The culture within the National Hockey League (NHL) is changing—with players increasingly opting for marijuana and video games over alcohol and partying for leisure.
The New York Times did a recent poll of over three dozen NHL players across teams.
When asked if they had consumed cannabis edibles in the regular season 38 percent said yes. The percentage of players who said they used cannabis edibles during the regular season may have increased if they had been asked to answer more general questions about marijuana, such as whether or not vaping and smoking are included.
Nate Schmidt of the Florida Panthers commented on cultural changes, highlighting that cannabis was not widely accepted as a recreational activity when he first entered the NFL a decade earlier, and alcohol consumption reigned.
Schmidt said years ago that the league told him “If it’s not possible to play with a hangover, then you’re not welcome.” This has all changed, and especially with the younger generation. “Today, particularly among a younger generation of players, that’s changed.”
Interestingly, The Athletic—a subsidiary of the Times that reported the story and survey—found that most players they spoke with said they preferred cannabis edibles with a balance of THC and CBD, the most commonly known intoxicating and non-intoxicating cannabinoids in marijuana, respectively.
Schmidt explained that, even though the preferences of recreational players may have changed, especially after Canada legalized cannabis nationwide and since most U.S. States have legalized in some way, there still remains a generational divide.
For younger players the stigma is gone,” said he. “It hasn’t changed for older players.”
NHL is one of the few professional leagues to not penalize its players due to THC. The Players Assistance program may intervene if a high “abnormal” cannabis level is detected in the system of a participant.
The National Football League (NFL), in conjunction with the players’ union, recently agreed to reform their marijuana policy. This included a reduction of fines associated with positive drug tests and an increase in the THC limit for the 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 has again revised its Substances of Abuse Policy and Performance Enhancing Substances Policy.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) last June 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’s CEO Travis Tygart called it “disappointing”, that WADA had maintained its cannabis prohibition on the basis of what he believes to be a flawed 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 claimed she used marijuana to deal with her recent mother’s death.
While the Ultimate Fighting Championship (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 warned fighters they may be fined $100 by CSAS if their tests showed more than 150 nanograms per milliliter of THC before the UFC 298 fight in February.
At the beginning of 2024, the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty entered into partnerships with a CBD beverage company—the first teams in the NBA and WNBA, respectively, to forge deals with the cannabis industry.
The New York-based clubs are partnering with Mynd Drinks, a hemp-based CBD sparkling beverage company that also made history last year when it became an official partner of the Major League Baseball (MLB) team the Chicago Cubs.
Last January, 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 July 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.
The league and the team filed a motion for dismissal with the U.S. District Court for District of Colorado to defend their marijuana policy for their players. They stated that they believe cannabis use can cause on-field injury, poor performance, and “an alienation of fans.”
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