NCAA removes cannabis from list of banned drugs during championships

The NCAA no longer will test Division I athletes for cannabis products ahead of its championships after a vote Tuesday by its Division I Council.

“The NCAA drug testing program is intended to focus on integrity of competition, and cannabis products do not provide a competitive advantage,” Council Chair Josh Whitman, athletic director at the University of Illinois, said in a statement. “The council’s focus is on policies centered on student-athlete health and well-being rather than punishment for cannabis use.”

Penalties currently being served by athletes who failed NCAA drug tests because of cannabinoids will be discontinued.

The NCAA conducted random testing for cannabis products only before athletes took part in championship events, including bowl games in college football’s top level and the Football Championship Subdivision tournament. The NCAA does not operate the College Football Playoff, leaving drug testing up to the conferences that run it.

During the regular season, the NCAA generally only tests for performance-enhancing drugs. It still can test for PEDs, stimulants and narcotics ahead of championships moving forward.

The Division I Council also voted Tuesday to allow all Division I football coaching staff members to provide direct instruction to players during games and practices. Previously, only head coaches and 10 assistant coaches could instruct players during competition or practices. Teams worked around that limit by creating positions such as analysts and quality-control staffers, who provided instruction during film sessions and other off-field meetings. Now, such staffers can coach players during games and practices and teams essentially can have an unlimited number of instructional coaches, though the number of off-campus recruiters still will be limited to 11 in FBS and 13 in FCS.

“NCAA members continue efforts to modernize support for student-athletes, and removing restrictions on skill instruction in football will provide those student-athletes with increased resources to achieve their greatest on-field potential,” Whitman said. “At the same time, the council determined that maintaining limits on recruiting personnel will preserve competitive balance in recruiting while also localizing decision-making around how best to maximize support for student-athletes.”