NBA Will Let Players Invest In Marijuana Industry and Promote Cannabis Brands Under New Union Deal, Also Removing Marijuana From Banned Substance List
The NBA is removing marijuana from its list of banned substances and will no longer drug test players for marijuana as part of a new seven-year collective bargaining agreement. The league tested this the last three seasons, and it was expected that this would happen during the new CBA. Rather than mandate blanket tests, commissioner Adam Silver said the league would be reaching out to players who show signs of problematic dependency, not those who are “using marijuana casually.” While the WHO is keeping cannabis on its restricted list, the NBA joins the MLB and UFC in not punishing athletes for it.
The ability for players to invest and promote the Cannabis industry did come as a pleasant surprise for many supporters. Many professional sports leagues have started to move in that direction, but letting players promote and invest in marijuana companies would set NBA apart as incredibly progressive on the issue. In 2021 Kevin Durant partnered with Weedmaps as a loophole in the previous restrictions. Still, with this new set of rules, it’s expected many current and former players will continue to play a part in the growth of the cannabis industry.
