Report: Adam Silver Says NBA Is Open To Medical Cannabis Reform
Last month NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stated that cannabis would remain prohibited in the league. Commissioner Silver commented on the status of cannabis policy in the NBA during an interview with Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum. Below are Adam Silver’s comments from the July interview, per NBA.com:
“I don’t see the need for any changes right now. It’s legal in certain states, but as you know, our players are constantly traveling and it might be a bit of a trap to say we’re going to legalize it in these states but no, it’s illegal in other states and have players get in a position where they’re traveling with marijuana and getting in trouble.”
The threshold for the NBA’s cannabis test is very strict – 15 ng/mL of THC metabolites. To put that into perspective, Olympic athletes are held to a standard of 150 ng/mL, ten times the limit of the NBA. The NBA’s cannabis testing policy has zero exceptions. All cannabis use is prohibited, even when the use is for medical purposes, and even when the use occurs in a state where adult-use is legal.
Commissioner Adam Silver has historically made it clear that the league will keep the status quo in place for the foreseeable future. For instance in 2014 Mr. Silver stated that the league was ‘more concerned about HGH‘ than cannabis, but that the league felt strongly that cannabis would affect players’ performance on the court. No evidence was provided at the time (or since) to back up the league’s anti-cannabis stance.
Knowing Adam Silver’s hard line stance against cannabis, it was surprising for the Uncle Cliffy team to read a report claiming that Commissioner Silver recently expressed an openness to exploring the idea of allowing league players to consume cannabis for medical purposes. According to Slam Online and other online reports, Adam Silver reportedly made the following comments while visiting Israel as part of the Basketball Without Borders program:
“I would say it’s something we will look at. I’m very interested in the science when it comes to medical marijuana. My personal view is that it should be regulated in the same way that other medications are if the plan is to use it for pain management. And it’s something that needs to be discussed with our Players Association, but to the extent that science demonstrates that there are effective uses for medical reasons, we’ll be open to it. Hopefully there’s not as much pain involved in our sport as some others, so there’s not as much need for it.”
The report cites a Reddit post as the source for comments. Given the NBA’s history of a zero-exception cannabis policy, and Adam Silver’s recent comments continuing to oppose cannabis reform in the NBA, the Uncle Cliffy team is taking the report with a grain of salt until the NBA confirms that the Commissioner actually made the comments. We are definitely hopeful that it’s the case, but inquiries by the Uncle Cliffy team to the NBA about the comments have so far gone unanswered.
If the report is indeed true, it would be very encouraging for reform efforts in the NBA, and for reform efforts in other leagues that prohibit cannabis. However, the Uncle Cliffy team feels that such a move should be seen as a good step in the right direction, and not a ‘permanent fix’ to the NBA’s cannabis policy. Medical cannabis reform would help some players, but would still lead to other players being targeted, players that live in prohibition states being left out, and the league still perpetuating institutional racism by punishing players that are caught with cannabis by law enforcement away from the team. This is a situation that the Uncle Cliffy team will be keeping a close eye on, and will make sure to post an updated article if/when more information becomes available.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver: Cannabis To Remain Prohibited
Cannabis is currently prohibited in the National Basketball Association (NBA). NBA players are subjected to four random drug tests per year, and if they fail any of them, they are penalized. The threshold for the NBA’s cannabis test is very strict – a mere 15 ng/mL of THC metabolites. To put that into perspective, Olympic athletes are held to a standard of 150 ng/mL, a whopping ten times the limit of the NBA.
The NBA’s cannabis testing policy has zero exceptions. All cannabis use is prohibited, even when the use is for medical purposes, and even when the use occurs in a state where adult-use is legal. A big push has been underway in recent years, led by retired 18-year NBA veteran Cliff Robinson, to get the NBA to change its cannabis policy and get the league on the right side of history.
Commissioner Adam Silver has historically made it clear that the league will keep the status quo in place for the foreseeable future. For instance in 2014 Mr. Silver stated that the league was ‘more concerned about HGH‘ than cannabis, but that the league felt strongly that cannabis would affect players’ performance on the court. No evidence was provided to back up the league’s anti-cannabis stance.
It is quite possible that no valid evidence is out there to point to in order to bolster the claim that cannabis is bad for NBA players. On the other hand, there is quite a bit of evidence that cannabis can help NBA players who suffer from various health conditions and/or injuries. Cannabis is safer than pharmaceutical drugs, and in many cases, more effective.
Despite the numerous valid reasons for ending cannabis prohibition in the NBA, and the lack of solid reasons for keeping prohibition in place, Adam Silver recently doubled down in favor of continued cannabis prohibition in an interview with Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum. Per NBA.com:
“I don’t see the need for any changes right now. It’s legal in certain states, but as you know, our players are constantly traveling and it might be a bit of a trap to say we’re going to legalize it in these states but no, it’s illegal in other states and have players get in a position where they’re traveling with marijuana and getting in trouble.”
The Uncle Cliffy team agrees that a policy that allows use in some instances but not others would be confusing for players. However, we wholeheartedly disagree that the potential for confusion justifies keeping the current policy in place. The current policy lacks compassion for players. The current policy does not allow players to use cannabis for medical purposes, no matter how much the medicine helps the player. It also doesn’t recognize the fact that adults can now legally consume cannabis in eight states and Washington D.C. for recreational purposes.
Every NBA team is located in a state that has at least passed CBD-specific legislation, which is a more progressive approach than the league’s current policy. Polling shows that fans support allowing players to use cannabis. Cannabis is 114 times safer than alcohol, a substance that the NBA widely embraces. Why is the NBA clinging to such a failed, harmful policy?
“It was frustrating and disheartening to hear that Commissioner Silver and the NBA have no plans to change the league’s outdated policy. What is the risk in allowing players to make the safer choice? Prohibition is harming players and the teams that they play on by keeping players off the court. Taking players off the court ultimately harms the league itself. Players should only be penalized when it’s justified. Who are the players harming when they use cannabis? With cannabis being safer than alcohol and pharmaceutical drugs, the NBA’s continued prohibition of cannabis is obviously hypocritical and unacceptable. It’s time for a more sensible approach.” said Cliff Robinson.