federal government.

"Slowly, surely, America is coming to its senses after 50 years of the failed war drugs,” Blumenauer said in a statement Wednesday. “It is only fitting that the NCAA remove cannabis from its list of banned substances as Sha'Carri Richardson qualifies for the 2024 Olympics—an accomplishment she earned for years ago but was wrongly taken away. Common sense is finally prevailing."

The NCAA council's focus is on the health and well-being of student-athletes instead of punishment for using cannabis, Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman said.

The Tuesday vote also means that student-athletes who were penalized for previously testing positive for cannabinoids will no longer be under punishment for cannabis use. Cannabis products "do not provide a competitive advantage," Whitman added.

See also: Cannabis In Sports Medicine: Here’s What Doctors Really Think

The NCAA loosened its policies on cannabis in 2022 by raising the allowable THC threshold levels from 35 nanograms per milliliter to 150 nanograms per milliliter. An NCAA student-athlete was allowed to test positive for marijuana three times before losing his/her eligibility under that rule. Over a year later, the NCAA acknowledged that cannabis has no performance-enhancing benefits.

That was followed by a September recommendation that it should be removed from its list of banned substances. The NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports (CSMAS) suggested a “harm-reduction” approach by each school while recognizing the cultural and legal shifts that have taken place surrounding cannabis.

For the cannabinoid class to be fully removed from the organization's list of banned drugs, each of the three NCAA divisional governance bodies would have to introduce and adopt legislation.

Also on Tuesday, the NCAA Division I council put an end to a limit on the number of football staffers who can work with players on the field. Previously the limit implied head coach and 10 assistants.

Cannabis rescheduling seems to be right around the corner. Want to understand what this means for the future of the industry? Hear directly for top executives, investors and policymakers at the 19th Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference, coming to Chicago this Oct. 8-9. Get your tickets now before prices surge by following this link.