Sport & anti-doping
Medical cannabis and competitive sport
A lawful prescription does not automatically make a prohibited substance permitted in competition. Athletes need to check the current WADA list, the rules applying to their level of competition and whether a Therapeutic Use Exemption is required.
CBD is the exception—not cannabis generally.
Under section S8 of the 2026 WADA Prohibited List, natural and synthetic cannabinoids are prohibited in competition, with cannabidiol (CBD) listed as the exception. UKAD warns that THC and other prohibited cannabinoids can still be present in products described as CBD-only.
A CBD label cannot guarantee that the product contains no THC or other prohibited cannabinoid. Anti-doping rules apply strict liability: the athlete is responsible for a prohibited substance found in their sample regardless of whether they intended to cheat.
The THC urine reporting threshold is not a personal clearance target.
UKAD states that THC has a urine reporting threshold of 150 nanograms per millilitre. That laboratory threshold does not tell an individual athlete when a prescribed dose will fall below it, does not make use safe before competition and should not be used as a timing calculator.
A prescription and a TUE answer different questions.
A prescription establishes lawful medical supply. A Therapeutic Use Exemption is the anti-doping process that may permit therapeutic use of an otherwise prohibited substance or method while competing. Whether an athlete must apply in advance or can use a retroactive route depends on their competition level and applicable rules. Use UKAD’s current Medicine and TUE Hub or the responsible anti-doping organisation rather than assuming.
- Check the medicine on Global DRO where applicable and identify every active ingredient.
- Confirm which anti-doping organisation and sport rules apply.
- Use the UKAD TUE Wizard and start early enough to compile medical evidence.
- Tell the prescriber promptly if the treatment plan changes.
- Keep the decision and supporting records with your competition documents.
“Out of competition” still requires care.
In-competition prohibition is based on what is detected during the defined competition period, not simply when a product was taken. GreenGuruAI cannot calculate a safe stopping time because elimination varies and the rules apply to the sample result.
Confirm the current rules with your sport.
WADA updates the Prohibited List annually and sport-specific processes can differ. Check with your governing body or anti-doping organisation before every competition cycle. This page is a regulatory explainer, not a TUE decision or a guarantee about a test result.
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