NCAA to consider retroactively reducing street drug test penalties for student-athletes

Student-athletes who tested positive in the 2013-14 year for banned street drugs may submit requests for reduced penalties under a new policy adopted by the NCAA, reports John Infante of 30-Mile Radius. 

The NCAA adopted a policy in April that reduced its penalty for testing positive for marijuana and other street drugs from sitting out one full season to sitting out a half a season, effective August 1, 2014. 

The NCAA sent a message on Wednesday informing its members that they may submit requests to have the new reduced penalty applied to student-athletes who tested positive for a banned street drug prior to the effective date. 

Per NCAA message:  

During the 2013-14 academic year, however, some student-athletes tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, or marijuana), a banned street drug. Because the positive test was administered before the effective date of the new penalty, student-athletes were penalized under the rules in place at the time the test was administered, which made them ineligible for further participation in all regular season and postseason competition for a minimum of one calendar year and charged them with the use of a season of competition.

Schools who have student-athletes who tested positive for street drugs during the 2013-14 academic year may submit a request for early application of the new legislation to the NCAA student-athlete reinstatement staff via Requests/Self-Reports Online. The requests will be considered in relation to the legislation's intent, which is to provide an opportunity to intervene and correct the behavior and further support student-athletes. Therefore, any requests should detail the supportive services the institution is providing and the health and well-being benefits the student-athlete would receive as a result of re-evaluating the penalty under the new legislation.