The NBA and its players came to an agreement early this Saturday on a new seven-year collective bargaining agreement, making a major shift in its policy on drug testing and marijuana use, according to the Daily Mail citing the NBA.
Under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, the league will no longer test or ban players for marijuana use. Furthermore, reports in The Athletic early on Saturday also claimed marijuana has been removed from the drug testing system.
This move is seen as a step forward for players’ rights and could open up new opportunities for athletes who are also interested in using cannabis for medical or recreational purposes. The decision was made after a long discussion between the league and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). The NBPA had been pushing for this change since last year, citing research that suggests cannabis can help athletes with pain management and recovery from injuries. Now, with the NBA reportedly ditching marijuana testing under its new CBA, NBA stars will have more freedom when it comes to their health decisions.
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As it was previously reported, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver signaled in late 2020 that the policy could eventually become permanent after the league initially suspended cannabis testing at the start of the coronavirus pandemic earlier that year:
“We decided that, given all the things that were happening in society, given all the pressures and stress that players were under, that we didn’t need to act as Big Brother right now,” he said at the time. “I think society’s views around marijuana has changed to a certain extent.”
Confirming the news, NBA and the National Basketball Players Association announced earlier today they “reached a tentative agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, pending ratification by players and team governors,” but that details won’t be released until a term sheet is finalized.
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