Which major U.S. leagues still test athletes for cannabis in 2026?

The NFL still tests once per year in a roughly two-week training-camp window with a 350 ng/mL threshold and fixed fines. The NHL tests on its standard panel but cannabis is not on the Performance-Enhancing Substances list, so a positive triggers a confidential SABH referral rather than discipline. MLS, the WNBA, and WADA-affiliated Olympic sports continue to test in-competition. The NBA, MLB, MiLB, and NCAA Division I postseason football have removed cannabis from their testing programs.

What threshold do most sports use for a cannabis positive?

WADA, USADA, and MLS use 150 ng/mL THC-COOH in urine, with a 180 ng/mL Decision Limit to account for measurement uncertainty. The NFL uses 350 ng/mL since December 6, 2024 (raised from 150). The NCAA aligned with WADA at 150 ng/mL in February 2022 before Division I removed cannabinoids from postseason testing on June 25, 2024.

Why did WADA raise the cannabis threshold from 15 to 150 ng/mL in 2013?

WADA raised the urinary THC-COOH threshold tenfold in May 2013 to "focus on the athletes that abuse the substance in competition," in the words of WADA Director of Communications Julie Masse. The percentage of failed cannabis tests fell from 9.0% in 2012 to 2.4% in 2014 — confirming that the prior 15 ng/mL threshold had been catching out-of-comp users who had not used cannabis on or near competition day.

Cannabis Drug Testing in Pro Sports — League-by-League (2026)

Q: What does "in-competition" mean for WADA cannabis testing?

WADA defines the in-competition period as starting at 11:59 p.m. on the day before a Competition in which the athlete is scheduled to participate, through to the end of that Competition and the sample-collection process. Out-of-competition cannabis use is not a violation, but THC-COOH persistence means heavy out-of-comp use can still trigger an in-comp Adverse Analytical Finding.

Side-by-side comparison of cannabis testing across the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, WNBA, NCAA, WADA, UFC, and state athletic commissions. Thresholds, windows, and penalties.

The 2026 Snapshot

Between December 2019 and June 2024, U.S. professional and collegiate sport quietly decoupled from anti-doping orthodoxy on cannabis. MLB removed natural cannabinoids from drugs of abuse on December 12, 2019. The NFL ended cannabis suspensions in March 2020 and softened penalties further in December 2024. The NBA's April 2023 collective-bargaining agreement removed marijuana from the Prohibited Substances List entirely on July 1, 2023. NCAA Division I removed cannabinoids from championship and postseason football testing on June 25, 2024. WADA, however, retains THC at 150 ng/mL on the in-competition Section S8 list under the 2026 Prohibited List (in force January 1, 2026), citing "spirit of sport" criteria.

The result is a fragmented rulebook in which a single athlete can simultaneously be governed by league CBA, state law, federal hemp law, WADA in-competition rules, and individual-school NCAA discretion. The table below is the side-by-side snapshot.

League-by-League Cannabis Testing Comparison

Body	Tests for THC?	Threshold	Window	Penalty	Most Recent Reform
NFL Tested, fines only	Yes (PES policy)	350 ng/mL (Dec 2024)	~2-week training-camp window	Fines: $15K → $20K → game checks	Dec 6, 2024 NFL-NFLPA modification
NBA Removed from list	No	N/A	N/A	None for cannabis	July 1, 2023 CBA
MLB Removed from list	No (random)	N/A	N/A	Treatment-board referral; alcohol-equivalent	Dec 12, 2019
MiLB Removed from list	No since 2020	N/A	N/A	None	Dec 12, 2019 (parallel change)
NHL Tested, fines only	Yes (informational)	"Abnormally high" trigger	Year-round random	No automatic suspension; SABH referral only	Status quo since pre-2020
MLS Prohibited in-competition	Yes	WADA standard (150 ng/mL)	In-competition	SABH-style program; CBA through 2027	Feb 2021 CBA extension
NWSL Removed from list	No	N/A	N/A	None; CBD sponsorships allowed	2022 CBA
WNBA Prohibited in-competition	Yes (limited)	Per CBA	In-season	Tiered fines for repeat offenses	2020 CBA, 2025 negotiations
NCAA D-I Removed from list	No (postseason)	Schools may set in-season	Per-school discretion	Schools individually	June 25, 2024
NCAA D-II / D-III Tested, fines only	Pending vote	150 ng/mL until updated	Postseason testing	School discretion	Recommendation pending
WADA / IOC / Olympic Prohibited in-competition	Yes, in-competition	150 ng/mL urine (raised from 15 in 2013)	In-competition only	Up to 2 yr suspension; Substance-of-Abuse provision allows reduction to 1 mo with rehab + non-performance use	2026 Prohibited List (Jan 1, 2026)
USADA Prohibited in-competition	Yes (under WADA Code)	150 ng/mL	In-competition	Per WADA Code	Substance-of-Abuse Article 10.2.4.1 since 2021
UFC (CSAD era) Removed from list	Effectively no for cannabis	N/A absent "performance-enhancing" evidence	Year-round	None unless impairment proven	Jan 1, 2021 USADA change; 2024 CSAD transition
State Athletic Commissions	Vary	NSAC stopped punishing in 2021	Per state	Per state	Florida May 2021; Nevada July 2021

Test Types and Science

Standard urine immunoassay screens for 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ&sup9;-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-COOH), the inactive metabolite that persists for days to weeks after exposure. Confirmatory testing uses GC-MS or LC-MS/MS. Hair testing extends the detection window to roughly 90 days. Saliva (oral fluid) detects parent THC and is sometimes proposed as a better proxy for current impairment — but no major league has adopted it for cannabis. Blood THC correlates poorly with impairment, per the U.S. Department of Transportation's July 2017 report to Congress.

The 150 ng/mL Threshold Backstory

WADA raised the urinary THC-COOH threshold from 15 to 150 ng/mL effective May 2013 to, in WADA Director of Communications Julie Masse's words, "focus on the athletes that abuse the substance in competition." The percentage of failed cannabis tests under WADA's program dropped from 9.0% in 2012 to 2.4% in 2014. A 180 ng/mL Decision Limit accounts for measurement uncertainty — a sample must exceed the Decision Limit, not just the threshold, to constitute an Adverse Analytical Finding. The NFL followed WADA to 150 ng/mL in March 2020 and pushed further to 350 ng/mL on December 6, 2024.

In-Competition vs Out-of-Competition

This distinction is the most-misunderstood concept in athlete cannabis policy. WADA defines the in-competition period as "commencing at 11:59 p.m. on the day before a Competition in which the Athlete is scheduled to participate, through to the end of that Competition and the Sample collection process" (2026 Prohibited List). Out-of-competition cannabis use is not a violation under the WADA Code — but the math of THC-COOH persistence means a heavy out-of-competition user can still cross the 150 ng/mL line on competition day. The same logic governs MLS in-competition testing and pre-2024 NCAA championship testing. See In-Competition vs Out-of-Competition and washout protocols for the practical implications.

How to Use This Section

The pages that follow walk through each testing body in detail: the NFL's training-camp window, the NBA's full removal and entrepreneurial allowances, the MLB-Charlotte's Web partnership, the NHL SABH framework, the soccer and women's pro picture, the NCAA chronology, the WADA in-competition ban, the UFC and Diaz cases, and the state athletic commissions. For test mechanics, see Drug Testing Overview.