MLB Players Are Officially Allowed to Use Cannabinoids

• The MLB has updated its league drug policy, allowing the use of CBD and THC.
• The new policy aims to improve player health by allowing for a safer alternative to prescription medications.
• The policy makes the MLB one of the few professional organizations to allow its athletes to use cannabinoids.

Major League Baseball (MLB) has updated its league’s drug policy to allow all players to use cannabis. This includes all CBD and THC products. Part of this new policy is mandated education programs for all players and personnel about the dangers of opioids, along with approaches for safe marijuana use. This policy goes into effect at the beginning of the 2020 season and makes the MLB the most progressive professional sports organization in regard to their drug policy.

CBD can generate many positive results for all athletes. Not only can they use CBD to help relieve physical pain, but CBD can help to stimulate their minds as well. Below are a few examples of how CBD can benefit athletes and help to improve player health in the MLB moving forward.

Inflammation hinders an athlete’s ability to recover and common over-the-counter medications such as Aleve, Ibuprofen, and Aspirin can be detrimental to one’s liver health with repeated use. Thanks to the MLB’s new policy, players have a safer alternative to help them reduce inflammation and recover from injuries.

We could all use a couple extra hours of sleep, but with the stress and pressure behind performing at a professional level in front of thousands of viewers every week, MLB players could use it more. Getting a good night’s rest is a key ingredient to performing at your best, so having access to CBD will benefit MLB players greatly. Along with slowing down brain activity, CBD can help to reduce anxiety and has been claimed to be effective by several athletes.

As mentioned above, medications intended to reduce inflammation can cause liver damage over prolonged use. Even worse is the potential negative side effects of opioids that are typically prescribed for pain.

While medications such as OxyContin and morphine are effective for pain relief, they are highly addictive and pose a significant risk to the user, resulting in thousands of deaths per year. Allowing MLB players to use a non-addictive remedy such as CBD as an alternative for pain relief will significantly improve player health.

2018 saw the Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) remove cannabidiol from their illegal substance list. This does not directly affect all league drug policies for sports organizations however, as the NFL and NBA still prohibit the use of CBD products. While this topic is an ongoing debate, the MLB has certainly helped to bring it into the spotlight.

The MLB’s new drug policy is exciting news for the CBD industry and could help to accelerate the acceptance and application of this product. What makes the situation unique is that the MLB removed all cannabinoids from its prohibited list, which includes the use of both CBD and THC products, including marijuana. This is a very significant policy change in the history of sports and proves that a larger majority of people are more accepting of the natural alternative to medication.