The amount of marijuana an athlete can have in their system has been relaxed by the NCAA.
The NCAA says that the threshold levels for the drug are in line with those of the World Anti-Doping Agency.
The threshold-level change is retroactive to the fall of 2021.
Marijuana is legal in most of the U.S.
The NCAA is considering the approach to cannabis testing and management, which is consistent with feedback from membership on how to better support and educate student-athletes in a society with rapidly evolving public health and cultural views regarding cannabis use. Pot is not considered a performance enhancer.
If an athlete tested positive for marijuana, they would have to miss 50% of the regular season and be out for one season.
After testing positive for a first time, an athlete will have to follow a school's management plan and education plan. The second positive test would not cause an athlete to lose eligibility if they complied with the first management plan; otherwise, the athlete would sit out 25% of regular-season games.
If the athlete was compliant with the previous two plans, the third positive test wouldn't affect eligibility, but they would lose 50% of their regular-season contests.
The proposed new penalties will have to be voted on by each NCAA division.
The Drug Testing Subcommittee of the NCAA has been meeting since last fall to discuss the recommendations that were made about the NCAA drug testing program.
MLB removed marijuana from its banned substance list, the NBA suspended testing for marijuana for the current season, the NHL loosened marijuana rules, and the NFL is funding research on the effects of cannabinoids on pain management.
The former executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws told USA Today that a positive test for 150 grams per liter would be a pretty dedicated cannabis consumer.
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