Major League Baseball (MLB) recently got on the right side of history when the league announced that it will be removing cannabis from its list of banned substances and will treat cannabis like alcohol.
The new policy will become effective starting in 2020 during the league’s spring training.
MLB’s cannabis policy change marks a significant shift in professional sports, and given the prominent role that professional sports plays in society, it is a really big deal.
Currently, professional baseball players are bound by a very harsh cannabis policy that results in severe penalties for failed drug tests (a 50 ng/mL THC threshold).
Major League Baseball players are suspended for 25 games after their first failed drug test, 50 games for a second, 100 games for a third, and are banned for life after a fourth failed drug test.
Thankfully, that will now go away once spring training rolls around.
What Will the New MLB Policy Look Like?
When the new policy takes effect, players who are determined to have consumed cannabis will be referred to a treatment board, similar to when a player is suspected of abusing alcohol.
Players will not be punished for failing to participate in a recommended treatment program.
The new policy is a gamechanger from a medical cannabis perspective. Prior to the new policy’s enactment, MLB made no distinction between medical cannabis use and non-medical use.
With the new program, the league will be granted the flexibility to consider whether or not a player is using cannabis for medical purposes.
In a perfect world, there wouldn’t even be a review involved and cannabis would be treated like any other safe medicine, however, the policy change is still a dramatic improvement.
If Major League Baseball Can Treat Cannabis Like Alcohol, Why Can’t the NBA and NFL?
MLB is not the first professional sports league to treat cannabis like alcohol. The National Hockey League (NHL) holds that distinction.
One question now is if and when the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Football League (NFL) will soon update their cannabis policies.
The only thing stopping those leagues from reforming their cannabis policies is the will to make it happen, and any lack of will is squarely on the league’s owners and leadership.
Cannabis prohibition is a harmful policy, no matter where it exists, and professional sports are no exception.
The NFL’s and NBA’s current cannabis policies are ridiculous. No exceptions are made for medical cannabis and players are punished when they are subjected to cannabis prohibition laws and arrests by law enforcement.
Cannabis prohibition has a disproportionate impact on Communities of Color. It’s a mathematical fact. Cannabis prohibition is a form of institutional racism.
When leagues punish players for cannabis offenses that occur away from the team, those leagues are perpetuating institutional racism. That is unacceptable.
League owners will often put the burden on players to have to make the push for cannabis policy reform during contract negotiations, which is also unacceptable.
A player’s health and the right to be free from the harms of institutional racism should not be treated as a ‘bargaining chip’ by league owners.
Sports Fans Support Cannabis Reform
One talking point that cannabis prohibitionists in professional sports cling to is the claim that reforming cannabis policies in professional sports would send the wrong message to fans.
However, polling has consistently found that sports fans support cannabis reform in professional sports leagues. Below are some examples via retired NBA All-Star Clifford Robinson, who was suspended four times during his 18 year NBA career for cannabis use:
- Marist College, in conjunction with Yahoo, conducted a poll in which sports fans were asked the following question – ‘Would you have more or less respect for your favorite sports athlete if you learned they used marijuana in their personal life? If it makes no difference please say so.’ A substantial 68% of poll participants expressed that if their favorite sports athlete consumed cannabis that it ‘makes no difference’ to the level of respect that they have for the athlete. An additional 3% stated that they would have more respect. Only 28% of poll respondents stated that they would have less respect for an athlete that consumes cannabis.
- A combined 71% of poll participants would have equal or more respect for a professional athlete (including NBA athletes) if they found out that they consumed cannabis, and not just for medical purposes. That’s significantly more than the support for national legalization (64%) by American voters, and the same as the level of support for medical cannabis legalization in the NFL among its players (also 71%).
- Another poll, conducted by PRRI, found that “A majority (54%) of the public believe professional athletes should not be prohibited from using marijuana if they live in a state where it is legal.”
According to polling, even members of sports media overwhelming support cannabis reform in professional sports leagues.
A poll conducted by The Big Lead explored the level of support for cannabis reform among sports media members, with an astounding 76.5% of poll participants stating that cannabis prohibition should end. Support for cannabis reform amongst voters is at an all-time high.
As previously stated, cannabis reform is in professional sports is a really important component of the greater cannabis reform movement.
Fans of the NBA, MLB, NFL, and NHL make up a massive chunk of the population. Reform in sports provides a huge boost to reform efforts in politics.
Cannabis reform in sports is also important for the future of the cannabis industry, as it will usher in an era in which sports cannabis products are embraced rather than stigmatized. Considering how many people play sports, it’s a massive potential consumer base.
– This article was originally posted at Green Flower
About CannabisNewsWire
CannabisNewsWire (CNW) is an information service that provides (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) CannabisNewsBreaks that summarize corporate news and information, (3) enhanced press release services, (4) social media distribution and optimization services, and (5) a full array of corporate communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, CNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. CNW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. CNW is where news, content and information converge.
To receive instant SMS alerts, text CANNABIS to 21000 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)
For more information please visit https://www.cannabisnewswire.com
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer
Do you have a questions or are you interested in working with CNW? Ask our Editor
CannabisNewsWire (CNW)
Denver, Colorado
www.cannabisnewswire.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com
CannabisNewsWire is part of the InvestorBrandNetwork.
This article contains Third-Party Content submitted by third parties, including articles submitted through the CNW Premium Partnership Program. All opinions, statements and representations expressed by such third parties are theirs alone and do not express or represent the views and opinions of CNW or its affiliates and owners. Content created by third parties is the sole responsibility of such third parties, and CNW does not endorse, guarantee or make representations concerning the accuracy and completeness of all third-party content. You acknowledge that by CNW providing you with this internet portal that makes accessible to you the ability to view third-party content through the CNW site, CNW does not undertake any obligation to you as a reader of such content or assume any liability relating to such third-party content. CNW expressly disclaims liability relating to such third-party content. CNW and its members, affiliates, successors, assigns, officers, directors, and partners assume no responsibility or liability that may arise from the third-party content, including, but not limited to, responsibility or liability for claims for defamation, libel, slander, infringement, invasion of privacy and publicity rights, fraud, or misrepresentation, or an private right of action under the federal securities laws of the United States or common law. Notwithstanding the foregoing, CNW reserves the right to remove third-party content at any time in its sole discretion.
