NCAA Drug Testing More Strict Than Department of Transportation

College Championship Athletes now subject to lower cutoff on THC than Department of Transportation (DOT) operators.

The NCAA's Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports (CSMAS) recently voted on Raising the standards for drug testing the competitive championship level athletes.  (learn more about NCAA Drug Testing)

They agreed on lowering the threshold / cutoff level for Marijuana (THC) testing to Five nanograms per milliliter. This change has already happened, since August 1st, 2013 these athletes have been tested at this newer lower cutoff level.  Why the change? And What was the problem with the old cutoff level? 

Brian Hendrickson, author of the news article on NCAA.org reports: "The previous threshold of 15 nanograms per milliliter was set when the NCAA established its testing program in 1986 and followed the standards for workplace testing. Tests at that time could not distinguish second-hand consumption at a more sensitive level. After its research, the CSMAS concluded that a five nanogram per milliliter sample was definitively indicative of direct use." (continue reading entire story here)

So with the definitive research conclusions of CSMAS we now hold our College Championship Athletes to a higher drug testing standard than we do with our Airplane Pilots, Bus Drivers, Train Conductors, Semi Truck Drivers etc...   The Department of Transportation (DOT) drug testing regulations still have Marijuana (THC) Confirmatory Testing at 15 nanograms per milliliter.  (all DOT cutoff levels can be found here)

Will the DOT follow the shining example of our Star Athletes and lower the threshold for confirmatory testing on THC?

Well if this study conducted by CSMAS provided enough concrete evidence that at 5 ng/ml of THC suggests actual use, and not secondhand exposure than, I'd say... YES. 

Or wait!  Will the government just make pot legal instead? 

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