For a lot of sports, marijuana seems to be the ultimate evil. For whatever reason, many different leagues have decided that THC in general must be banned for all athletes, something that fans, advocates, and players alike have all railed against.

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Everyone has differing opinions on THC, but there is a really strong argument to be made for it being unbanned for players. Over the years, the NFL has had a rather interesting THC suspension policy that has created some significant issues at times, but in recent years, some things have changed for the better. It’s possible that one day, this suspension policy will be nothing but a relic of the past.

8 What Is THC?

THC or tetrahydrocannabinol is just one of the key lipids found within cannabis also known as marijuana. Typically, cannabis acts as a kind of psychoactive drug that one smokes or ingests in order to get a kind of feeling of euphoria. The drug itself has only become more positively viewed over recent years thanks to its various medicinal purposes.

The real issue for players was that many liked to smoke marijuana recreationally, something that most felt shouldn’t have been an issue, especially during the NFL’s off-season. In many countries, marijuana is treated similarly to alcohol, something that many NFL fans feel should apply to their policies.

7 What Is The Old Policy?

The old policy surrounding the NFL and THC was certainly controversial for a lot of people. Players could begin being tested for the substance up to four months before the start of the NFL season, and any amount over 35 nanograms would trigger a positive result.

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The positive result would end up getting players suspended, something that a lot of people took more and more issue with as marijuana was slowly becoming legalized across the US. A simple suspension may not seem like a big deal, but when some players are suspended for upwards of a year, the issue becomes a much bigger one.

6 What Is The NFL’s THC Policy Now?

There are a number of different policies that go into just what is and isn’t allowed in regard to THC consumption by NFL players and the punishments they’ll incur for breaking those policies. Over the last few years, the NFL has been taking steps to relax what many viewed as a bit of an overreach in policy for a drug that doesn’t impact a player's performance in any positive way.

Currently, players are tested roughly around the start of training camps and a test that comes back positive will only be triggered by a player with 150 nanograms or more of the substance in their body. Rather than a serious penalty for players on the field, a positive test during training camp will see a player’s case reviewed by medical experts to determine if action needs to be taken or not.

5 Why It’s A Big Deal

The new policy is a big deal because it shows that attitudes across the US are changing in relation to marijuana broadly. It’s quite difficult to make the case that a psychoactive that can also function as a bit of a sedative is a performance enhancer, and as it becomes more common for people to use it recreationally, players will only want to partake in it more. Now, players have ease of mind when partaking in the drug at an off-season party.

The policy, especially in its previous form, was a seriously big deal because players were facing huge suspensions from the league for what is a minor infraction. Even worse, that infraction really had no impact on how a game was played in the first place.

4 Why A THC Policy Is Still Important

Simply abolishing any penalties for all THC use isn’t going to solve any problems and the NFL is aware of that. The last thing anyone wants is for a player to show up to a game stoned out of their mind, so some level of rules is important.

Fans want their favorite sport to be as fair as possible, and even if substances are demonstrably safe for people to use responsibly, there is always the potential for abuse. Much of the new policy centers around players who abuse the substance or have been repeat offenders of the policy broadly over the years. Even further, ensuring players act as appropriate ambassadors of both their teams and the league as a whole is certainly of importance to the decision-makers at the NFL.

3 How It’s Impacted Players

The newer policy isn’t perfect by any means, but it’s probably fair to say that the reaction to its initial implementation was universally positive. During the off-season, NFL players really should have every right to live their lives like the average person, and that should include recreational indulgences so long as they are legal.

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Older repeat offenders have still struggled with the new policy, but players who were just looking to be able to utilize marijuana outside the NFL season for purposes of relaxation can do so without worrying whether a single puff is going to ruin the trajectory of their career.

2 Comparisons To Other Leagues

Obviously, the NFL isn’t the only major sports league with policies surrounding THC, and understanding how other leagues operate helps paint a picture of just how fair the NFL is really being. When it comes to a few other major leagues, the NFL is definitely among the strictest.

The NFL’s policy could be compared most closely to the NBA where basketball players are prohibited from using the substance, but rules and testing around the substance are relatively relaxed. When it comes to leagues like the NHL and MLB, marijuana is simply treated similarly to alcohol.

1 What The Future Holds

Considering policies are always subject to change as times and opinions change, it’s likely that the THC suspension policies will change. Those who already have strikes against them for marijuana use will have to play by the book if they don’t want to face any consequences, but players can have the freedom to partake in the drug when the season is over.

As marijuana and THC as a whole continue to be adopted across the US and many other places around the world, it’s really only a matter of time before consumption and punishment of that consumption will be treated no differently than a player consuming alcohol.