The suspensions of Sha'Carri Richardson in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics has left Olympic officials wondering if marijuana should still be considered a banned substance. Richardson said that she used marijuana as a coping mechanism after the sudden death of her mother. Richardson states,
“You can’t run from reality,” she said. “It’s still going to be there no matter how long you choose to ignore it, no matter how long you choose to think it’s going to go away.”
After Richardson was not allowed to compete in the Olympics it led to discussions about athletes and the recreational use of marijuana. This led to the World Anti-Doping Agency contacting Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) about why marijuana should still be considered a banned substance.
They state that it has to continue to be a banned substance because marijuana could endanger the athletes due to slowed reaction times and because cannabis helps with recovery from extreme exertion it is considered a performance enhancing drug.
Law makers sent a letter to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) stating, “We believe that cannabis does not meet the description of scientifically proven risk or harm to the athlete, and the USADA is perpetuating stereotypes and rhetoric fueled by the racist War on Drugs by claiming its usage, in private use and outside of competition, violates the ‘spirit of the sport.'”
Other law makers have been critical on the idea that marijuana is considered a performance enhancing drug. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) stated, "“Marijuana is not a performance-enhancing drug unless you’re entered in the Coney Island
hot dog eating contest on Fourth of July, to take [Richardson’s] right to appear and her dream away from her is absurd, and this Congress should see that we don’t have these problems in the future.”
Richardson has agreed with the idea that the policy on athletes and marijuana has to change.
“If those rules do change, honestly I’m just blessed and proud of the fact I could do that for other athletes,” she said.
Other sports organizations have changed their policy on marijuana such as the NFL and the MLB. Athletes such as Kevin Durant are doing campaigns with marijuana companies to promote destigmatizing cannabis and showcasing the plant’s potential value for “athlete wellness and recovery.”
Many athletes believe that the Olympics should follow this path and erase marijuana from the banned substance list.
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