The discussion is not new, but this summer a prominent case brought the topic back onto the agenda. Sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson had qualified for the Olympic Games as the fastest athlete in the US trials. A short time later, it became known that traces of THC had been found in her doping sample. She confessed to having smoked a joint after learning that her biological mother had died. The Olympic Games were also dead for her. After all, her ban only lasted 30 days - an indication that even WADA officials do not consider THC use to be a serious violation of the doping guidelines.

Now it has never been clear how weed or hashish are supposed to improve athletic performance; after all, they tend to make you sluggish and inattentive. On its website, the Cologne Sports University argues that the sedative effect could possibly make people "more willing to take risks in competition" and cites downhill cycling as an example where this could lead to a better result.

Pinkbike had already dug up the story of downhiller Gary Houseman in 2019, who was stripped of a World Cup victory in 2003 because THC residues were found in his sample. He had also smoked something long before the competition to relieve mental stress. Ride briefly reported on the incident at the time (link below).

The days of sweet smoke coming out of riders' accommodation at downhill races are long gone. Should THC actually be removed from the list of banned substances, this would hardly change anything for the sport and the athletes. At the same time, it would possibly relax individuals to know that they do not risk a ban if they allow themselves a little cannabis during a quiet moment.

WADA explained that it had been asked by various stakeholders to reconsider the guidelines on THC. Nothing has been decided yet. It is possible that it will once again come to the conclusion that weed or hashish could be beneficial to an athlete under certain circumstances. In any case, the argument that it is still illegal is becoming less and less valid, as more and more states and US federal states are approving the green stuff.