Did NCAA allow cannabis use in college athletics? Full list of banned drugs explored

The debate on whether to allow college athletes to use cannabis is one that has divided public opinion. Cannabis is slowly becoming legal across the USA and is already prescribed medically.

With the change in societal attitudes towards cannabis, the NCAA had been under pressure to remove the drug from its list of banned substances.

Did the NCAA allow cannabis use in college athletics?

On Tuesday, the NCAA voted to remove cannabis from its banned substances list for the upcoming season.

The decision also allowed for any player who is currently serving a penalty for cannabis use to be able to play again, and their penalties to be discontinued.

However, while cannabis has been taken off the list of banned substances, there are still many types of substances that the NCAA bans their athletes from taking.

Which are the banned substances?

There is no complete list of banned substances from the NCAA. Instead, there are categories that have been banned by the NCAA. Many substances falling under these categories is prohibited.

Stimulants

Stimulants are substances that increase the activity of the central nervous system and the whole body. A legal example of a stimulant is Caffeine, which is generally found in drinks like Coffee.

The illegal stimulants are

• - Amphetamine
• -Caffeine (when found in things like Guarana, a drink famously drunk by soccer players from Latin America)
• -Cocaine
• -Dimethylbutylamine
• -Dimethylhexylamine
• -Ephedrine
• -Heptaminol
• -Hordenine
• -Lisdexamfetamine
• -Methamphetamine
• -Methylhexanamine
• -Methylphenidate
• -Mephedrone
• -Modafinil
• -Octopamine,
• -Phenethylamine (PEAs) and its derivatives,
• -Phentermine
• -Synephrine (bitter orange).

Anabolic agents

Anabolic agents are drugs that produce testosterone and are used by athletes to build muscle mass. They are commonly known as steroids, and many sports governing bodies ban the use of these. It is believed that this gives the 'doping' athletes an unfair advantage over their clean opponents.

The anabolic agents banned by the NCAA include

• -Androstenedione
• -Boldenone
• -Clenbuterol
• - Clostebol
• -DHCMT
• - DHEA
• -Drostanolone
• -Epitrenbolone
• -Etiocholanolone
• -Methandienone
• -Methasterone,
• -Nandrolone
• -Oxandrolone
• -SARMS
• -Ostarine
• -Stanozolol
• -Stenbolone,
• -Testosterone
• -Trenbolone.

Beta blockers

Beta Blockers are only banned in rifle sports by the NCAA. This is due to its ability to slow down the user's heartbeat, thus reducing nervousness. In a target sport like rifle shooting, this will give the athlete an unfair advantage.

The beta blockers banned by the NCAA include:

• -Atenolol
• -Metoprolol
• -Nadolol
• -Pindolol
• -Propranolol
• -Timolol

Diuretics and masking agents

These substances help the user to produce more urine, by altering the balance of fluid and salt in the body. By producing more urine, any other banned substance that the user has taken will be weaker in the sample, and could potentially go unseen in a drug's test.

The Diuretics and masking agents banned by the NCAA include:

• -Bumetanide
• -Canrenone
• -Chlorothiazide
• -Furosemide
• -Hydrochlorothiazide
• -Probenecid
• -Triamterene
• -Trichlormethiazide

Narcotics

Narcotics are generally highly addictive drugs that are mostly used as anti-depressants which slow down the heart rate of the user.

Examples of banned narcotics include

• -Buprenorphine
• -Dextromoramide
• -Diamorphine (more commonly known as heroin)
• -Fentanyl
• -Hydrocodone
• -Hydromorphone
• -Meperidine
• -Methadone
• -Morphine
• -Nicomorphine
• -Oxycodone
• -Oxymorphone
• -Pentazocine
• -Tramadol

Peptide hormones, growth factors, related substances and mimetics

These types of substances can be used to artificially create muscle mass.

Banned substances in this category include:

• -Human Growth hormone
• -Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG)
• -Erythropoietin
• -IGF-1
• -Ibutamoren

Hormone and metabolic modulators

These are used to slow down or speed up one's metabolism and are generally used by athletes to counter the effects of steroids.

Examples in this category include

• -Anti-Estrogen
• -Aromatase Inhibitors
• -ATD (androstatrienedione)
• -Formestane
• -LetrozolePPAR-d
• -SERMS
• -Raloxifene
• -Tamoxifen

Beta-2 agonists

This is another type of drug that is used to help build muscle. Banned in this category are:

• -Albuterol
• -Formoterol
• -Higenamine
• -Salbutamol
• -Salmeterol
• -Vilanterol