The National Football League’s cannabis policy looks very different in 2025 than it did a decade ago, but it still stops short of full acceptance. For cannabis consumers and fans, the league has essentially shifted from a suspension-heavy, zero-tolerance regime toward a medical, risk-management model that treats marijuana more like alcohol than a performance-enhancing drug.

The turning point came with the 2020 collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and NFL Players Association (NFLPA). Under that deal, players stopped facing suspensions solely for positive cannabis tests. The testing window for THC was narrowed from a months-long span in the offseason to just the first two weeks of training camp, and the threshold for a positive test jumped significantly. In practical terms, that made occasional off-season use far less risky for players.

The next big change arrived in December 2024, when the league and union again updated the Policy and Program on Substances of Abuse. The THC level that triggers a positive result was raised dramatically, more than doubling the previous limit. At the same time, the discipline structure softened: earlier rules tied penalties to fractions of a player’s game check, but the revised policy replaces those with flat fines that start at $15,000 for a first violation and escalate from there, with no automatic suspension. Teams are now told only that a player violated the substances-of-abuse policy, not which drug was involved—a small but symbolic step away from stigmatizing cannabis specifically.

Testing itself is more limited than many fans realize. Under league guidance, players receive one annual test under the Substances of Abuse policy that does not include THC. THC testing is tied instead to a preseason window and to players already enrolled in the league’s intervention program, who can be tested more frequently under medical supervision. The emphasis, at least on paper, is on evaluation and treatment rather than punishment.

At the same time, cannabis remains on the NFL’s list of banned substances, largely because it is still a Schedule I drug under federal law. The league’s stance is that players may not be impaired during games or team activities, and broader conduct and personal-behavior policies still give the commissioner authority to act if cannabis use leads to legal trouble or public incidents. In other words, the policy is lenient on biochemistry but firm on optics and professionalism.

Behind the scenes, the NFL and NFLPA have also funded research into cannabinoids for pain management and neuroprotection, reflecting both player advocacy and the realities of a violent sport. Since 2021, joint grants have supported studies on using cannabis-based therapies to manage acute and chronic pain and potentially reduce reliance on opioids. While still early, this research underscores the league’s growing acknowledgment of cannabis as a legitimate area of medical inquiry.

For cannabis consumers watching on Sundays, the bottom line is this: the modern NFL policy stops short of embracing marijuana, but it no longer treats responsible use—especially away from the facility and offseason—as a career-ending offense. Players who use cannabis still accept some risk of fines and scrutiny, yet the days of long suspensions for a single positive test are effectively over. The league is playing a familiar game: moving cautiously with public opinion and state laws, one policy tweak at a time.