NFL Revises Marijuana Policy, Raising Threshold For A Positive THC Test

The National Football League is revising its policy involving marijuana use by players, reducing fines and raising the limits for a positive test.

The changes, reported by NBC Sports, are the result of an agreement between the NFL and the NFL Players Association.

One adjustment will increase the threshold for testing positive for marijuana use.   The limit for THC concentration will be increased from .150 ng/ml. to 350 ng/ml.  Teams will only be informed of the penalty and that the violation was caused by a positive test and/or a missed test. They will no longer be notified of the substance which caused the positive.

Fines will also be reduced for positive tests. For the first violation, the prior penalty of a 50-percent game check will drop to $15,000. For a second violation, the fine of a full game check goes down to $20,000. For a third violation, a two-game fine falls to one game. And for four or more violations, the three-game fine drops to two.

Fines for missed tests also have been reduced, and the procedure by which the league and the NFLPA determined the reason for a missed test has been modified. Under the previous policy, missed tests were cumulative and could result in escalating discipline throughout a player’s career. Under the new policy, a player’s missed test count will reset to zero once he goes 365 days without a missed test.

Under the previous policy, a player suspended for a performance-enhancing drug violation could not be reinstated until he tested negative for the substance in question. Now, the player could be reinstated if it is determined the presence of the substance provides no performance-enhancing effect.

Earlier this year, a study partly funded by the NFL found that the use of marijuana has gained growing acceptance in sports but more needs to be done to fully understand its effects for athletes.

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