WADA to review cannabis ban

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced Tuesday, September 14, that it would reconsider the inclusion of cannabis on the list of prohibited substances, a few months after the suspension of Sha’Carri Richardson – the American sprinter star was therefore deprived of the Tokyo Olympics.

“After receiving requests from a number of stakeholders, the [comité exécutif] approved the decision of the expert advisory group to begin a scientific review of the status of cannabis in 2022 ”WADA said in a statement after a meeting in Istanbul. “Cannabis is currently banned in competition and will continue to be so in 2022”, she added.

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“Nothing is written in stone”

Mme Richardson was set to be one of the headliners of the Tokyo Olympics after several breathtaking performances in the 100 meters earlier in the season. But the 21-year-old sprinter was denied the Games due to a 30-day suspension following testing positive for marijuana at the U.S. Olympic trials in June.

His case sparked debate over adding marijuana to WADA’s banned list. Many celebrities, athletes and politicians have lambasted a rule that they consider outdated and unnecessary.

The boss of the International Athletics Federation, Sebastian Coe, has also called for a review of the status of cannabis. “It is not unreasonable today to have a review”, he estimated during the Olympics in July. “It makes sense, nothing is written in stone. We adapt and re-evaluate from time to time. “

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The World with AFP