Whether professional athletes are restricted from consuming CBD beverages depends heavily on which rulebook governs their sport. What looks like a simple recovery drink to the average consumer can carry real anti-doping and contractual consequences for professionals.
At the global level, most Olympic and international sports follow the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code. WADA removed cannabidiol (CBD) from its Prohibited List in 2018, explicitly stating that CBD itself is not banned. However, all other natural and synthetic cannabinoids, including THC, remain prohibited in-competition above set thresholds. The 2025 WADA Prohibited List maintains this stance and applies a urinary threshold of 150 ng/mL for THC; samples above that level count as a positive test.
This distinction creates a gray zone for CBD beverages. In theory, an athlete is free to use CBD drinks for rehab and recovery outside and even inside competition periods. In practice, many CBD products—especially full-spectrum formulations—may contain trace THC or other cannabinoids that remain banned. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) warns that mislabeled hemp and CBD products are a common source of inadvertent doping violations because athletes cannot be certain of their exact THC content. For athletes in WADA-regulated sports, the main restriction is therefore not CBD itself but the contamination risk and the timing of use before competition.
Domestic professional leagues add another layer. The NFL, for example, has significantly relaxed its cannabis policies in recent years. Under updated substance-abuse rules, suspensions for positive marijuana tests were eliminated and THC thresholds for a positive result were raised, with a 2024 change increasing the urinary limit from 150 ng/mL to 350 ng/mL. These reforms reflect a shift toward treatment over punishment and make it less likely that a player using a compliant CBD beverage will trigger league sanctions, although team medical staff may still set their own guidance.
The NBA has moved even further. Under its 2023 collective bargaining agreement, cannabis was removed from the league’s anti-drug testing program, and players are no longer subject to random testing or penalties for marijuana use. The same agreement explicitly allows players to invest in companies that make CBD-infused products, so long as those products meet federal hemp standards (≤0.3% THC by dry weight). While promotional rules still restrict how players can endorse certain cannabis brands, the policy effectively removes practical barriers to consuming CBD beverages for recovery.
Other leagues, such as MLB and the NHL, have also softened their cannabis stances, focusing more on health support than punitive suspensions. Yet not every organization is as permissive, and athletes competing in events governed by WADA, national Olympic committees, or international federations remain bound by stricter THC rules even if their domestic league is lenient.
From a performance and rehab standpoint, many athletes and sports medicine teams view CBD beverages as one tool among many for managing soreness, sleep, and overall recovery. However, because enforcement focuses on THC rather than CBD, responsible use requires attention to product selection. Third-party lab testing, clear certificates of analysis, and preference for broad-spectrum or THC-free formulations are common risk-management strategies in elite environments.
In summary, professional athletes are generally not categorically banned from using CBD beverages, but they are tightly constrained by anti-doping codes and league policies surrounding THC and other cannabinoids. For athletes, the real question is less “Is CBD allowed?” and more “Can this specific drink be verified as THC-compliant for my sport, my league, and my next competition date?”