The historical past of medicine, drug testing, and sports activities is lengthy and complicated, with even among the most famed athletes going beneath scrutiny as a consequence of their drug utilization. The largest scandals are usually these involving the usage of performance-enhancing medicine, corresponding to steroids. However what about hashish?
Drug testing and drug tolerance insurance policies usually are not uniform amongst sports activities organizations. Right here, we’ll be specializing in the Nationwide Hockey League, asking the query that many hockey followers could have puzzled: does the NHL take a look at for hashish?
Hashish Legality
First, a fast legality verify—is hashish authorized the place the NHL groups play?
The NHL consists of 32 groups throughout the US and Canada. Hashish utilization is authorized (at the very least to some extent) in over 90% of the cities the place these groups play. In different phrases, hashish utilization is authorized to some extent within the overwhelming majority of cities with an NHL workforce.
NHL Testing Insurance policies
The official reply from the NHL is: sure, they do take a look at for hashish. Gamers within the NHL are topic to a no-notice drug take a look at throughout coaching camp, together with one other no-notice take a look at throughout the common season. Moreover, gamers could also be topic to random testing throughout each the preseason and playoffs.
That is the NHL’s broad testing coverage, which incorporates hashish, amongst plenty of different medicine. What is important about hashish, nonetheless, is that it’s not labeled as a banned substance.
What if Gamers Check Constructive?
As a result of hashish will not be thought of a banned substance, gamers are not punished by the NHL for testing optimistic for the plant throughout testing. That is in distinction to organizations corresponding to the MLB and the NFL, which can levy punishments towards gamers who take a look at optimistic.
This lack of punishment extends even to gamers who take a look at optimistic for very excessive ranges. As a substitute of being reprimanded, gamers who present “abnormally high levels” of THC of their system are provided admission to the NHL’s Substance Abuse and Behavioral Well being program.
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Gamers usually are not required to enter this system, and in the event that they do resolve to enter this system, the NHL itself will not be notified. Docs throughout the Substance Abuse and Behavioral Well being program will “develop an individualized treatment plan” for the participant.
On this method, the NHL goals to assist gamers whose hashish utilization could also be an indicator of habit or substance abuse issues with out punishing gamers or labeling small quantities of hashish as problematic.
Mathieu Schneider, a senior government on the NHLPA, advised ESPN, “The thing that we’re really looking for is if there’s a guy that has an issue or a problem and he needs help — that’s what we’re trying to capture in that program.” In accordance with executives like Schneider, the NHL’s drug testing practices are aimed not at punishment, however at getting assist to those that might have it.
Altering With the Instances
Some working within the NHL have expressed an understanding of adjusting attitudes and the legality of hashish, in addition to a drive to maintain the NHL’s insurance policies up-to-date with these broader shifts.
NHLPA director Donald Fehr spoke about eager to mirror modifications in attitudes in the direction of hashish, in addition to wanting to permit for gamers’ privateness as a lot as doable. He defined, “We live in a culture in which, when it comes to [legality], generationally there has been and continues to be an ongoing shift in attitudes. You want to try to reflect that. From a personal standpoint — and this is personal — I don’t think there ought to be an intrusion into somebody’s life without an awfully good reason.”
The NHL’s insurance policies of refraining from punishing gamers who take a look at optimistic for hashish really feel particularly prudent given the increasing legality of the substance.
Some on the NHL have even spoken publicly concerning the potential advantages of hashish for athletes, particularly CBD. Connor McDavid, participant for the Edmonton Oilers, advised the Related Press, “You’d be stupid not to at least look into [CBD] … When your body’s sore like it is sometimes, you don’t want to be taking pain stuff and taking Advil all the time.”
Certainly, given the quantity of ache, soreness, and harm skilled by athletes, it follows that these within the NHL and different organizations could look additional into hashish, because the ache reduction potential of CBD has elevated in reputation.
Going Ahead
Though it’s unlikely that the NHL will publicly embrace hashish any time quickly, their testing coverage is progressive, particularly in comparison with different sports activities organizations. Athletes within the NHL can at the very least relaxation assured that the usage of hashish won’t trigger them to lose their place or be in any other case penalized.
