The debate surrounding recreational marijuana use is perhaps loudest at the level of professional sports. Historically, the control over athlete’s bodies and recreational time has created a storm of discontent, but the tide appears to be turning for athletes who desire to use cannabis while playing their sport at the highest level.
Since the National Basketball Association (NBA) suspended marijuana testing in March 2020, after play ended in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, it was unclear whether testing would resume as the nation recovered. On October 6th, the NBA announced their agreement with the National Basketball Player Association (NBPA) “to extend the suspension of random testing for marijuana for the 2021- The NBA Will Not Randomly Test Players for Marijuana This Season: What Does This Mean for the Stigmatization of Marijuana in Professional Sports and Beyond? 22 season and focus our random testing program on performance-enhancing products and drugs of abuse.” Although the league initially decided to suspend marijuana testing to reduce COVID-19 transmission, this renewed testing suspension suggests the stigma may be lifting from marijuana usage in professional athletics.
Such paramount decisions have also been made by the National Hockey League and National Football League, both of which amended their cannabis policies so players that test positive for cannabis are no longer suspended. Additionally, Major League Baseball has entirely suspended cannabis testing among players, and the Ultimate Fighting Championship announced it will no longer penalize fighters for consuming cannabis. As professional sports leagues gradually work to destigmatize marijuana, many cannabis advocates trace this progress to one pivotal month: July 2020, when American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson was disqualified from competing for the U.S. Olympic team in the 4×100 relay team in Tokyo and 100-meter individual race following a positive marijuana test. Such crushing instances of cannabis stigmatization, coupled with the outpouring of support from Richardson’s fans and the cannabis community, illuminate the gravity of the most recent NBA decision to suspend marijuana testing. Professional basketball players – and, perhaps soon, all professional athletes – will be empowered to incorporate cannabis in a capacity that best supports their physical and mental health.
Marijuana usage may not only be viewed as a basic civil liberty among athletes, but also as an aid for athletic recovery. Rosie Mattio, CEO of Mattio Communications and guest on “The Dime” Podcast uses the substance recreationally and while training for competitive bodybuilding. Early in her bodybuilding and marketing career, Mattio read numerous anecdotal The NBA Will Not Randomly Test Players for Marijuana This Season: What Does This Mean for the Stigmatization of Marijuana in Professional Sports and Beyond? reports and emerging medical research suggesting cannabis can boost workout performance, aid sleep and treat sore muscles. Based on her research, Mattio made the decision to exchange alcohol for cannabis and attributes marijuana to her first competitive bodybuilding victory. Mattio is now a prominent name in both cannabis marketing and the fitness community, and believes passionately in the “power of the plant” as well as the social imperative of cannabis offense expungement initiatives.
Influential figures like Mattio and Sha’Carri Richardson, coupled with testing decisions made by the NBA and other professional leagues, collectively represent a key turning point for cannabis advocates and consumers at large. Beyond the experiences of individual athletes, marijuana is repeatedly cited as a health and wellness aid for recreational fitness goers, as well as medical patients, and individuals struggling with chronic pain, anxiety and other health issues. As states and sports leagues gradually normalize cannabis usage, athletes and advocates will continue to rally against “Prohibition 2.0” and assert their rights as individuals, players, professionals, and patients.
Take-Aways:
- The NBA recently announced it would continue the suspension of marijuana testing among its athletes, instead focusing its attention on “performanceenhancing drugs and drugs of abuse.”
- This decision mirrors other recent decisions made by other professional sports leagues to gradually destigmatize marijuana use among professional athletes.
- Backing up these decisions, cannabis advocates and industry professionals, such as Mattio Communications CEO Rosie Mattio, continue to speak out in strong support of cannabis in athletic recovery and overall wellness.
- Decisions made by professional sports leagues have a significant impact on the image of marijuana in the athletic sphere as well as in everyday life.
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