What Soccer Team Doctors Really Think About Cannabis
In elite soccer, cannabis sits in a grey zone where culture is moving faster than the rulebook—and sports doctors are stuck in the middle. Ask a team physician today what they really think, and you’ll hear a mix of cautious curiosity, clinical pragmatism, and lingering concern.
A recent survey of more than 300 sports medicine physicians found that most hold generally favorable views of CBD and cannabis, with 59 percent saying they would like to see cannabis removed from the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) prohibited list. Many already recommend cannabinoid products for chronic musculoskeletal and nerve pain. Yet those same doctors tend to separate therapeutic potential from what is currently allowed in competition.
For professional soccer, the regulatory frame is clear even if the science is not. FIFA and Major League Soccer follow WADA rules, which keep THC and most cannabinoids banned in competition but allow CBD. THC only triggers a positive test when its metabolite exceeds a relatively high urine threshold of 150 ng/mL, a level WADA says reflects a significantly impaired or frequent user rather than someone who used occasionally well before match day. For club doctors, that means any THC-containing product must be managed like a classic doping risk.
On performance, most sports physicians remain unconvinced that cannabis helps soccer players. A systematic review of cannabis in sport concluded that available evidence points to no performance benefit and possible impairment, especially around reaction time, coordination, and tactical decision-making—skills that define elite football. Sports cardiologists also highlight cannabis-related increases in heart rate and blood pressure that could add strain during high-intensity play.
Where opinions soften is recovery. Surveys of runners, cyclists, and other athletes show many use cannabis for pain and sleep, with a majority of users reporting meaningful relief. Some sports doctors see a role for cannabinoids as part of a broader pain-management plan, especially as teams try to reduce opioid and benzodiazepine use. Others note emerging, but still early, data suggesting potential anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects, including in subconcussive head-impact settings that are highly relevant to soccer.
At the same time, physicians worry about the flip side: dependence, impaired sleep architecture at high doses, and the mental health impact of heavy long-term use in young athletes. Reviews on substance use in elite sport flag cannabis as one of several recreational drugs associated with higher risk profiles, especially when combined with alcohol.
So what does that add up to in the training room? Practically, most soccer doctors tell players three things:
First, recreational use close to competition is a bad idea—from both a medical and anti-doping perspective. The risk is not only a positive test but also a crucial half-second lost in a crowded penalty box.
Second, if an athlete is considering cannabinoids for pain, sleep, or anxiety, doctors want that conversation inside the medical team, not hidden. That allows them to choose lower-THC options, monitor side effects, and check for interactions with other medications.
Third, they push for more and better data. Despite growing athlete use, high-quality trials in elite performers are scarce. Until that changes, sports physicians in professional soccer are likely to stay where many are now: open-minded about targeted medical use, supportive of CBD, skeptical of performance benefits, and firmly aligned with WADA rules when it comes to match day. For players and clubs, that means cannabis remains a conversation with the doctor, not a solo experiment with career-level stakes.