WNBA Removes Cannabis From Banned Substances List in New CBA

The U.S. women’s basketball league (WNBA) removed cannabis from its list of banned substances in the new collective bargaining agreement with its players, signed in May and valid until 2032. The reform aligns the league with the NBA and opens the door for athletes to invest in the sector, although the same agreement added several psychedelics to the ban.

The WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement removes cannabis from its list of prohibited substances, where it was previously listed under the heading “Drugs of Abuse.” The agreement, signed in late May between the league and the players’ association, covers seven seasons—from 2026 to 2032—and brings women’s basketball closer to the policy the NBA adopted in 2023.

Prior to this agreement, the WNBA maintained a stricter stance than the NBA itself on this issue

Under the previous rules, a player who tested positive was referred for treatment the first time and faced fines or suspensions for repeat offenses. That punitive approach is now a thing of the past, though the shift has a less discussed side. While removing cannabis, the same text adds four psychedelics to the prohibited list for the first time—psilocybin, psilocin, DMT, and ibogaine—along with synthetic cannabinoids, including delta-8-THC. One substance is being normalized while others are being brought under scrutiny, something cannabis already taught the psychedelic movement a valuable lesson about.

Removing cannabis from the list does not equate to deregulation, as the WNBA league will retain some disciplinary mechanisms and will still be able to test a player in specific situations, such as entering its treatment program or appearing under the influence during official activities. The agreement also opens an economic door that will allow players to invest in companies in the sector and promote cannabis and hemp-derived CBD products, within the league’s rules and amidst a legal market that is already maturing in several states.

What happened in the WNBA is part of a movement that, in recent years, has been spearheaded by the major American leagues—NBA, NFL, MLB, and UFC—which have revised their rules as state legalization has progressed. The trend is clear, shifting the focus from doping to health and conduct. The contrast with other parts of the world, however, remains stark, as exemplified by the case of an athlete who faced an extreme punishment for THC-laced gummies , demonstrating how uneven the regulations are depending on where the sport is played.

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(Featured image by Davide Aracri via Unsplash)

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