Major League Baseball’s decision to effectively stop testing for marijuana was not a sudden burst of leniency. It grew out of public health concerns, labor negotiations, and a changing cultural view of cannabis—while still leaving players plenty of ways to get in trouble.
The turning point came in December 2019, when MLB and the Players Association announced changes to their Joint Drug Program. Natural cannabinoids, including THC and marijuana, were removed from the list of “Drugs of Abuse.” Instead, marijuana-related conduct would be treated the same as alcohol under a separate treatment and conduct policy, emphasizing evaluation and voluntary treatment over automatic punishment.
That shift arrived in the shadow of tragedy. The 2019 overdose death of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs, involving fentanyl-laced opioids, focused attention on how painkillers and illicit opioids were circulating in clubhouses. In the new agreement, MLB expanded testing for opioids such as fentanyl and for cocaine and tied any discipline to a player’s refusal to cooperate with treatment rather than to a positive test alone. The message was clear: the league wanted to prioritize medical care for serious, life-threatening substances while backing away from punitive cannabis policies.
Practically, that means major league players are no longer subject to routine THC screening. Urine and blood tests now focus on performance-enhancing drugs, stimulants, diuretics, masking agents, and drugs of abuse like opioids and cocaine, along with synthetic THC products that can be far more potent and unpredictable than plant cannabis. A player who quietly uses state-legal marijuana at home is unlikely to face a drug test or suspension just for that choice.
But “no more marijuana testing” does not mean “anything goes.” Marijuana is still treated as a workplace and conduct issue. Players can be evaluated and disciplined if cannabis use leads to behavior that concerns the league or a team—such as arriving impaired to the ballpark, being involved in an off-field incident, or refusing recommended treatment after an evaluation. Clubs and the Commissioner’s Office retain the power to impose discipline in serious cases, just as they can for alcohol-related misconduct.
Legal risks also remain. Cannabis is still illegal at the federal level and varies widely state by state. Players who transport products across state or international borders, possess marijuana where it is illegal, or are arrested for driving under the influence of THC can face both legal consequences and league discipline. Distribution or sale of cannabis or other controlled substances to teammates is explicitly prohibited and can trigger significant penalties.
The policy is different in the minors, too. After 2019, minor leaguers stopped being automatically suspended for positive marijuana tests, but they remain covered by a separate drug program and can still be disciplined for other banned substances. Young players trying to reach a 40-man roster ignore those rules at their peril.
In short, MLB stepped away from treating marijuana like heroin or cocaine and moved it into the same bucket as alcohol: still risky, still monitored, but no longer the main target of the drug program. Players gained more freedom to make personal choices about cannabis—but if those choices spill into impaired performance, dangerous conduct, or involvement with harder drugs, the league’s testing program and disciplinary system are very much still in play.
For players, the takeaway is simple: marijuana may be off the test panel, but consequences follow reckless or unsafe use.