Where Marijuana Fits in NASCAR’s Drug Policies

NASCAR’s approach to cannabis remains firmly conservative, even as laws and attitudes shift around the sport. While some major North American leagues have moved toward tolerating or de-emphasizing marijuana use, NASCAR continues to treat cannabis as a prohibited substance, with violations handled under its long-standing Substance Abuse Policy.

The full NASCAR rule book, including detailed drug policy language, is distributed only to licensed members rather than published publicly. However, related documents and recent penalty reports offer a clear picture of how cannabis is classified. The 2024 NASCAR Youth Series National Rule Book, for example, lists marijuana alongside cocaine and hallucinogens as “illegal drugs,” and explicitly states that federal bans and definitions of illegal substances override any state law that might permit them. That framing carries over to the national series: if THC is federally illegal, it is treated as a prohibited substance, regardless of whether a driver’s home state has legalized medical or adult-use cannabis.

NASCAR’s testing framework reinforces that stance. Drug Free Sport administers pre-license testing for national-series competitors, requiring a negative test before a member can be placed on an event roster each season, with follow-up testing also managed under the policy. Beyond that, the series reserves the right to test “for cause” when there is reasonable suspicion of impairment or misuse, something that has been highlighted in past high-profile cases.

The consequences for cannabis violations can be severe. Past examples include Randy LaJoie, suspended after testing positive for marijuana and only reinstated after completing a counseling program, and other NASCAR participants who have faced indefinite suspensions under the Substance Abuse Policy. More recently, NASCAR has continued to hand out indefinite bans to crew members for policy violations, underscoring that enforcement remains active and uncompromising. Even drivers who used state-legal medical cannabis have been suspended, showing that compliance is judged by NASCAR’s federal-anchored standard, not by local law.

For teams and drivers, this creates a cautious operating environment. Athletes who might look to cannabis for pain management or sleep—options that are increasingly common in other sports—must instead treat THC the same way they would any other banned drug. Teams invest in education and, in many cases, steer athletes away from CBD and hemp products altogether, worried about cross-contamination that could trigger a positive test at trace levels. Similar warnings about supplements and CBD appear in other major motorsports rulebooks, reflecting industry-wide concern about inadvertent violations.

The competitive impact is subtle but real. A violation can erase a season’s worth of work in a single announcement, leading to indefinite suspension, sponsor discomfort, and reshuffled lineups. For smaller teams, losing a driver or key crew member to a failed test can destabilize performance and finances overnight. At the same time, the strict line allows NASCAR to present a clear safety message to partners and fans: any substance, including cannabis, that could impair performance has no place in the garage or on the grid.

As legalization spreads and other sports soften their cannabis rules, pressure will likely continue to build around NASCAR’s zero-tolerance stance. For now, though, anyone holding a NASCAR license knows the reality: regardless of what a state law allows, cannabis remains a career-threatening risk.