Can NBA Players Smoke Weed?

Can NBA players smoke weed? It’s a delicate topic.

There’s no doubt an NBA marijuana culture is continuing to develop across the NBA and US sports. Former and even current players are becoming increasingly vocal about normalizing the stigma surrounding a NBA marijuana culture.

Let’s take a look at the current NBA drug policy on marijuana and it’s culture.

Can NBA Players Smoke Weed?
Yes, NBA players can smoke weed. Whether it’s legal however is a different story.

When comparing the NBA’s drug policy on marijuana, the league has a more open minded approach when comparing it to how other US major sports leagues treat it.

The league appears to be in good hands with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. When asked about the NBA drug policy and the league’s stance on marijuana back in 2019, Silver said, “One of the things I’ve been talking more about in the past several years is mental wellness of our players.“

“Some guys are smoking pot in the same way some guys would take a drink…if they want to smoke pot, whatever, it’s legal in a lot of states. We have no issue with that.”

Despite what Silver says is the NBA’s stance, the letter of the law suggests otherwise.

NBA Drug Policy
The NBA drug policy dictates that marijuana and its byproducts are banned by the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program, along with 225 other substances. That’s despite the NBA and Adam Silver’s softened stance on NBA marijuana use by players. The NBA weed policy also bans cannabidiol (CBD), a popular natural remedy which is one of over 100 chemical compounds found in the marijuana plant.

A total of 33 states in the US have legalized medicinal marijuana use and 11 states have approved its use for adults over the age of 21. Despite this, the NBA weed policy is quite clear. But what about Adam Silver’s softened stance on marijuana?

So are NBA players allowed to smoke weed? By definition of the NBA drug policy on marijuana, it’s a prohibited substance. But the law is only as good as it’s enforcement. NBA players can smoke weed because of how the NBA tests for weed.

Does the NBA Test for Weed?
The NBA is not currently testing players for marijuana, so players can therefore smoke weed without any fear of repercussion. It follows the NBA and the NBPA agreeing not to conduct randomized tests for marijuana during the 2020-21 season.

That’s despite marijuana being listed as a prohibited substance in the current NBA-NBPA Collective Bargaining Agreement alongside 224 other substances.

How Much Weed Can NBA Players Smoke?
Realistically, as much as they want as the league isn’t testing for it. Smoking it may however impact their game so they may want to smoke wisely. In accordance with the current NBA-NBPA Collective Bargaining Agreement levels above 35ng/ml of marijuana metabolites and any detectable levels of synthetic cannabinoids are prohibited.

According to an American College of Medical Toxicology study by Marilyn A. Huestis it takes approximately 48-hours to fall under the 35-nanograms of THC per millilitre after smoking weed.