Sports Leagues Should Ease Marijuana Stigma and Improve Athlete Education, New NFL-Backed Study Finds

A study funded partly by the National Football League finds that athletes are increasingly interested in cannabis for medical purposes but often lack reliable guidance from team and league health staff because of persistent stigma. Published this month in Sports Health by researchers at the University of Saskatchewan and University of Regina, the study states that "elite contact sport athletes use cannabis intentionally for recreational, therapeutic, and recovery purposes but face systemic barriers related to misinformation, stigma, and inconsistent policy guidance," warning that expanding legalization without adequate education risks exposing athletes to unregulated products and causing them to miss potential benefits. Funding came in part from the joint pain management committee run by the NFL and NFL Players Association. Researchers interviewed 10 current or former elite athletes from the NFL, NBA, NHL and NCAA, who cited using cannabis for pain relief, mental health, relaxation, recovery, sleep, possible neuroprotection, and as an alternative to alcohol. One participant said: "I stopped drinking alcohol because of the adverse effects... I wanted to try both the therapeutic and recreational [use of cannabis]. It was just kind of experimental." Despite loosening league policies — including the WNBA's removal of marijuana from its banned-substances list this year, paired with new rules letting players promote and invest in cannabis companies — athletes still fear judgment in locker rooms and hotels, and worry about discipline or legal trouble where cannabis remains illegal. Drug testing policies "reinforced fear and raised fairness concerns," with athletes questioning why alcohol use, though common, drew less scrutiny than cannabis. Education from teams was described as one-sided and negative, pushing many toward peers or the internet for information. Researchers recommended athlete-specific cannabis education, harmonized evidence-based policies across leagues, open communication between athletes and medical staff, reduced stigma, and continued research funding. The NFL and NFLPA previously funded $1 million in 2022 for studies on cannabis for pain management and concussion neuroprotection, plus CBD research as an opioid alternative. In 2024, the NFL reduced fines and raised THC testing thresholds, building on its earlier end to cannabis suspensions. The NBA dropped marijuana from its banned list in 2023; the NCAA followed in 2024 for Division I athletes, after raising THC thresholds in 2022 to match World Anti-Doping Agency standards. USADA CEO Travis Tygart called WADA's continued ban "unfair," following the 2021 suspension of runner Sha'Carri Richardson, who tested positive for THC after her mother's death. The UFC dropped cannabis from its banned list in late 2023 but warned fighters they still faced a $100 fine under California State Athletic Commission rules if testing above 150 nanograms per milliliter, ahead of UFC 298 in February.