According to a spokesperson for the league, the National Basketball Association’s protocol of not routinely screening athletes for cannabis will be extended throughout the 2021-2022 season.
Last year, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver hinted that the interim halt on cannabis screenings would be extended and the league has confirmed that the halt would remain unchanged at least until the end of the new season beginning this month.
In December 2020, Silver stated that the NBA’s policy on cannabis screening, which was adopted during a peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, might become definitive. Instead of requiring broad testing, they said the association would focus on athletes that exhibit evidence of severe reliance, not players who consume cannabis “casually.” While the league will not be screening for THC, they will keep testing “for cause” situations, such as when athletes have a history of substance abuse.
