It’s opening day for Major League Baseball! Here are some fun facts about cannabis and MLB.
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Players used to face mandatory treatment if they tested positive for THC.
Failure to comply would result in fines of up to $35,000. The league’s been moving in a different direction in recent years, though.
MLB removed cannabis-derived compounds from its list of banned substances before the 2020 season. Like alcohol, cannabis consumption is allowed by players except at games, practices, workouts, or meetings.
The shift in the MLB’s policies around cannabis use indicates a larger cultural shift in the United States. As more and more states legalize cannabis for medical or recreational use, attitudes toward the drug are evolving. This is reflected in how professional sports leagues approach drug testing and discipline.
One of the reasons that the MLB may have decided to relax its policies around cannabis is that the drug is widely believed to have medical benefits, particularly in pain management.
Former pitcher David Wells has spoken openly about using cannabis — specifically CBD — to manage pain related to his playing career.
“I wish I knew about it back when I played because I would’ve been all over it,” Wells told ThePostGame. “I would’ve took those risks. If they tested me — ‘hey, you got marijuana in your system’ — I’ll bring it to them: This is what it is. Dissect it. Take it in a lab and see what it’s about.”
In 2017, former MLB player Frank Thomas also spoke out in favor of cannabis use, saying it was a safer alternative to opioids for pain management. He noted that many of his former teammates had turned to opioids for pain relief, which had led to addiction and other issues.
More recently, Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Tyler Heineman has been vocal about using cannabis for pain management. Heineman has neurofibromatosis, which causes tumors to grow on his nerves and can be very painful. He has said that cannabis has been a helpful alternative to prescription painkillers.
And MLB’s newfound tolerance toward cannabis doesn’t stop there. CBD company Charlotte’s Web was named the official CBD of MLB after a $30.5 million partnership was inked in October 2022. CBD or cannabidiol may offer baseball players health benefits like reducing anxiety, pain, and inflammation.
Learn more about cannabis and major league sports on the Leafwell blog: http://bit.ly/40nPndx
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