This article by Robert Hoban was originally published on Forbes and appears here with permission.

© Provided by Benzinga

On June 8th, a commission formed between the NFL and the league’s players’ union, announced that it would award up to $1 million in grants for researchers to investigate the therapeutic potential of marijuana, CBD, and other alternatives to opioids for treating pain.

The cannabis industry has long looked to major league sports as a hallmark for revenue comparison. At the end of the day, major league sports are mainstream businesses. On average, the NFL generates $15-$18 billion annually. The cannabis industry in the United States alone has far surpassed that benchmark.

What the NFL says about cannabis matters. The NFL’s awarding of $1 million in research grants to investigate the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids echoes Amazon’s recent announcement nudging the federal government to get its act together.

For decades, federally approved marijuana research in the U.S. has only been allowed at the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) which is part of the University of Mississippi in Oxford. Historically, NIDA’s research mandate has been to reinforce why a substance like cannabis is so deleterious to human beings and society that it should be maintained as a Schedule I controlled substance, defined as having no therapeutic benefit, no medicinal benefit, and a high potential for abuse.

Despite promises of reform in cannabis research, the federal government still can only receive research proposals for controlled substances showing this large potential for abuse and addiction. This has been challenged legally by Sue Sisley, a psychiatrist and former clinical assistant professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Further, in 2017, 12-year-old Alexis Bortell, along with a few other plaintiffs including former NFL lineman, Marvin Washington, sued the federal government for keeping marijuana a Schedule 1 drug. This case was dismissed, but a federal appeals court reinstated it. Two years later, there’s been no official response from the government and the case is still pending. A cannabinoid such as cannabinol (CBD) can be derived from both legal definitions of cannabis — marijuana or industrial hemp — and is now being used in pharmaceutical drugs, like Epidiolex. Therefore, the Schedule 1 designation no longer stands.

The NFL isn't talking about advertising cannabis. This is about the medical, or at the very least, therapeutic benefits of cannabinoids, part of a growing acceptance of cannabis by major league sports organizations.

In March 2020, a collective bargaining agreement approved by NFL team owners removed the possibility of players being suspended from games over positive tests for any substance — not just marijuana. In 2019, the MLB removed cannabis from the league’s list of banned substances. Last year, the NBA introduced a temporary policy against randomly drug testing players for marijuana amid the pandemic; it will likely become permanent. In January of 2021, the UFC announced that it would no longer punish athletes who test positive for marijuana. Over the last few years, the NHL has taken a progressive stance toward cannabis, and in 2019 the NHL alumni association signed an agreement with a Canadian cannabis company to determine whether it can help ex-players quit opioids.

Think about the heightened awareness surrounding traumatic brain injury and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in current and retired athletes. In 2017, the medical journal JAMA published a study that found CTE was present in 99% of deceased NFL players’ brains that were donated to scientific research. The NFL’s financial support for cannabinoid research comes as a result of evaluating a potentially beneficial therapy to help its players.

Beyond traumatic injuries, there’s also the potential for muscle recovery and relief from inflammation. Former badass Philadelphia Flyer, Riley Cote, a guy you would not want to be facing because he’ll stick his elbow in your throat over and over again, has publicly discussed using cannabis for pain relief, nutritional support, and day-to-day development.

Despite cannabis still being treated as a Schedule 1 substance, it is well documented that there are novel anti-inflammatory qualities of cannabinoids.

Ultimately, the NFL is a business. The league is now putting pressure on the federal government, not unlike Amazon, which just threw public support for the MORE Act to advance marijuana legalization in the United States. At a minimum, we have to be able to research this plant to scientifically determine whether it is beneficial to human beings. This is particularly true for athletes so kudos to the NFL for lifting this torch and doing right by the players.

The therapeutic potential of cannabis has also been advocated by Athletes for CARE, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2017, led by former players finding support, opportunity, and purpose in life by using their influence for social change. The organization aims to improve health and wellness options worldwide for current and former athletes living with mental and physical illnesses, including chronic pain, depression, anxiety, PTSD, CTE, TBI, substance abuse, and opioid dependency.

Executive Director of Athletes for CARE, Anna Valent, comments, “We are excited that the NFL is putting a small amount of funding into research on the therapeutic use of cannabis and cannabinoids, like CBD. We hope this is a beginning and means a shift in attitude towards cannabis as a treatment option for many conditions. Hopefully, this small investment will give them the confidence to integrate cannabis into their other research initiatives as well, such as the hundreds of millions of dollars they have invested in head trauma research. There is evidence that cannabinoids can protect against brain injuries and help in the healing process and it should be considered for these studies as well. At the end of the day, it’s not only an ethical issue to protect the long term health of their athletes, but it is also good business.”

The path to legalization is paved by clinical research. Anecdotally, we’ve heard millions of personal stories about how the cannabis plant has improved quality of life. From Charlotte Figi to Dr. Mechoulam’s research at the school of Medicinal Chemistry at Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel, we know there’s a symbiotic relationship between cannabinoids and the human body. We know and have documented the novelty of the human endocannabinoid system. The federal government has dragged its feet, continuing to claim that the plant has no therapeutic value when we know unequivocally that it does. We’re seeing once again mainstream business take a step of action in the absence of sensible policy from the federal government — this can create a turning point. We need the influence of organizations like the NFL to push the cannabis conversation forward. It’s not just about legalization, but putting an end to decades of failed drug policy. With momentum from the NFL and Amazon, this may finally mark the new frontier of American cannabis — because we’ve all waited long enough.

Más contenido sobre cannabis en Español en El Planteo.

© 2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Have the major sports leagues reduced penalties for pot? Photo credit: CannaMD.

According to ESPN, “82% of NBA, NFL, NHL, and MBA teams play in a city where marijuana is either recreationally or medically legal.” 

Furthermore, a majority of Americans live in a state that has legalized adult or medical cannabis use, confirms Politifact. And nine-in-10 believe it should be federally legal. 

The “therapeutic use of cannabis by athletes has become increasingly more common,” explains Natural Products Insider. As a result of its growing acceptance, sports institutions are loosening their policies toward cannabis use — particularly the “big four.”

The big four include the National Hockey League (NHL), National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), and the National Basketball League (NBA).

More recently, the leagues have been lifting restrictions on cannabis or lessening the punishments that go along with using cannabinoids. Each league presents varying policies, but all are less strict than they used to be. Here’s where the “big four” stands on cannabis. 

ESPN acknowledges that “of the 31 teams in the NHL, 28 play in states where players have access to legal marijuana, whether it is for medicinal or recreational purposes.” 

More than 90% of NHL teams are located in states where cannabis is legal, according to Harris Bricken law firm. 

NHL officials do tests for cannabis. However, it is not on the banned substance list, Harris Bricken adds. Additionally, there is no punishment for a positive test. AXIOS mentions that if a player has extremely high levels of THC in their system, the situation is treated for health care reasons.  

Accordingly, the league believes it doesn’t make sense to prohibit the use cannabis because the majority of the states have already legalized it. 

The MLB lifted its restrictions on cannabis more recently. In December of 2019, officials removed the natural derivatives of cannabis from its banned substance list. Similar to the NHL, which also lifted their restrictions in 2019; the MLB only treats positive drug tests with abnormally high THC levels as they would alcohol addiction.  

Cannabis Now states that this process includes “mandatory evaluation, voluntary treatment and potential discipline depending on conduct.”  

Additionally, AXIOS notes that players are not to show up high to ball games because they can still face discipline for using or possessing the drug during events. 

As of 2020, CBS Sports reports, “the NFL provides the harshest punishment of any major American sport when a player tests positive for marijuana, up to and including indefinite suspension.” 

In 2020, the NFL reduced the testing window for THC from four months to just two weeks prior to competition. But, in 2021, officials lowered that to two weeks. They also removed suspension for positive THC tests under a Collective Bargaining Agreement. Additionally, the agreement also raises the threshold for positive tests from 35 to 150 nanograms, Ganjapreneur adds. 

AXIOS states that “the new policy would “increase emphasis on clinical care over punishment.”  

Furthermore, the NFL announced that it has also committed to researching cannabis, and it’s effective on conditions such as pain, 

Anna Valent, the executive director of the nonprofit organization, Athletes for CARE, tells Forbes, “we are excited that the NFL is putting a small amount of funding into research on the therapeutic use of cannabis and cannabinoids, like CBD. We hope this is a beginning and means a shift in attitude towards cannabis as a treatment option for many conditions.”

Cannabis is on the list of banned substances in the NBA. Officials require players to submit to four random drug tests per year, according to Harris Bricken. 

According to Cannabis Now, if a first-time player tests positive, they must enter a drug program. The second positive test will be a $25,000 fine, followed by a five-game suspension for the third, and a 10-game suspension for the fourth. 

More recently, however, NBA officials stopped testing for cannabis. Cannabis Now states that “while cannabis consumption is still banned by the [NBA], cannabis drug testing for the current 2020-2021 season has been ceased due to citing the unusual circumstances of the pandemic.” 

The future of cannabis in sports is not completely definite. However, past laws against the substance have slowly, but surely started to change. 

Professional sports leagues may also look to “monetize” through partnerships with industry players, explains Foley and Lardner Law Firm. The firm further explains that forming alliances between cannabis brands and professional athletes “can help offset financial losses brought on by COVID-19.” 

In the meantime, the law firm states, these recent changes from the Big Four “may foreshadow a coming together of the sports and cannabis industries, manifested in the form of cross-sectional partnerships and endorsement deals — a far cry from the days of CBA drug policy prohibitions on marijuana use.”

Filed Under: Drug testingTagged With: Big Four Sports, Cannabis Policies, MLB, nba, NFL, NHL

Yahoo Sports

Sha’Carri Richardson, the 21-year-old sprinter expected to star at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, has been suspended and barred from running her signature race in Tokyo after testing positive for marijuana.

The drug has been decriminalized in most U.S. states, including in Oregon, where Richardson's positive test occurred. Many athletes use it for reasons both medicinal and recreational. The NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL no longer suspend players for it.

And yet, “all natural and synthetic cannabinoids,” including marijuana, remain prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency, or WADA, the International Olympic Committee-affiliated body that regulates drug use in global sport.

What are the Olympic anti-doping rules on marijuana?

WADA deems THC, the primary psychoactive compound of marijuana, a “substance of abuse” on its 2021 prohibited list. All cannabis-based products except for cannabidiol, or CBD, are banned “in-competition.” That means that if THC is found in an athlete’s system on the day of an event, that athlete is subject to punishment.

Because Richardson's failed test occurred after she won the women's 100-meter dash at the U.S. Olympic Trials, it nullifies her first-place finish and disqualifies her from the event in Tokyo. USADA announced Friday that Richardson had accepted a one-month suspension that began June 28 and expires July 28, before track and field events begin in Tokyo. USA Track and Field could, therefore, select her for a relay team, but its rules require it to enter the top three finishers at trials in the 100. And Richardson is no longer one of them.

“The rules are clear," U.S. Anti-Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart said, "but this is heartbreaking on many levels."

Richardson's one-month suspension is the minimum punishment for a positive marijuana test. The maximum is a years-long suspension, but WADA guidance allows for reduced bans “if the athlete can establish that any ingestion or use occurred out-of-competition and was unrelated to sport performance."

USADA said Friday that Richardson's suspension was reduced "because her use of cannabis occurred out of competition and was unrelated to sport performance, and because she successfully completed a counseling program regarding her use of cannabis."

Why is marijuana on the prohibited list?

Discussion over marijuana's inclusion on WADA's list of banned substances dates back two decades.

“People were worried about sport appearing to thumb its nose at criminal law," Dick Pound, the founder and first president of WADA, told Yahoo Sports on Friday.

So WADA lumped marijuana in with hard drugs like cocaine and heroin. And, said Pound, “it just sort of stayed there."

For a substance to make WADA’s prohibited list, it must satisfy at least two of the following three criteria, WADA says:

It represents an actual or potential health risk to the athlete;

It has the potential to enhance or enhances sport performance;

It violates the spirit of sport

A WADA spokeswoman, when asked, did not clarify which criteria are responsible for marijuana’s inclusion. A USADA “Marijuana FAQ” cites a 2011 paper co-authored by two WADA scientists, who claim that:

1. “Athletes who smoke cannabis or Spice in-competition potentially endanger themselves and others because of increased risk taking, slower reaction times and poor executive function or decision making.”

2. “Based on current animal and human studies as well as on interviews with athletes and information from the field, cannabis can be performance enhancing for some athletes and sports disciplines.”

3. “Use of illicit drugs that are harmful to health and that may have performance-enhancing properties is not consistent with the athlete as a role model for young people around the world.”

Scientific and societal perceptions of marijuana have evolved since 2011, however. Many Americans would consider the third bullet point an outdated view. And many scientists would push back on the stance that marijuana both “poses a health risk to athletes” and “has the potential to enhance performance.”

A 2018 paper co-authored by Alan Vernec, WADA’s medical director, concluded that "there is no evidence for cannabis use as a performance-enhancing drug."

Oliver Catlin, the son of anti-doping pioneer Don Catlin and co-founder of the Banned Substances Control Group, told Yahoo Sports: “I am not aware of any potential for marijuana to be performance enhancing or to be used as a masking agent.”

Dennis Jensen, an associate professor of kinesiology and physical education at McGill University, told Yahoo Sports the limited evidence that exists suggests that, if anything, marijuana decreases athletic performance. While cautioning that further research is needed regarding the health risks of marijuana, Jensen said that what supports its inclusion on WADA's banned list is the potential cardiovascular harm to athletes who take it.

Based on its criteria, WADA's stance on marijuana might come down to whether its use violates the "spirit of sport." And that is highly subjective. A WADA spokesman admitted in 2019 that the prohibited list "evolves based on new scientific evidence, as well as, to a lesser degree, changes of use and cultural elements."

Catlin said: “Perhaps it is the stigma associated with marijuana, which remains illegal in many countries, that continues to have it be considered against the spirit of sport in the Olympic environment, which must have an international focus.

“As for sport in general,” Catlin later continued, though, “the attitudes are beginning to shift.”

Is marijuana still banned in U.S. sports leagues?

In recent years, as state after state passed laws decriminalizing or legalizing marijuana in some form, major U.S. sports leagues followed suit. The NFL no longer suspends players for weed. It no longer tests them throughout the offseason. Positive tests, in a limited window during the first two weeks of training camp, are treated on a case-by-case basis.

"Certainly, we see that society is changing its views,” NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said last year after the ratification of a new CBA, which included the revamped marijuana policy. “But views only change because key facts become more and more obvious to the people who make policy.”

The NHL’s policy is similar. MLB, in 2019, removed cannabis from its “drugs of abuse” list. The NBA has not permanently altered its policy, which stipulates fines and then suspensions for repeat offenders. But Adam Silver admitted to Yahoo Sports in 2019 that, when it came to weed, “maybe we're behind the times in our program.”

Then, last summer, the NBA temporarily ceased random marijuana testing when it resumed its 2019-20 season in Orlando. It has not resumed the program since. In announcing the continued suspension of it last December, NBA spokesman Mike Bass said that the league had agreed with its players’ association to “focus our random testing program on performance-enhancing products and drugs of abuse.”

How has WADA’s policy evolved?

While the marijuana policy for Olympic sports is far more stringent than the NBA’s or the NFL’s, WADA has relaxed its rules over the past decade.

In 2013, WADA sought to strike a compromise that would satisfy those who argued cannabis should be removed from its list of banned substances and those who contended that it should remain prohibited. The international anti-doping organization increased the threshold for a positive test tenfold, decreasing the chances of a recreational or occasional user getting detected and facing punishment.

WADA also removed CBD from its list of banned substances in 2018, though for athletes, using CBD products is still a substantial risk. Because it’s nearly impossible to extract only CBD oil from the cannabis plant, USADA warns athletes they should assume that CBD products also contain prohibited substances.

The more lenient rules have decreased the number of positive tests, but Richardson is far from alone in running afoul of WADA’s marijuana rules. Americans who served cannabis-related suspensions in the past three years include weightlifters and triathletes, MMA fighters and skateboarders, freestyle skiers and pole vaulters.

Richardson isn’t even the only American sprinter whose 2021 season was interrupted by a positive marijuana test. Kahmari Montgomery, who specializes in the 400 meters, accepted a one-month suspension early last month.

Athletes have pushed WADA to change

In May 2019, a nonprofit representing athletes from 28 sports released an open letter calling on WADA to remove marijuana from its list of banned substances. Mike Tyson, Ricky Williams, Jake Plummer and Floyd Landis are among the members of Athletes For Care, which advocates for research into the therapeutic potential of cannabis.

“We have found an improved quality of life through cannabis and natural cannabinoids, including significant pain relief, therapeutic, and wellness benefits,” the letter reads. It then goes on to say that WADA “owes it to athletes to allow full access to this gentle but effective plant medicine.”

The outcry from athletes since then has only grown louder as more states have decriminalized marijuana. Two years ago, golfer Robert Garrigus lashed out at the PGA Tour over its marijuana policy after serving a three-month suspension because of a failed drug test.

“The fact that it is socially unacceptable for cannabis and CBD right now blows my mind,” Garrigus told Golfweek. "It’s OK to take Oxycontin and black out and run into a bunch of people, but you can’t take CBD and THC without someone looking at you funny. It makes no sense.”

‘A drug that seems to be more about image management’

Why does marijuana remain on WADA’s prohibited substance list if it doesn’t appear to enhance performance beyond limiting pain and reducing anxiety? Pound, the WADA founder, and Catlin, the American anti-doping expert, argue that it shouldn’t be.

Catlin estimates the cash-strapped anti-doping industry squanders $1.3 million per year on marijuana-related cases.

“I would rather see that money spent on pursuing doping agents that can impact performance than on a drug that seems to be more about image management,” Catlin said.

The circumstances of Richardson’s case make her potential punishment especially harsh. The confident, charismatic sprinter had been hailed as a medal favorite in Tokyo and a potential breakout star. Her showdown with Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in the 100 meters final would be track and field’s most anticipated race of the Olympics.

Now that matchup is in doubt, an outcome that’s bad not only for Richardson but also for the sport.

Were Pound still active in WADA, he says he would push to remove marijuana from the banned list over the next five-to-10 years.

Said Pound: “We're in the business of preventing performance enhancement in sport, not getting involved in what may be medical conditions that really don't have anything to do with sport.”

Sha’Carri Richardson, the 21-year-old sprinter expected to star at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, has been suspended and barred from running her signature race in Tokyo after testing positive for marijuana.

The drug has been decriminalized in most U.S. states, including in Oregon, where Richardson's positive test occurred. Many athletes use it for reasons both medicinal and recreational. The NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL no longer suspend players for it.

And yet, “all natural and synthetic cannabinoids,” including marijuana, remain prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency, or WADA, the International Olympic Committee-affiliated body that regulates drug use in global sport.

What are the Olympic anti-doping rules on marijuana?

WADA deems THC, the primary psychoactive compound of marijuana, a “substance of abuse” on its 2021 prohibited list. All cannabis-based products except for cannabidiol, or CBD, are banned “in-competition.” That means that if THC is found in an athlete’s system on the day of an event, that athlete is subject to punishment.

Because Richardson's failed test occurred after she won the women's 100-meter dash at the U.S. Olympic Trials, it nullifies her first-place finish and disqualifies her from the event in Tokyo. USADA announced Friday that Richardson had accepted a one-month suspension that began June 28 and expires July 28, before track and field events begin in Tokyo. USA Track and Field could, therefore, select her for a relay team, but its rules require it to enter the top three finishers at trials in the 100. And Richardson is no longer one of them.

“The rules are clear," U.S. Anti-Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart said, "but this is heartbreaking on many levels."

Richardson's one-month suspension is the minimum punishment for a positive marijuana test. The maximum is a years-long suspension, but WADA guidance allows for reduced bans “if the athlete can establish that any ingestion or use occurred out-of-competition and was unrelated to sport performance."

USADA said Friday that Richardson's suspension was reduced "because her use of cannabis occurred out of competition and was unrelated to sport performance, and because she successfully completed a counseling program regarding her use of cannabis."

Why is marijuana on the prohibited list?

Discussion over marijuana's inclusion on WADA's list of banned substances dates back two decades.

“People were worried about sport appearing to thumb its nose at criminal law," Dick Pound, the founder and first president of WADA, told Yahoo Sports on Friday.

So WADA lumped marijuana in with hard drugs like cocaine and heroin. And, said Pound, “it just sort of stayed there."

For a substance to make WADA’s prohibited list, it must satisfy at least two of the following three criteria,WADA says:

It represents an actual or potential health risk to the athlete;

It has the potential to enhance or enhances sport performance;

It violates the spirit of sport

A WADA spokeswoman, when asked, did not clarify which criteria are responsible for marijuana’s inclusion. A USADA “Marijuana FAQ” cites a 2011 paper co-authored by two WADA scientists, who claim that:

1. “Athletes who smoke cannabis or Spice in-competition potentially endanger themselves and others because of increased risk taking, slower reaction times and poor executive function or decision making.”

2. “Based on current animal and human studies as well as on interviews with athletes and information from the field, cannabis can be performance enhancing for some athletes and sports disciplines.”

3. “Use of illicit drugs that are harmful to health and that may have performance-enhancing properties is not consistent with the athlete as a role model for young people around the world.”

Scientific and societal perceptions of marijuana have evolved since 2011, however. Many Americans would consider the third bullet point an outdated view. And many scientists would push back on the stance that marijuana both “poses a health risk to athletes” and “has the potential to enhance performance.”

A 2018 paper co-authored by Alan Vernec, WADA’s medical director, concluded that "there is no evidence for cannabis use as a performance-enhancing drug."

Oliver Catlin, the son of anti-doping pioneer Don Catlin and co-founder of the Banned Substances Control Group, told Yahoo Sports: “I am not aware of any potential for marijuana to be performance enhancing or to be used as a masking agent.”

Dennis Jensen, an associate professor of kinesiology and physical education at McGill University, told Yahoo Sports the limited evidence that exists suggests that, if anything, marijuana decreases athletic performance. While cautioning that further research is needed regarding the health risks of marijuana, Jensen said that what supports its inclusion on WADA's banned list is the potential cardiovascular harm to athletes who take it.

Based on its criteria, WADA's stance on marijuana might come down to whether its use violates the "spirit of sport." And that is highly subjective. A WADA spokesman admitted in 2019 that the prohibited list "evolves based on new scientific evidence, as well as, to a lesser degree, changes of use and cultural elements."

Catlin said: “Perhaps it is the stigma associated with marijuana, which remains illegal in many countries, that continues to have it be considered against the spirit of sport in the Olympic environment, which must have an international focus.

“As for sport in general,” Catlin later continued, though, “the attitudes are beginning to shift.”

Is marijuana still banned in U.S. sports leagues?

In recent years, as state after state passed laws decriminalizing or legalizing marijuana in some form, major U.S. sports leagues followed suit. The NFL no longer suspends players for weed. It no longer tests them throughout the offseason. Positive tests, in a limited window during the first two weeks of training camp, are treated on a case-by-case basis.

"Certainly, we see that society is changing its views,” NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said last year after the ratification of a new CBA, which included the revamped marijuana policy. “But views only change because key facts become more and more obvious to the people who make policy.”

The NHL’s policy is similar. MLB, in 2019, removed cannabis from its “drugs of abuse” list. The NBA has not permanently altered its policy, which stipulates fines and then suspensions for repeat offenders. But Adam Silver admitted to Yahoo Sports in 2019 that, when it came to weed, “maybe we're behind the times in our program.”

Then, last summer, the NBA temporarily ceased random marijuana testing when it resumed its 2019-20 season in Orlando. It has not resumed the program since. In announcing the continued suspension of it last December, NBA spokesman Mike Bass said that the league had agreed with its players’ association to “focus our random testing program on performance-enhancing products and drugs of abuse.”

How has WADA’s policy evolved?

While the marijuana policy for Olympic sports is far more stringent than the NBA’s or the NFL’s, WADA has relaxed its rules over the past decade.

In 2013, WADA sought to strike a compromise that would satisfy those who argued cannabis should be removed from its list of banned substances and those who contended that it should remain prohibited. The international anti-doping organization increased the threshold for a positive test tenfold, decreasing the chances of a recreational or occasional user getting detected and facing punishment.

WADA also removed CBD from its list of banned substances in 2018, though for athletes, using CBD products is still a substantial risk. Because it’s nearly impossible to extract only CBD oil from the cannabis plant, USADA warns athletes they should assume that CBD products also contain prohibited substances.

The more lenient rules have decreased the number of positive tests, but Richardson is far from alone in running afoul of WADA’s marijuana rules. Americans who served cannabis-related suspensions in the past three years include weightlifters and triathletes, MMA fighters and skateboarders, freestyle skiers and pole vaulters.

Richardson isn’t even the only American sprinter whose 2021 season was interrupted by a positive marijuana test. Kahmari Montgomery, who specializes in the 400 meters, accepted a one-month suspension early last month.

Athletes have pushed WADA to change

In May 2019, a nonprofit representing athletes from 28 sports released an open letter calling on WADA to remove marijuana from its list of banned substances. Mike Tyson, Ricky Williams, Jake Plummer and Floyd Landis are among the members of Athletes For Care, which advocates for research into the therapeutic potential of cannabis.

“We have found an improved quality of life through cannabis and natural cannabinoids, including significant pain relief, therapeutic, and wellness benefits,” the letter reads. It then goes on to say that WADA “owes it to athletes to allow full access to this gentle but effective plant medicine.”

The outcry from athletes since then has only grown louder as more states have decriminalized marijuana. Two years ago, golfer Robert Garrigus lashed out at the PGA Tour over its marijuana policy after serving a three-month suspension because of a failed drug test.

“The fact that it is socially unacceptable for cannabis and CBD right now blows my mind,” Garrigus told Golfweek. "It’s OK to take Oxycontin and black out and run into a bunch of people, but you can’t take CBD and THC without someone looking at you funny. It makes no sense.”

‘A drug that seems to be more about image management’

Why does marijuana remain on WADA’s prohibited substance list if it doesn’t appear to enhance performance beyond limiting pain and reducing anxiety? Pound, the WADA founder, and Catlin, the American anti-doping expert, argue that it shouldn’t be.

Catlin estimates the cash-strapped anti-doping industry squanders $1.3 million per year on marijuana-related cases.

“I would rather see that money spent on pursuing doping agents that can impact performance than on a drug that seems to be more about image management,” Catlin said.

The circumstances of Richardson’s case make her potential punishment especially harsh. The confident, charismatic sprinter had been hailed as a medal favorite in Tokyo and a potential breakout star. Her showdown with Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in the 100 meters final would be track and field’s most anticipated race of the Olympics.

Now that matchup is in doubt, an outcome that’s bad not only for Richardson but also for the sport.

Were Pound still active in WADA, he says he would push to remove marijuana from the banned list over the next five-to-10 years.

Said Pound: “We're in the business of preventing performance enhancement in sport, not getting involved in what may be medical conditions that really don't have anything to do with sport.”

What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the word “CBD?” If you’re judging bythe majority ofads, articles, and even product labels out there in the CBD universe, it’s probably “relaxation,” or maybe “stress relief.” And for good reason – millionsof customers are using products like Wana Wellness Fast-Acting “Relax” Tinctureto enhance their calm every day. But did you know that CBDcan also be a crucial tool for those pursuing a more active lifestyle?

So how can you integrate CBD into your workout routine? And what are the benefits of doing so? Our partners at Athletes for CARE – a non-profit organization advocating to improve global standards of health, safety and quality of life for athletes of all ages – recently asked us just that.

Enhancing Your Comfort

While CBD is not a replacement for prescribed medical treatment, some athletes believe hemp products can help ease the stress put on their bodies during and after intense exercise. Competitive mountain runner and weightlifter (and Wana sponsored athlete) Flavie Dokken has been using CBD to help her train since 2013, after she was discharged from the Army with a painful stress fracture.

“I was looking for ways to not use any opioids that were recommended,” says Dokken. “So I take it after long strenuous workouts. I think it’s really made a difference with my joints over time.”

Dokken’s experience is, of course, anecdotal –and because the FDA does permit dietary hemp products to be used as medical treatments, her words should not be taken as medical advice. But if you find that aches and pains are an impediment to working out, it may be worth talking to your physician about making CBD a part of your fitness regimen.

Work Hard, Rest Hard

Whether or not you find yourself grappling with stiffness or discomfort when exercising, it’s crucial to give your body a chance to recuperate after a particularly taxing workout. That’s where CBD’s well-known relaxing properties really come into play.

Flavie Dokken, who typically trains for an extreme 15-25 hours per week, considers CBD an essential part of her rest and recovery routine.“I take it diligently every day,” she says. “Once immediately after a long training session, and then another 20 mg prior to sleep. A deeper sleep is key to recovery, so it really goes hand in hand.”

Think of CBD, then, as an important part of the circle of life (or at least fitness). You have to be able to wind yourself down before you can pump yourself back up!

Finding Your Rhythm

So let’s say you’ve decided to make CBD a part of your workout routine. What’s the right product, amount, or schedule for you? As with any wellness product, it depends on the individual. Weight, age, and metabolism can all impact how (and how much) CBD will affect you.

“Consistency is key,” says Dokken. For example: “If you start taking it first thing in the morning then just keep that routine for awhile”–we recommend at least a week–“so that you can see if it works. Because I see the benefits, I keep the same routine.”

For that reason, it may be worth seeking out a product like Wana Wellness Hemp Gummies, which are made to be taken every day (and which taste good enough to make that daily serving feel more like a daily treat).But if you don’t want to wait to feel effects, you could always reach for a Fast-Acting Tincture – which, Dokken points out, which can also be blended into your morning smoothie.

The Big Picture

Above all else, it’s important to remember that CBD is just one piece of a holistic approach to wellness. For Dokken, it’s one of several ways to fuel the body before or after a grueling workout: “You’re eating healthy food to recover afterwards, you’re hydrating… incorporate [CBD] as just another tool.”

We may not all have the kind of rigorous training program athletes like Dokken practice, but one thing’s for certain. But whatever workout routine fits into your life, a little hemp-derived help may just go a long way.

There is no question that being involved in athletics can take a toll on the body. Over time, athletes may need to find forms of relief, whether it is from pain, inflammation, stress or anything else. If you are a professional athlete or active person seeking relief, you may have heard about the potential therapeutic benefits of cannabidiol or CBD. As a cannabinoid, CBD is derived from the cannabis plant. It is used to create pills, oils, tinctures and lotions. While more research needs to be done on the benefits of CBD for athletes, CBD does show its usefulness as an anti-seizure and neuroprotective agent, with the latter linked to anti-inflammatory capability.

How Can CBD Help Athletes?

Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) the cannabinoid most commonly associated with marijuana, CBD does not cause psychoactive effects. CBD can come in different forms from broad-spectrum to isolate, with different variations containing other rare cannabinoids. Research shows people can well tolerate CBD with few side effects.

Professional athletes around the world are turning to CBD. They may take CBD to alleviate muscle soreness after a difficult workout or a long competition. In other cases, athletes use CBD for pain relief following...

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PAIN WILL forever be a part of collision sport. We accept this. But at some point, in another part of the world, some ask about the cost.

“We’ve done a lot of work and engaged with our former athletes and you almost have a direct correlation between (long-term) painkiller usage and things like depression and issues with mental health,” says George Atallah, of the NFL Players Association. “There’s no doubt about that. And I think once we found a direct correlation between those things, that’s what triggered us to look at ways to prevent.

“You can clearly load up on a bunch of painkillers and play, or you might have to take them to get out of bed after you’ve had a collision. But what is the impact on your long-term mental health (if you do this repeatedly)?

“It is still a concern; it’s not fixed yet.”

The above is about American Football, not rugby, and looks more at long-term opioid use well beyond acute injury – in this part of the world we may be more familiar with opioids like codeine or tramadol which are not recommended for long-term, chronic pain management.

But there are a few reasons why we start there....

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Throughout my youth, competitive swimming and soccer careers, I experienced a few concussions but recovered from them quickly. When I hit my head on a countertop at home as an adult, however, I had a very different experience.

I didn’t realize at the time that cognitive exertion could be just as problematic as physical activity in the aftermath of a concussion. Trying to go back to work at my fast-paced, high-stress job as a television news producer landed me in the hospital. I was suffering from post-concussion syndrome (PCS), with symptoms that included headache, nausea, fatigue, speech difficulties, exercise intolerance, anxiety, extreme light sensitivity, and double and blurred vision.

I was never able to return to my television producer job, but I found an even better career in my current role with the Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF), whose mission is, in part, to support athletes, veterans and all those affected by concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

One of my roles at CLF is to host the PCS Recovery Corner on Instagram TV (IGTV). An upcoming episode will feature Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association (NORA) Board member Tanya Polec, OD, FCOVD, FNORA. The episodes are short (about 15 minutes) and can be played as audio-only for patients who have difficulty with visual...

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A recent study from the Henry Ford Sports Medicine Research team suggests that high school athletes competing, not only in football, but in soccer, hockey, basketball, swimming, cheerleading and other sports are not only at risk for concussions, but may need a longer recovery than first thought.


The study's results published by Orthopedics, a nationally recognized, peer-reviewed journal for orthopedic surgeons found that the most common sports for brain injuries were indeed football, hockey and soccer.

"We thought that concussion issues would be very short-lived," said Vasilios (Bill) Moutzouros, M.D., chief of Sports Medicine at Henry Ford and a study co-author, "That they wouldn't have as many attention issues, that they'd be able to recover for their sport much more quickly. Our study found just the opposite."

"The two sports, other than football, where concussions are common are soccer and hockey, although brain injuries can happen in any sport," said Meaghan Rourke, one of more than 30 Henry Ford athletic trainers who support sports programs at over 20 high schools, colleges and universities and professional teams in the tri-county area.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's latest executive order allows the high school football season to begin September 18. Football was reinstated by the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) after initially being postponed until...

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MINNEAPOLIS - A new study of NCAA football players has found that the age they first started playing tackle football may not affect their recovery after a concussion. The study is published in the September 9, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Evidence from previous research on the effect of early exposure to tackle football and long-term brain health has been mixed, with some studies showing worse performance on neuropsychological tests or changes in the brain, while other studies show no effect of playing football at a younger age.

"Because football is a very physical game, and concussions can occur, it has been hypothesized that playing at an early age may interfere with neurodevelopmental growth and increase a person's vulnerability to neurological problems later in life," said study author Thomas A. Buckley, Ed.D. A.T.C., of the University of Delaware in Newark, Del., and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. "Our study in NCAA football players, some who started playing tackle football as early as age 5, found no link between playing football earlier in life and worse recovery from concussion."

The study involved 621 NCAA football...

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Canadian student-athletes will no longer be ousted from their teams due to marijuana usage as cannabis won’t be included into standard anti-doping tests. This comes just two years after marijuana became legal in Canada — both for recreational and medical use.

Nevertheless, it’s worth keeping in mind that these students must be involved with student athletics related to U Sports or the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) only. It is specifically these two associations that will cease marijuana testing.

If the student-athletes are also included in their sport of choice’s national athletes’ pool, they will still be tested according to the regulations of the World Anti-Doping Agency. Meaning, student athletes competing on a national and international level will still be tested for marijuana, whereas those students who only play at the U Sports or CCAA level will not have to worry about testing positive for THC — the mind-altering substance found in the plant.

THC is still considered a drug by the World Anti-Doping Agency and similar

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A team physician consensus statement released by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and five other professional sports medicine organizations advises doctors to avoid prescribing opioids when treating athletes between the ages of 10 and 18.

The experts say that nonpharmacologic options should be used for treatment first.

“Adolescents are often initially exposed to opioids through prescriptions to treat pain” said Stanley A. Herring, M.D., FACSM, the facilitator of the team physician project-based alliance and a clinical professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine and Neurological Surgery at the University of Washington in Seattle.

“This paper gives health care providers, including team physicians, pediatricians and athletic trainers, a roadmap to navigate the diagnosis and treatment of chronic and acute pain in adolescent athletes.”

The statement, “Select Issues in Pain Management for the Youth and Adolescent Athlete,”...

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INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Athletes at all levels and ages commonly experience pain during practice and in competition. Identifying and appropriately managing acute and chronic pain is fundamental for short- and long-term health. This is especially true for adolescent athletes in whom inadequate or inappropriate pain management can lead to a lifetime of consequences including an increased risk of opioid misuse. A team physician consensus statement just released by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and five other professional sports medicine organizations shares guidelines to identify and manage pain in athletes ages 10 to 18. It urges team physicians and pediatricians to use nonpharmacologic treatments before prescribing opioids.

"Adolescents are often initially exposed to opioids through prescriptions...

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