The folks at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave Washington DC are seeking a meeting with the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) following the suspension of sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson. Richardson won the U.S. Trials 100m and was a favorite to win gold at the Tokyo Olympics beginning later this month.
That all changed when she received a positive test back for cannabis, she owned it immediately and said she used marijuana to cope with the stress of losing her mom prior to the Olympic Trials.
But her 30-day suspension keeps her from running in Japan and pretty much kills the chance of an American woman winning the glamour race in track and field for the first time since Gail Devers at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Here in the states, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency leaders are looking to further mitigate “harsh consequences” for marijuana if it’s not intentionally used for performance-enhancing purposes. Though they cannot unilaterally change the rules, they wrote in a letter to members of Congress critical of the agency in the wake of Sha’Carri’s suspension.
With support pouring in all over the world and prominent people denouncing her suspension as an attack on Black women, @itskerrii has gained a legion of supporters without even running in the Olympics
🙏🏿🏃🏾♀️🏃🏾♀️ pic.twitter.com/KOWAdzdxyx
— The Shadow League (@ShadowLeague) July 4, 2021
Several lawmakers addressed their concerns in a series of letters after the sprinter’s suspension was announced. Upon receiving the 30-day ban it essentially nullified her Olympic Trials win, which cost her a spot in the individual race.
Then to put icing on the proverbial cake, she was completely left off the USA Track and Field Olympic roster, meaning she can’t run in the 4X100 relay, which takes place once her 30-day ban is complete.
We won’t be seeing @itskerrii in the Olympics as she wasn’t chosen for relay team and that stinks https://t.co/2LgdeH3AI7
— The Shadow League (@ShadowLeague) July 6, 2021
Other sports such as UFC, do not penalize marijuana if it’s not meant to enhance performance. I mean we’ve all smoked it at some point in our lives and all it’s ever done for me is mellow me out, definitely didn’t speed me up or make me stronger.
But again the UFC under Dana White is different, although the USADA oversees its anti-doping program, that league is not signed onto the international anti-doping code, the way USADA, the U.S Olympic and Paralympic Committee and all organizations that oversee Olympic athletes are.
The reluctance of the WADA to remove marijuana from the prohibited list for public health reasons has caused the White House to get involved and request a meeting with the agency. The hope is to get them to lessen the stronghold as it pertains to the use of the drug — which again — helps with relaxation and healing.
It’s currently legal in 19 states and 25 countries around the globe. But trying to convince a group so set in its ways and still controlling things through systemic racism, to evolve with the times seems a bit far-fetched.
I guess one can hope for the change because without hope what else do you really have?
