10 Dec Reports: Cannabis Ban to End for Minor League Baseball

In connection with an effort to address opioid addiction issues, Major League Baseball has agreed that cannabis will no longer be treated as a banned substance for minor league baseball players, according to various news reports. Previously, MLB tested minor leaguers for cannabis but had not been testing major league players. Currently, the National Hockey League is the only other pro sports league that does not punish players for testing positive for marijuana use. In September the NFL announced it would study, among other things, the use of cannabis as an alternative treatment for pain management.

In addition to teams in Canada, where cannabis is legal on a federal level, over 80 pro sports teams in the US reside in states that have legalized medical or adult use cannabis.  Almost all the major leagues, however, continue to treat cannabis as banned. Many players unions and player alumni groups have been pushing for a relaxation of the restrictions on their cannabis use.

The leagues have a legitimate interest in protecting their players from issues resulting from illegal drug use, including preventing addiction and effects on performance and attendance. Most leagues, in their collective bargaining arrangements, currently do limit drug testing to one or a few times a season. But the leagues have continued to suspend players for testing positive for marijuana use, albeit with generally minor punishments other than for repeat offenders. And admittedly, cannabis (other than hemp) does remain federally illegal in the United States.

More complicated issues surround the use of marijuana for medical purposes or the use of hemp-derived CBD, which is no longer a controlled substance. Former NE Patriot Rob Gronkowski says CBD has allowed him to be pain-free for the first time in a decade. But it appears to be considered a “byproduct” of cannabis in current collective bargaining agreements and still banned. It will be interesting to see if the leagues are ready to revisit, at a minimum, their approach to CBD as it moves away from federal illegality.