NCAA vs. Alma College: banned substances

MEGAN NEELEY
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

9/30/2024

With the NCAA removing cannabinoids from the 2024 list of banned substances – and despite the thoughts of a majority of the disgruntled student stoners – I must put forward that the following information suggests all students should be tested for cannabinoids at Alma College, not just student-athletes. 
 
For some background, the NCAA –  the National Collegiate Athletic Association, a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics – recently removed cannabinoids from the list of banned substances. This means there are no longer consequences in NCAA competitions for traces of this substance.
 
On the other hand, Alma College, being the federally funded institution that it is, must still prohibit the use of cannabinoids on campus. The controversy stems from the fact that Alma College doesn’t test everyone on campus, just student-athletes, and many aren’t happy. 
 
At first, I understood the athletes arguing it was unfair they were being reprimanded for cannabinoid findings in drug tests when other students weren’t even being tested. However, upon further investigation, it’s clear there’s no way to regulate other banned substances in athletes without drug tests, and we can’t just tell athletic staff – employees of the federally funded Alma College – to turn a blind eye to cannabinoids that show up in the same drug tests.
 
“If marijuana is found while drug testing or those other substances, we submit the violation to the Associate Director of Student Affairs… The athletic department upholds campus policy because we are funded by the government and our athletic operational budgets are supported by that funding,” said Sarah Dehring, Vice President & Director of Athletics at Alma College.
 
So, the only equitable solution is to increase the student pool for drug testing to include every student on campus. The juxtaposition of these two issues – the decrease in regulation leading to the increase in testing – is rather striking; however, it is clear in the reasoning behind the removal of cannabinoids by the NCAA, in lack of research in the scientific world and in the policy controversies being presented, that this adjustment is needed. 
 
First and foremost, “the NCAA is removing cannabinoids from the banned substance list because it has been proven to be a detriment to health and is no longer considered an unfair advantage,” said Catherine Boerner, Head Athletic Trainer & Athletic Healthcare Administrator at Alma College. 
 
In addition to athletic performance, the science world cannot keep up with researching the long-term health effects as “nearly one-third of regular cannabis users may develop problematic use patterns… [that are] potentially debilitating,” said researchers at the Yale School of Medicine.
 
With these two items in mind along with further research, there is no genuine support for assisting students in the continued use of cannabinoids – which is what removing drug testing entirely would do.
 
Alma College wouldn’t even be the only institution to do something like the more equitable alternative of a student-body wide drug test. The Western Michigan University Homer Stryker School of Medicine outlaws the use of cannabinoids by testing its entire student population upon admission. 
 
Ultimately, if you have a problem with putting down the pen in college, then I suggest attending an institution that is not required to prohibit marijuana use or pick up your pencil and get to studying; according to numerous neural researchers, acute cannabis use is associated with impairments in holding, manipulating and remembering information, anyways.
 
If you find yourself in troubling circumstances or notice ruinous patterns, please seek help at the National Rehab Hotline (866) 210-1303.