The WNBA has dropped cannabis from its banned substances list under a new collective bargaining agreement. At the same time, the league has prohibited psychedelics, naming psilocybin, DMT, and ibogaine for the first time.
The change, detailed in the league's latest CBA with the players' union, is a clear break from the WNBA's previous drug testing protocols. The agreement also sets parameters for how players can invest in cannabis and CBD businesses, an issue that has come up more often as athletes look for opportunities in the industry.
Other leagues got here first. The NBA softened its marijuana testing policies in 2020, and the NFL removed suspensions for positive cannabis tests. The WNBA's decision puts it in step with both.
Psychedelics go the other way
The psychedelics ban cuts against the direction of state law. Oregon, Colorado, and several municipalities have decriminalized or legalized psilocybin therapy, but the WNBA is tightening rather than loosening. The three named substances have drawn attention for possible therapeutic uses and remain federally illegal.
Several professional athletes, including former NFL players, have publicly pushed for psychedelic-assisted therapy as a treatment for traumatic brain injuries and mental health conditions. The WNBA, for now, treats cannabis and psychedelics as separate questions, accepting one while banning the other.
Investment rules
The new CBA also answers a question that has hung over the league: can players invest in cannabis companies? The agreement sets specific guidelines, though initial reports did not spell out the exact parameters. Several professional athletes have already launched or invested in cannabis brands, and the industry has actively courted sports figures as brand ambassadors and equity partners.
Athlete involvement has become a real source of legitimacy for cannabis companies, market watchers say. Former NBA players Al Harrington and Cliff Robinson built substantial cannabis businesses before Robinson's death in 2020. By writing investment rules into the CBA, the league is acknowledging that reality rather than trying to prevent it.
What happens now
The policy changes take effect immediately. Players will no longer face discipline for cannabis use, though it is not yet clear whether the league will keep any testing protocols or drop cannabis from testing entirely.
Enforcement of the psychedelics ban will likely follow existing drug testing procedures. Whether the league revisits that stance will depend on future research into therapeutic applications and on how many more jurisdictions legalize or decriminalize the substances.
With this CBA, the WNBA joins a growing list of professional sports organizations rethinking their rules on cannabis, even as it draws a harder line on psychedelics.
This article is based on original reporting by hightimes.com.
