In recent years, major U.S. sports leagues have transformed how they handle cannabis. What was once a fast track to fines and suspensions is now treated as a health and education issue. Football, basketball, and baseball have each modernized their approach, and golf—still tethered tightly to WADA standards—has an opportunity to learn from those examples.
Shifting from Punishment to Welfare
The NFL made a significant move in 2020 when it removed suspensions for marijuana use from its collective bargaining agreement. Players now face limited testing windows, and the NFL Players Association confirms THC is not part of the annual “Substances of Abuse” test. This approach recognizes that many athletes turn to cannabis for recovery while drawing the line at impairment during competition. Golf, which unfolds in clearly defined rounds, could apply the same principle—focus on performance impairment, not off-week use.
Clear Standards and Medical Access
Confusion around cannabis rules often stems from murky thresholds. WADA, which the PGA TOUR follows, bans THC only “in competition” and sets a 150 ng/mL threshold. This standard captures recent use without punishing traces from days earlier. Golf can adopt this clarity more openly, communicating plain-language rules to players and sponsors. It could also expand transparency on therapeutic use exemptions, especially for non-THC cannabinoids like CBD, which athletes increasingly use for pain or sleep support.
Education as the First Line of Defense
Baseball’s example is especially relevant. In 2019, MLB removed cannabis from its Drugs of Abuse list, effectively treating it like alcohol. Instead of punishment, MLB now requires players to participate in education programs, with an emphasis on opioid awareness and cannabis safety. Golf’s global tour schedule and older athlete pool make it well-suited for similar education efforts—covering dose literacy, safe abstinence periods, and reading labels to avoid THC contamination.
Responsible Commercialization
Cannabis policy isn’t only about discipline—it’s also about business. MLB’s 2022 partnership with Charlotte’s Web, certified by NSF for Sport, marked the first official CBD sponsorship in major U.S. sports. This set a precedent: CBD can be embraced as part of wellness, provided products meet rigorous certification standards. Golf, with its strong ties to sponsors and broadcast partners, could carve out a similar CBD lane. Doing so would unlock new revenue while ensuring family-friendly branding by excluding high-THC companies from event marketing.
Normalization Without Chaos
The NBA went further still. Its 2023 collective bargaining agreement not only removed marijuana from the banned list but also allows players to invest in cannabis ventures. That reflects cultural reality: athletes already use cannabinoids, and the stigma is fading. Golf doesn’t need to follow step-for-step, but acknowledging this reality with transparent rules—no in-competition THC, certified CBD use allowed, and education over punishment—would send a message of professionalism rather than permissiveness.
Avoiding Negative Optics
Golf has seen its share of headlines when players were suspended for cannabis. These moments often overshadow the nuance of policy and cast the sport as outdated. By adopting a harm-reduction model and emphasizing confidential treatment, golf could prevent reputational fallout while still safeguarding integrity. Periodic policy reviews would ensure its rules evolve alongside research and shifting national laws.
The Path Forward
From the NFL’s focus on impairment, to MLB’s blend of education and sponsorship, to the NBA’s bold normalization, each league shows a different piece of the puzzle. Golf has the chance to integrate those lessons into a coherent, modern framework that protects competition and reduces stigma.
Practical tools could make the difference. A tournament-week checklist—highlighting products to avoid, safe cut-off times, and who to contact for medical exemptions—would translate policy into everyday practice. In the end, golf’s cannabis policy doesn’t have to be a copy of other leagues, but it should reflect the same priority: protect athletes, protect competition, and move with the times.