American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson received a one-month suspension by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, invalidating her qualification for the Olympic 100 meters, because of a positive test for cannabis
- Sha’Carri Richardson could take part in the Olympic 4x100m relay.
- In the USA, the NFL and the NBA are opening the door to the debate on the use of cannabis for professional athletes.
She was to be one of the new figures of the Olympic sprint. The 21-year-old American athlete Sha’Carri Richardson will not compete in the legendary 100 meters event at the Tokyo Olympics (July 23 – August 8) after receiving a one-month suspension from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) because of a positive cannabis test. “I would like to say to my fans, my family and my sponsors that I apologize”, defended Richardson during the television program “Today” on the American channel NBC. “To all of you, I apologize for not knowing how to control my emotions during this time.”, she added.
“i am human”
The American Anti-Doping Agency has announced that it will cancel the athlete’s results as of June 19, thereby invalidating his qualification for the Olympic 100m, obtained on the same day. In a statement, Usada said he was suspended for one month from June 28, allowing him to run again from July 28. She will then be able to take part in the Olympic 4x100m relay, the heats of which begin on August 5. For this, she must be drafted by her federation and then by her national Olympic committee.
The sprinter also reacted on Twitter to the simple message “i am human”. Richardson went on to explain that he used cannabis after learning of his biological mother’s death and while she was in “a painful emotional state”. Behind this decision, it is the debate on the use of cannabis that is relaunched. “Sha’Carri doesn’t need to apologize. We need to get rid of these archaic rules for a substance that is fully legal in 19 states. And we need to legalize it federally“, reacted in particular Jamaal Bowman, an elected Democrat who sits in the House of Representatives.
I am human
— Sha’Carri Richardson (@itskerrii) July 1, 2021
In the United States, more and more athletes are advocating for cannabis
The issue of cannabis use among athletes is becoming more and more pressing. The North American Football League (NFL) has decided to no longer test professional players during the offseason. In the NBA, the basketball league, many ex-players are openly campaigning against the ban and extolling the therapeutic virtues of cannabis, particularly in opposition to the painkillers that fill the cupboards of club infirmaries and whose long use term is hazardous to health. Former NBA President David Stern, who served between 1984 and 2014, even recently voiced his support for the use of this substance for therapeutic purposes by professional athletes.
The other underlying question is whether cannabis is a doping product and therefore whether it improves the performance of athletes. The euphoric effects of marijuana but also its analgesic virtues are among the reasons which led the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to ban this substance. On the other hand, there is the medical and therapeutic aspect of the herb. Finally, not all sports are created equal. It would then be necessary to compare the potential benefits of consumption for endurance, speed or precision tests.
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