NCAA votes on cannabis in college football: What it means

A big change in college football when it comes to cannabis testing, as the NCAA has announced the result of a historic vote.

A historic vote by the NCAA forever changes its policy towards cannabis for college football players. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

One day after the NCAA announced its Division I Council would take a vote on cannabis testing in college football, the results of that poll are in.

The NCAA announced it will no longer test players for cannabinoids ahead of championship games in college football, and that any suspensions currently served by players are set to be lifted.

"The NCAA drug testing program is intended to focus on integrity of competition, and cannabis products do not provide a competitive advantage," Illinois athletic director and NCAA Council Chairman Josh Whitman said in a statement.

"The Council's focus is on policies centered on student-athlete health and well-being rather than punishment for cannabis use."

Previously, the NCAA only conducted random drug tests for cannabis products before championship games and bowl games at college football's FBS level and the Football Championship Subdivision.

Schools have their own drug testing policy and standards during the season, but the NCAA controls drug testing in the postseason and had enforced tougher penalties than schools.

The change comes as cannabis has become a legal drug for recreational use in almost half of all U.S. states and has been removed from the banned substance list in other sports, as well.

Cannabinoids are defined as "every chemical substance, regardless of structure or origin, that joins the cannabinoid receptors of the body and brain and that have similar effects to those produced by the Cannabis Sativa plant," according to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation.

ADF further classifies cannabinoids as being in three categories: recreational, medicinal, and synthetic.

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