WADA Keeps GLP-1 Weight-Loss Drugs Off 2027 Banned List, Updates Cannabinoid Rules

On one side, sports medicine physicians and endurance coaches argue that GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide offer a distinct, unearned advantage by artificially optimizing an athlete's power-to-weight ratio. On the other side, medical advocates and athletes using the medications for metabolic conditions argue that banning a ubiquitous health treatment based on theoretical athletic abuse would unfairly penalize legitimate patients.[1][4][5]

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has officially deferred the decision. On September 10, 2026, WADA's Executive Committee approved the 2027 Prohibited List, confirming that GLP-1 medications—including Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro—will not be banned for the upcoming year.[2][3]

Instead, the drugs will remain on WADA's Monitoring Program. Semaglutide has been monitored since 2024, and tirzepatide was added in 2026. This status allows anti-doping officials to track patterns of use through urine and blood testing without triggering sanctions for athletes who test positive.[1][4]

To move a substance from the monitoring program to the prohibited list, WADA requires it to meet at least two of three criteria: it must enhance sport performance, pose a health risk to the athlete, or violate the "spirit of sport."[1][4]

"The Prohibited List Expert Advisory Group and the ExCo considered the status of GLP-1 receptor agonists carefully," said WADA Senior Director of Science and Medicine Professor Olivier Rabin. "However, at this stage, there is not enough evidence available for us to conclude with confidence that the substances meet the criteria needed for inclusion on the List."[3][4]

The agency is not ignoring the trend. A 2026 Loughborough University survey of 114 sports medicine physicians across 38 countries found that 12 percent were aware of athletes using GLP-1 drugs without a specific medical need. Furthermore, 44 percent of those surveyed supported eventually prohibiting the drugs in sport.[1]

To gather definitive data, WADA currently has one sport-related scientific study running and has initiated a second to measure the physiological effects of GLP-1 agonists on healthy athletes. Until those results arrive, the drugs remain in a regulatory gray zone for endurance sports like cycling and running, where shedding mass without losing muscle power is highly incentivized.[1][3][4]

Beyond weight-loss medications, the 2027 Prohibited List introduces a significant clarification regarding cannabinoids. WADA is altering its previous blanket ban on all cannabinoids to a more specific prohibition focused on delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and compounds with THC-like effects.[3]

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This regulatory narrowing means that athletes will no longer face strict liability for consuming non-psychoactive hemp seed products or THC-free cannabidiol (CBD) oils that might contain trace amounts of other minor cannabinoids. The update simplifies education efforts and protects athletes who use legal hemp derivatives for recovery, while maintaining the in-competition ban on psychoactive cannabis.[3]

The 2027 Prohibited List will officially take effect on January 1, 2027. For now, athletes using GLP-1 medications can compete without requiring a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE), though WADA officials continue to warn against using the powerful metabolic drugs without direct medical supervision.[1][3][5]