The NHL’s Evolving Approach to Cannabis: Support Over Suspensions
For a league that plays across both U.S. and Canadian markets, the National Hockey League has adopted a progressive but structured approach to cannabis and other substances. Today, its rules are built around two parallel systems negotiated in the Collective Bargaining Agreement: the Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health (SABH) Program for “drugs of abuse,” and the Performance Enhancing Substances Program (PESP) for doping violations.
Cannabis falls squarely under the SABH umbrella, not the performance-enhancing list. League and NHLPA officials have repeatedly stated that marijuana is on the panel of substances that can be tested, but it is not treated as a performance enhancer and a positive test alone does not trigger an automatic suspension. Instead, test results are kept confidential and are used primarily to identify players who might benefit from education, counseling or treatment rather than punishment.
Under current practice, players are subject to no-notice tests during training camp and again during the regular season, with the option for additional random tests during the year and playoffs. When a cannabis result is elevated toward what the program considers a “dangerously high” or near-toxic level, the case can be referred to the SABH Program Committee, which can recommend mandatory evaluation and a tailored treatment plan instead of public discipline. That plan can include monitoring, mental-health support sessions and guidance on safer pain-management strategies.
The SABH structure is tiered, with several “stages” that escalate only if a player refuses help, repeatedly violates the plan, or becomes involved in serious off-ice incidents. Lower stages emphasize confidential counseling and monitored treatment while the player continues to practice and play. Higher stages can involve removal from team activities and, eventually, suspensions that are announced only in a generic way, typically described as a player “entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.” Alcohol misuse, misuse of prescription painkillers, cocaine and opioids are handled in the same confidential framework.
A separate track covers performance-enhancing drugs. The Prohibited Substances List, maintained jointly by the NHL and NHLPA, includes anabolic steroids, certain stimulants and other agents that can be misused to gain a competitive edge. Violating this program carries clear, automatic competitive sanctions. A first offense normally brings a 20-game suspension without pay, with longer bans for repeat violations. When Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad was suspended 20 games in March 2025 for violating the performance-enhancing substances policy, he was also required to enter the SABH program for evaluation, underscoring how the disciplinary and health-care tracks are linked.
Importantly, the NHL’s approach to cannabis is more tolerant than that of many other professional leagues. Independent legal analysis notes that the league continues to test for marijuana but tends to use those results as a health-monitoring tool rather than a disciplinary hammer, particularly in jurisdictions where adult-use cannabis is legal. Surveys of players suggest widespread use of edibles and other products for pain, sleep and anxiety, yet suspensions tied purely to marijuana remain rare.
The CBA extension ratified in 2025 preserved this overall framework, focusing on schedule changes rather than major revisions to drug policy. That means that, for now, the NHL’s message to players is: cannabis may appear on a test, but unless it signals a serious health risk or leads to other behavioral problems, it will be addressed privately through support and treatment, while performance-enhancing drugs remain subject to strict, public suspensions and loss of salary. For athletes and fans trying to understand the rules, the distinction is: wellness-oriented use is medicalized, but cheating the game still brings competitive consequences.