What topics does this cannabis study cover?

This study covers research on: Addiction, Mental Health.

Where was this research published?

Published in British journal of sports medicine on June 17, 2026.

Cannabis use in elite athletes remains understudied and fragmented

Q: What did this research study find?

This scoping review examined **119 peer-reviewed studies** on substance use patterns among elite athletes, covering recreational substances including *cannabis*, alcohol, nicotine, and performance-enhancing drugs. The research revealed **alcohol as the most extensively studied substance**, with cons

Substance use patterns in elite athletes: a scoping review of alcohol, performance-enhancing drugs and other psychoactive substances.

British journal of sports medicine • June 17, 2026 • Moderately Relevant

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AI Summary

This scoping review examined 119 peer-reviewed studies on substance use patterns among elite athletes, covering recreational substances including cannabis, alcohol, nicotine, and performance-enhancing drugs. The research revealed alcohol as the most extensively studied substance, with consistent evidence of heavy consumption in certain sports driven by team-based social norms. Notably, the review found cannabis included as a recreational substance of research interest alongside alcohol and other psychoactive substances, highlighting growing scientific attention to cannabis use patterns in athletic populations. However, research on cannabis and other recreational substances remained fragmented and methodologically variable, with most studies relying on cross-sectional designs and self-reported data.

The study identified significant gaps in the current evidence base regarding substance use vulnerability among elite athletes. Research on cannabis, polysubstance use, and other substances beyond alcohol was heterogeneous, offering limited insight into the psychosocial mechanisms driving use or misuse. The review emphasized that existing literature was dominated by Western populations and collegiate athletes, with insufficient representation of professional and international athletic populations. The authors called for future research to prioritize longitudinal and theory-driven designs, better integration of mental health frameworks, and rigorous evaluation of prevention and intervention strategies.

These findings have important implications for understanding substance use patterns in high-pressure athletic environments and suggest that cannabis research in sports contexts remains an understudied area requiring more rigorous investigation into usage patterns, health outcomes, and effective intervention strategies.

📄 Original Abstract

To systematically map and synthesise the scientific literature on substance use patterns among elite athletes, encompassing recreational substances, performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) and polysubstance use. This study was a scoping review conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodological framework and reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. The review protocol was prospectively registered on the Open Science Framework. A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Scopus and SportDiscus from inception to March 2025. Eligible studies were peer-reviewed original research articles examining substance use, misuse or substance use disorders among elite athletes, including collegiate, professional, Olympic, Paralympic or national-level competitors. Both recreational substances (eg, alcohol, cannabis, nicotine, prescription drugs) and PEDs were included. From 3292 unique records screened, 119 studies met inclusion criteria. Alcohol was the most extensively studied substance, particularly among National Collegiate Athletic Association collegiate athletes, with consistent evidence of heavy consumption in certain sports, especially those with strong social and team-based norms. PED studies revealed marked sport-specific patterns, largely informed by anti-doping surveillance data, but offered limited insight into psychosocial mechanisms. Research on other substances and polysubstance use was heterogeneous, fragmented, and methodologically variable. Across all domains, the literature was dominated by cross-sectional designs, self-reported data and Western populations. The existing evidence base demonstrates substantial substance-related vulnerability among elite athletes but is characterised by significant conceptual, methodological and geographical gaps. Future research should prioritise longitudinal and theory-driven designs, broader representation of professional and non-Western athletes, integration of mental health frameworks and rigorous evaluation of prevention and intervention strategies. The review protocol was prospectively registered on the Open Science Framework (OSF) (DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/3PJDN) on 8 January 2025.

Paper Type

📄 Research

Publication

Journal: British journal of sports medicine
Published: June 17, 2026
PMID: 42309781
DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2025-111489

Authors (9)

João Mauricio Castaldelli-Maia Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil jmcmaia@usp.br.
André Ayalla Rodrigues Medicina, Faculdade Pernambucana de Saude Curso de Medicina, Recife, Brazil.
Zachary L Mannes Department of Emergency Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
Alexander Smith Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Michael Liebrenz Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
+4 more authors