MLB will "remove marijuana from the list of banned substances for minor leaguers" as part of the new "agreement on opioids being negotiated" between the league and the MLBPA, according to sources cited by The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. MLBers have "not been subject to testing for marijuana" in the past (TWITTER.com, 12/9). YAHOO SPORTS' Mark Townsend noted this essentially means that marijuana would "effectively be legalized across baseball." The revised drug agreement "has not been finalized by MLB and the MLBPA," but the removal of marijuana from drug testing is "seen as a forward-thinking move." If finalized, baseball would be the "first major sport to stop testing for marijuana." The "prevailing thought is that marijuana is a safe alternative to opioids." The potential elimination of marijuana testing for minor leaguers is a "big development on many levels." Perhaps "most importantly, it would allow players to be open and honest about their usage." This would allow teams to "monitor their usage and be better aware of a bigger issue" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 12/9).
