The NBA suspended Atlanta Hawks John Collins 25 games for violating the league’s anti-drug policy.
Collins apologized in a statement stating that he was “incredibly frustrated and disappointed in myself for putting all of us in this position” but planned to appeal the suspension.
NBA drug policy is now technically reached the age of maturity. In the general public there is less of a stigma around the usage of cannabis. Thirty states have legalized weed in some shape or form, and there is research to suggest there are multiple healthy applications for the plant. The league has a new commissioner who is more progressive than his predecessor, and the NBA Players Association is stronger than it has ever been. Does all this mean that the NBA is leading the charge on marijuana and ready to present a progressive policy for players that use weed?
Currently the NBA has a lower threshold for THC than the NFL does. The NFL will allow for a sample to have up to 35 ng/ml where the NBA will only allow up to 15 ng/ml to record a positive test. On the surface this seems as if the NFL is more lenient than the NBA, but when looking at the number of suspended players and the actual policies, we see a different story. With the country finally embracing the ever-growing list of CBD benefits, indecision by sports leagues like the NBA makes less and less sense.
