NCAA Division I removes marijuana from banned substances list

June 26 (UPI) -- NCAA Division I college athletes will no longer face penalties for marijuana use during championships and postseason football after the National Collegiate Athletic Association voted to remove cannabis from its banned substances list, effective immediately.

NCAA's Division I Council voted Tuesday to treat marijuana the same as alcohol, saying it is not a performance enhancing drug.

"The NCAA drug-testing program is intended to focus on integrity of competition, and cannabis products do not provide a competitive advantage," Josh Whitman, chair of the council, said in a statement. "The council's focus is on policies centered on student-athlete health and well-being rather than punishment for cannabis use."

The NCAA's amended banned substances rule for Division I play now aligns with rules governing the World Anti-Doping Agency. Divisions II and III of the NCAA have not voted on the proposal.

In addition to going into effect immediately, the NCAA's new rule will be retroactive and will cancel any penalties players are currently facing for marijuana violations. Some players have lost eligibility for an entire season over one positive test. The NCAA says it would rather focus more on problematic cannabis use.

"It is only fitting that the NCAA remove cannabis from its list of banned substances as Sha'Carri Richardson qualifies for the 2024 Olympics -- an accomplishment she earned four years ago but was wrongly taken away. Common sense is finally prevailing," Rep. Earl Blumenauer , D-Ore., co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, said in a statement .

Richardson, a star sprinter for the United States, tested positive for marijuana in 2021 and was disqualified from competition at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

While the NCAA governs drug testing during the postseason, colleges have their own drug-testing policies during the regular season.

A number of sports organizations have voted to amend their marijuana-testing policies since 24 states, plus the District of Columbia, have legalized recreational cannabis use.

The National Football League no longer suspends players over marijuana use. And last year, the National Basketball Association removed cannabis from its drug-testing program.