When American sprinting sensation Sha’Carri Richardson was stripped of the chance to vie for a medal at the Tokyo Olympics because of a positive marijuana test, the head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency was among the many who sympathized with her plight.
USADA CEO Travis Tygart argued that athletes shouldn’t face punishment for testing positive for marijuana unless it can be proven that they created a health and safety risk or tried to gain a significant competitive advantage.
Three years later, with the Paris Olympics set to get underway, Tygart has little to show for his effort to push for change. “All natural and synthetic cannabinoids,” including marijuana, remain prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency, the organization founded by the International Olympic Committee to oversee drug testing across global sport.
“It’s disappointing,” Tygart told Yahoo Sports. “I think we should all just be open and upfront about marijuana’s lack of performance-enhancing benefits. We’re not in the recreational drug policing business. We’re here to prevent fraud in sport and cheaters in sport.”
Read the full article at Yahoo News
