College basketball recruits want to land in a situation where they get plenty of playing time and, in the best cases, a chance to play deep in the March NCAA college basketball championship. A new study has found another factor many apparently consider: whether the school is located where cannabis is legal.

The study, published in the Journal of Sports Economics, found a connection between states with legal cannabis and a higher success rate for colleges recruiting basketball players. The authors, led by researchers from Georgia College & State University, wrote that they found “evidence of unexpected consequences of marijuana legalization.”

They added that their data showed cannabis legalization improves basketball recruiting outcomes for in-state colleges. “Since collegiate athletics are directly correlated with revenues and may affect the number of general applications that a university receives, our results reveal a channel through which marijuana laws could impact post-secondary education,” they wrote.

Interestingly, they found the opposite impact on college football player recruitment, where cannabis legalization was correlated with poorer recruitment results.

Cannabis Legalization May Have Same Impact as a New Coach

Researchers delved into recruiting data from 2003 to 2019, revealing that cannabis legalization emerges as a “significant yet intricate factor in college sports recruiting.” In college basketball, teams situated in states where cannabis use is legalized experience an average improvement of 3.7 slots in recruiting rankings.

The study posits that, in absolute terms, being situated in a state with legal cannabis has an impact on recruiting comparable to the influence of a new coach.

In a curious contrast, the scenario differs when it comes to football. On average, states permitting legal cannabis see rankings about 2.9 slots lower than those in states where the plant remains illegal.

“Colleges in states with legalized recreational marijuana use can anticipate enhanced recruiting outcomes in basketball but diminished recruiting prowess in football,” the researchers wrote.

Colleges Urged to Consider Legal Cannabis as a Recruiting Tool

The study authors urged stakeholders such as coaches, administrators, and fans of other NCAA sports to consider marijuana laws as potential drivers of recruiting dynamics. That said, it’s worth noting that cannabis is illegal for those under the age of 21. So, while they might eventually enjoy access to legal recreational cannabis, a recruit fresh out of high school would not.

It is also noteworthy that the study did not incorporate data on individual athletes, prompting the researchers to acknowledge their findings as “speculative.” One suggested hypothesis was that the results and the lenient policies of the NBA regarding marijuana use might both be indicative of a broader cultural acceptance of the substance.

The study proposed that college recruits might feel empowered to use marijuana during their college years and may choose institutions in states where recreational use is sanctioned.

The study foresees that colleges in states with legalized recreational marijuana are poised to witness improvements in basketball recruiting and on-court performance in the foreseeable future. But at the same time, they may also expect adverse effects on football recruiting.