CBD will take another big step toward the mainstream next year when the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) removes hemp-based products from a list of banned substances.
WADA’s 2018 listing will show that “cannabidiol is no longer prohibited,” though the agency didn’t explain why CBD was removed.
The Canada-based agency oversees the World Anti-Doping Code, which is used by more than 600 sports organizations, including the International Olympic Committee and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).
Many CBD products are marketed as natural treatments for athletic injury and pain, and athletes have long debated whether hemp-derived products have been wrongly lumped in with other performance-enhancing drugs.
Former NFL athletes and international cycling stars have touted CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties, even as their sports’ regulators considered CBD forbidden.
The World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, is currently reviewing CBD’s therapeutic potential in a revision that may redefine how CBD is regarded and controlled internationally.