Marijuana ban for pro gamers during contests under new drugs policy

Professional gamers are now joining the several other groups who will be subject to random drug testing. After gamers were caught using performance enhancing drugs like adderall, the ESL (electronic sports league) decided to implement a new policy to ban a list of drugs based off of the NADA and WADA. Gamers with prescriptions to banned drugs like adderall will be able to use their medication only if they can provide a doctors note or proof of illness. Testing will only be done during tournament hours, meaning if gamers want to smoke recreationally legal cannabis, they are permitted up until the start of the first day of a competition. Those who test positive can lose prize money, points, or even be banned up to two years from ESL events.

“Marijuana is on the list of prohibited substances during the competition. This means that recreational use of it outside (before) the event days will not be punished,” she wrote.

“Using it during the tournament – from the start of the first day until the end of the last day of competition – is strictly prohibited.