[Canniseur: WOW! Cannabis removed from banned substance list in baseball. This is almost surreal. And just in time for spring training. Baseball players have been notorious stoners since the 60s. One player even admitted to pitching a no-hitter while tripping on acid. Really. You can click on this link if you want to read about it.]
America’s oldest past-time is chock full of unspoken rules, old-school traditions and players from nations all over the globe on some of the richest contracts in all sports. Now, thanks to some official changes to the rules, those baseball players will be able to spend some of that money they’re making on enjoying cannabis carefree.
In a move that raised many eyebrows, Major League Baseball (MLB) and the players union announced they had reached an agreement to remove cannabis from the sport’s banned substances list.
“Going forward, marijuana-related conduct will be treated the same as alcohol-related conduct under the Parties’ Joint Treatment Program for Alcohol-Related and Off-Field Violent Conduct, which provides for mandatory evaluation, voluntary treatment and the possibility of discipline by a Player’s Club or the Commissioner’s Office in response to certain conduct involving natural cannabinoids,” MLB said via an official press release.
The league will now treat cannabis use the same way they treat alcohol abuse, separating cannabis from some of the harder black market drugs around like cocaine and opioids.
The new rules also dictate that substances like synthetic cannabinoids, cocaine and opioids like fentanyl will now be added to the banned substances list, reflecting the league’s new focus on stamping out opioid abuse.
On top of the new testing and banned substance policy, the league will require players to take part in newly implemented programs covering “the dangers of opioid pain medications and practical approaches to marijuana” which will reportedly focus on “evidence-based and health-first approaches based on reputable science and sound principles of public health and safety.”
These new educational programs and the addition of opioids like fentanyl reflect the grim realities in much of Middle America at the moment. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, overdose deaths due to opioids have increased by nearly 10 percent since 2016 and just like any other population, MLB athletes have been directly impacted.
Tyler Skaggs, a 27-year-old pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angelos Angels, died last July due to an opioid overdose. According to the L.A. Times, his autopsy revealed a mix of fentanyl, oxycodone and alcohol leading to his death by choking on his own vomit.
While Skaggs’ death was ruled accidental after a brief investigation, reports did reveal a Los Angelos Angels employee admitted to providing oxycodone for him, which likely plays a major role in these new rules and educational programs.
The changes are set to take effect at the start of 2020 spring training.
The move comes as more states ready for legalization in 2020, with states with MLB teams like the Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Arizona Diamondbacks and Cleveland Indians all make a major push via state legislation or ballot measures.
With popular opinion among U.S. adults clearly on the side of legalization, experts projecting the global legal cannabis market to be worth as much as $66.3 billion by 2025 and the popularity, TV viewership and in-stadium attendance for the sport of baseball dipping to an all-time low, America’s pastime embracing cannabis might be the shot in the arm they need to get some younger viewers back.
The post MLB Officially Removes Cannabis From Banned Substances List appeared first on Cannabis Aficionado.
