Over the leagues history, marijuana has been on the list of banned substances in the NBA, and it had led to players being fined and suspended without pay in various instances, further creating divide amongst the players union and league officials.
Players believe that the use of marijuana during the long haul of an NBA season gave them an alternative way to relax and rejuvenate their minds and bodies to reset before getting up the next day and continuing their grind.
Until today, the NBA has been testing players randomly throughout the season and occasionally even during the offseason in attempt to keep their players honest and at “peak condition” to perform.
Today is the start of this no longer being the case. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has agreed on a deal with the players union ensuring that they will no longer be tested for the use of marijuana, even though the substance remains “banned” league wide.
Marijuana legalization is becoming more common across the US. Recreational use is fully legal in 15 states plus the District of Columbia, and many other states have various levels of decriminalization or medical use allowances.
With younger generations leaning much more heavily toward legalization, this trend is likely to continue across the nation.
Sources say this decision to not test players is largely based on COVID safety, just another way of limiting unnecessary contacts. However, there’s also significant expectation from many in the league that the entire marijuana testing program is on the way out in the near future.
“Due to the unusual circumstances in conjunction with the pandemic, we have agreed with the NBPA to suspend random testing for marijuana for the 2020-21 season and focus our random testing program on performance-enhancing products and drugs of abuse,” NBA spokesperson Mike Bass said in a statement.
This has been an issue among various major sports leagues across North America, but with 2020 throwing curveballs the way of these commissioners, they are looking for new ways to limit the potential damage that the virus can do to its businesses.
Way to go, Adam Silver!