WNBA Offers To End Marijuana Testing For Women’s Basketball Players As Part Of Reported Deal With Union

The WNBA seems positioned to join the ranks of sports leagues that have
revised their marijuana policies, with details about negotiations for a
collective bargaining agreement (CBA)—which has now reportedly been agreed
to in principle—indicating that the women’s basketball league is moving to
eliminate cannabis testing for players.

As part of the negotiations between the Women’s National Basketball
Players’ Association and WNBA, the league has reportedly put forward a
number of potential policy changes, with proposals that touch on everything
from salary caps to revenue sharing to travel expenses to drug testing
rules.

ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne posted screenshots of slides which were reportedly
presented to players during a meeting with league representatives last
month. In one slide titled “WNBA CBA Proposal: Summary of CBA
Improvements,” a list of 37 potential compromises includes an item that
says simply, “Elimination of Marijuana Testing.”

Current WNBA policy treats cannabis significantly more restrictively
compared to the NBA—and multiple other professional sports leagues beyond
basketball that have also adopted reforms amid the state legalization
movement. Marijuana remains listed as a “prohibited substance” for WNBA
players, who are still tested for THC metabolites. First-time offenses
generally result in treatment referrals, but repeated violations can lead
to fines and suspensions.

After last month’s WNBA CBA presentation, the players association came back
with a counterproposal that included certain concessions around issues such
as revenue sharing and housing, ESPN reported, but the latest version of
the deal that was agreed to in principle this week hasn’t yet been released
so it’s unclear what it specifically proposes as far as marijuana testing
rules are concerned.

Adding to @alexaphilippou recap from yesterday, ESPN has obtained some of
the information that was was presented to players at yesterday’s
meeting—summarizing the WNBA’s current positions https://t.co/imM5elSO6H
pic.twitter.com/T9p2XRP42n

— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) February 3, 2026

The league did give some indication about its willingness to accept the
changing tides around cannabis in 2024, when the WNBA team New York Liberty entered
into a partnership with a CBD beverage company.

But CBD, a non-intoxicating cannabinoid, is federally legal—and the
sponsorship arrangement didn’t change the fact that players would still be
tested and potentially penalized for testing positive for THC.

Meanwhile, Brittney Griner—a WNBA player who was previously incarcerated in
Russia over possession of marijuana—pulled out of an appearance at a
cannabis event last year after discovering what she felt was a threatening
message in her hotel room.

Conference attendees had hoped to hear from Griner about the nature of her
incarceration in Russia, which helped fuel international debate about
cannabis prohibition laws domestically and abroad.
How other sports leagues have navigated marijuana policy for players amid
the reform movement.

NBA, for its part, removed marijuana from the banned substances list for
players in 2023, and it also freed them up to invest in and promote
cannabis companies.

The NFL, meanwhile, reached an agreement with its players union in 2024 to further
reform its marijuana policies, significantly reducing fines for positive
tests while increasing the allowable THC threshold for players. About four
years after NFL ended the practice of suspending players over cannabis or
other drugs as part of a collective bargaining agreement, the league again
revised its Substances of Abuse Policy and Performance Enhancing Substances
Policy.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 2024 voted to remove
marijuana from its banned substances list for Division I players.

The reform builds on a 2022 change that increased the allowable THC
threshold for college athletes, aligning NCAA’s rules with those of the
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

In October, Nevada regulators officially adopted a rule change that will protect
athletes from being penalized for using or possessing marijuana in
compliance with state law.

The head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) blasted the “unfair” ban on
marijuana for athletes competing in international sport events, including
the Olympics that were underway in Paris at the time of the comments.

USADA CEO Travis Tygart said it was “disappointing” that WADA has
maintained the cannabis prohibition based on what he considers a misguided
justification.

WADA did carry out a review into its marijuana policy at the request of
USADA and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)
following the controversial suspension of U.S. runner Sha’Carri Richardson,
who was barred from participating in the Olympics in 2021 after she tested
positive for THC. Richardson said she used cannabis to cope with the recent
passing of her mother.

While UFC announced in late 2023 that it was formally removing marijuana
from its modified banned substances list for athletes, the league notified
participants that the reform didn’t apply under California State Athletic
Commission (CSAC) rules.

UFC advised fighters that they could be subject to a $100 fine by CSAS if
they tested over 150 nanograms of THC per milliliter ahead of the UFC 298
event that took place in February.

The New York-based clubs are partnering with Mynd Drinks, a hemp-based CBD
sparkling beverage company that also made history in 2024 when it became an
official partner of the Major League Baseball (MLB) team the Chicago Cubs.

That year, NFL announced it was partnering with Canadian researchers on a
clinical trial to test the safety and efficacy of CBD for pain management
and neuroprotection from concussions—key issues for many football players
who experience injuries as part of the game.

Separately, NFL and the Denver Broncos in 2024 asked a federal court to
reject a player’s lawsuit alleging discrimination over penalties he
incurred due to positive THC tests from his prescribed use of a synthetic
cannabinoid.

In a joint motion to dismiss filed with the U.S. District Court for the
District of Colorado, the league and team defended their marijuana policy
for players, affirming it’s their view that use of cannabis can lead to
on-field injuries, poor job performance and “alienation of the fans.”

*Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.*

The post WNBA Offers To End Marijuana Testing For Women’s Basketball
Players As Part Of Reported Deal With Union appeared first on Marijuana
Moment.