Suspension of American sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson puts the spotlight on why Olympics are tougher on marijuana than other sports

Sha'Carri Richardson, who secured Olympic trials in the 100m dash last month, might miss the Tokyo games after testing positive for marijuana, becoming the second US star athlete to stand disqualification over the drug this year.

The 21-year-old athlete won the women's 100-meter sprint at the US track and field trials in Oregon last month, however her positive test nullifies her score, putting her position in international competition in jeopardy.

She has claimed that she used the substance to cope with the loss of her mother, when she learnt about the news abruptly from a reporter during an interview.

Notably, Marijuana is legal in Oregon. It was the first region to liberalise small-amount possession about 50 years ago, and nonmedical recreational use was legalised in 2014, followed by dispensary sales in 2015.

Presently, there are fewer states which have not legalised cannabis in any way than states that have repealed marijuana prohibition laws.

Richard's suspension is the latest high-profile example highlighting widening discrepancies between widespread state and local legislation attempts and how the federal government and groups who follow its guidelines still technically perceive marijuana.

According to Marijuana Policy Project deputy director Matthew Schweich, the decision by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) is a "testament to the ridiculousness of our cannabis policy both in the United States and around the world."

“Athletes can consume unlimited amounts of alcohol – a substance which one can overdose – yet have their aspirations shattered because they use cannabis,” he remarked.

Her suspension was described as a "absurd act of injustice" by the organisation, the nation's premier cannabis policy group.

According to the Marijuana Policy Project, “the fact that Sha'Carri Richardson utilised cannabis to cope with the devastating loss of her mother makes this penalty even more heartless.”

The USADA is not a government agency. It is distinguished by Congress as the drug-testing body for US Olympic sports, and is financed by the US Office of National Drug Control Policy, bolstering the same outdated federal drug policy that the president, the majority of members of Congress, and the majority of Americans believe should be updated.

Marijuana is prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency, which the USADA follows, citing a decade-old directive from the global organisation that the drug "poses a health risk to athletes" and "has the potential to boost performance" and "violates the spirit of sport."

The statement of Richardson's suspension by USADA concentrated on the drug as a "substance of abuse" - it made no mention of performance improvement.

According to a 2018 study published in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, "there is no evidence for cannabis use as a performance-enhancing substance."

Her one-month suspension, which began on June 28th, was revealed by the agency on July 1st, potentially clearing her in time for games if she is nominated to the US team.

In stark contrast, the National Football League, which has a total net worth of $91 billion among its 32 franchises, will not penalise players for positive test results over the summer beginning this season. Last year, the NBA discontinued random drug testing.

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