How Sha'Carri Richardson's Suspension Could Be A Turning Point for WADA's Marijuana Stance
American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson caught the attention of many with her bright hair and blazing speed. With the Olympics coming near, many fans were excited at the prospect of another young American destined to dominate on the world’s stage. And just that fast, our balloon was popped.
News of Richardson’s positive test for marijuana threatened to knock the former LSU Lady Tiger track star out of the Olympics all together after being confirmed that she will miss her primary, 100m race.
It seems as if many American professional sports entities have recently come to Jesus regarding marijuana. A byproduct of the demonization of the drug is a correlation no one can avoid, as WADA’s 2021 changes to their Prohibited Substances list has THC - the main active ingredient of marijuana - on par with the likes of cocaine, MDMA, and heroin.
Why?
Great question.
WADA is an acronym for the World Anti-Doping Agency, basically, an institution in place to prevent doping - or athletes gaining an unfair advantage in a particular sport via the usage of drugs, chemicals, steroids, etc. The US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) is the American arm of this organization and the one responsible for doling out this ban on Richardson in light of having the entire nation face potential sanctions by the larger, international agency.
WADA’s prohibitive substances list follows three main tenets - via USAToday:
- It enhances, or could potentially enhance, an athlete’s performance
- It could pose a health risk for athletes
- It “violates the spirit of the sport”
And its place on the list really seems to be centered around the first two criteria. There have been extensive studies placed around whether or not marijuana provides an athlete with enhanced performance. Yet, a 2017 study by the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport seemed to nip that in the bud. The second criteria listed is fairly vague and truly halfhearted at best. If WADA and its subsidiaries truly cared about a substance’s health risk to athletes everything - I’m looking at you alcohol - would be game to be here.
Even breaking down the punishment itself, the typical sentence for a Prohibitive Substance list infraction is three months. Yet, thanks to Richardson’s cooperation, completing a counseling program regarding her marijuana use, the sentence was reduced to one month.
Travis Tygart, the chief executive officer of the USADA in speaking to USAToday Sports shared that marijuana has been the topic of conversation often amongst the anti-doping community. Progress has been made as cannabidiol, mostly known as CBD and lauded for its many pain relief benefits, has been named as an exemption on the Prohibitive Substances list.
Rules aren’t made to be broken, they’re made to be questioned. Instead of spending time going back-and-forth about Richardson’s guilt, the microscope should be focused on the rule itself. Why follow something that is terribly outdated and rooted in systemic oppression - see the rates of incarceration for marijuana related offenses.
This is what the narrative should be, using this moment as a turning point to destigmatize. If these agencies truly cared for substantive reasons, maybe frequent failed tests would trigger a sport governing body to provide more mental health and therapeutic services for their athletes. Even Tygart expressed that the USADA might have taken “a different approach” to this outcome as I imagine many in the anti-doping community are handcuffed to the will of WADA, awaiting their moment of de-emphasis of marijuana as well.
For Sha’Carri dealing with the grieving of her biological mother, or an athlete opting to go with marijuana for pain treatment as opposed to the powerful opioids known to be used by team doctors throughout sports; may this issue and its time in the spotlight be used to usher out outdated policies and progressive conversations.
