Historically, professional sports leagues have placed marijuana on their banned substance lists and barred athletes from taking marijuana during their athletic careers despite marijuana not being a performance enhancing drug.
But in recent years, there has been a shift in the culture regarding athletes taking cannabis for medical or recreational use and some sports leagues have begun to adjust their policies as a result; and the WWE might have done so as well.
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has reportedly updated its wellness policy by removing marijuana from its list of banned substances. This change was disclosed by WWE Superstar Michin (formerly Mia Yim) during an appearance on “The Speakeezy” podcast, where she noted that the company had removed marijuana from its banned substances list a couple of years ago due to its increasing legality and changing attitudes toward marijuana and its place in professional wrestling over the years.
Michin (formerly Mia Yim) at the WWE Royal Rumble 2025. Photo Credit: Diego Serrano, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.
One of the earliest Superstars to publicly acknowledge their use of marijuana was Bret “The Hitman” Hart. Throughout his career, Hart was known for his outspoken nature, and in the late 90s, he openly discussed his use of marijuana as a way to relieve the pain of his grueling wrestling schedule.
For Hart, it wasn’t about recreation but rather a form of pain management. At a time when the company’s wellness policy was still in its infancy, Hart’s admission was somewhat ahead of its time. While the WWE’s precursor, World Wrestling Federation (WWF) had not yet implemented a formal drug-testing policy, many believe that the culture in the company was deeply entrenched in the use of painkillers, steroids, and recreational drugs.
Bret “The Hitman” Hart meeting his fans. Photo credit:Mandy Coombes, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Marijuana, however, was still widely viewed as a “soft” substance in comparison to other banned drugs, and as Hart’s testimony highlighted, it was not the danger that some of the other substances could be. His outspoken support for marijuana use reflected a broader societal conversation that had yet to take hold in the industry.
For years, WWE maintained a wellness policy that prohibited marijuana use among its talent, with violations resulting in fines or suspensions. Retired wrestler Kurt Angle mentioned on his podcast back in 2021 that when he was under contract with the WWE, they would have to take seven drug tests over the course of the year and would normally have to pay a fine of $2,000 if they failed one of them, but some of the wrestlers would forgo the test and pay the $14,000 upfront.
Kurt Angle /Photo Credit :Mike Kalasnik, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
One of the most significant incidents involving marijuana occurred in 2006 when wrestler Rob Van Dam, was suspended for 30 days after being arrested for marijuana possession. Van Dam, who had just won both the WWE Championship and the ECW Championship after facing off against John Cena at ECW One Night Stand, was involved in a high-profile incident when he was pulled over in a car with his tag team partner, Sabu, and both were arrested.
Despite the public outcry over the suspension, Van Dam’s case exposed the growing conflict between WWE’s well-intentioned policy and the increasing acceptance of marijuana use in society. Fans were divided over whether Van Dam deserved the suspension, especially considering his popularity and the nature of his arrest.
Some argued that the punishment was excessive for a non-performance-enhancing substance, while others felt it was necessary to uphold WWE’s image. Van Dam’s suspension came at a time when the company was navigating the aftermath of baseball’s infamous “Steroid Scandal” of the 1990s, and the pressure to maintain a clean image was paramount. In this context, marijuana was viewed as a substance that could hurt WWE’s efforts to present itself as a family-friendly, professional organization.
Rob Van Dam / Photo Credit: Brandon Oliver, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
As public attitudes toward marijuana continued to evolve in the 2010s, WWE supposedly began to reconsider its stance and an anonymous executive told the wrestling news website Fightful back in 2022 that they hadn’t heard anyone gossip about one of the performers smoking weed in years, let alone facing consequences as a result. Which then leads us to the recent podcast when Michin publicly revealed that while marijuana use was still technically prohibited by WWE’s wellness policy, it was no longer viewed as a major concern or a substance that would result in disciplinary action.
Though it’s important to note that while these reports suggest a change in WWE’s policy, the company has not publicly confirmed the removal of marijuana from its banned substances list. The official WWE wellness policy available on their corporate website still includes marijuana as a banned substance, indicating that any policy changes may not yet be officially documented.
The supposed evolution of WWE’s marijuana policy has mirrored the broader cultural and legal shifts surrounding marijuana use in the United States. From Bret Hart’s early, outspoken advocacy to Rob Van Dam’s suspension in 2006, and finally, to the revelation by Michin that marijuana had been removed from the banned substance list, WWE’s stance on marijuana has undoubtedly shifted over time and reflects a broader trend of evolving policies in professional sports.
While the policy is still far from perfect, this evolution highlights the growing acceptance of marijuana and its place in the world of professional wrestling, where pain management and personal freedoms are increasingly understood through a more progressive lens. It may also open up new opportunities for sponsorships and partnerships within the cannabis industry. However, without official confirmation from WWE, the specifics of this policy change remain uncertain. The company’s future approach to marijuana will hopefully continue to evolve as societal views change, and as new generations of Superstars advocate for their rights and well-being.
AJ Favorito is a freelance writer and media producer with over 8 years of experience in sports media.
Works cited
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