A new poll from YouGov found that women oppose Sha’Carri Richardson’s suspension while men support it. There has been widespread judgment over the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s (USADA) recent decision to suspend Sha’Carri Richardson for 30-days over a failed cannabis test. Moreover, according to the poll, women are more likely to oppose the suspension compared to men.
YouGov surveyed close to 30,000 Americans about the suspension and, surprisingly, found that 43 percent of people surveyed support the punishment. Only 41 percent oppose it. Even though this number is close, a gender breakdown of respondents shows an interesting split. More women oppose the suspension (44 percent) than support it (39 percent). On the other hand, men are more supportive of the punishment (48 percent) than they are against it (38 percent).
Americans are closely divided on whether Sha’Carri Richardson should be suspended after her failed test. On the other hand, this split in the data is peculiar. Previous polls show women are generally less inclined to embrace marijuana legalization than men are. The poll does not attempt to draw any conclusions. However, it does raise questions about how public opinion shifts when sports, gender, and drug policy are involved.
Differences
Not only is there a split in the data for gender, but there are also noticeable differences in terms of age and party affiliation. However, this data and the gaps are more in line with some prior polling on support for the legalization of recreational cannabis.
Young people aged 18-24 remain divided on the issue, with 27 percent saying they oppose the ruling and 22 percent supporting it. Those in the oldest category, 55 and older, showed they most favored the suspension.
Professional Sports Reform
While public polling is lacking on specific policy changes for other professional sports and cannabis, advocates broadly embrace reforms. Advocates say these changes are long overdue, especially given the ever-expanding legalization movement across the nation.
The NFL’s drug testing policy changed last year as part of a collective bargaining agreement. Under the new policy, NFL players will not face suspension from games over positive tests for cannabis or any drugs. In 2019, the MLB removed cannabis from the list of banned substances. Baseball players can consume cannabis without the risk of repercussions. However, last year, officials clarified players could not work while under the influence of cannabis, and they can’t enter into sponsorship contracts with cannabis businesses.
Meanwhile, the NBA has a temporary policy not to randomly drug test players for marijuana amid the coronavirus pandemic. The league’s top official said in December that the policy change might become permanent. Commissioner Adam Silver said the league would be reaching out to players who show signs of problematic dependency rather than mandating blanket tests.
Future
Even though Sha’Carri Richardson can’t compete in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, the USA Track and Field team says cannabis rules need to change and align more with current policies . It may be a few years before change comes, but these polls offer up the conversation for cannabis reform.
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