Report: MLB to remove marijuana testing for minor leaguers

Major league Baseball will remove marijuana from the list of banned substances for minor leaguers, sources told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

The decision to remove testing for marijuana is a part of a larger new agreement on opioids that the league and Major League Baseball Players Association are negotiating, according to Rosenthal.

Before the reported changes, players in the minors were referred to counseling and treatment programs after their first positive test for marijuana. A second positive result would've led to a suspension.

Major-league players have not been subject to cannabis testing. Opioids and marijuana are banned under the current policy but only performance-enhancing drugs are routinely tested for.

MLBPA executive director Tony Clark said last Thursday that he was pretty confident changes to MLB's drug agreement would come this offseason.

Revamping the agreement has been a hot topic around baseball since Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs died from an overdose in July after abusing oxycodone for years.