Edwin Moses is a three time Olympian and two time Olympic Gold Medalist in Track and Field. Speaking before a federal commission on international sports, Moses sits as an emeritus chair of the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). The USADA first issued Sha’Carri Richardson her suspension following a positive drug test. Moses received pressure from Representative Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., about the USADA’s decision. Representative Cohen has repeatedly been speaking about cannabis restrictions and Sha’Carri Richardson’s suspension. Early in the hearing, Representative Cohen said, “Marijuana is not a performance-enhancing drug unless you’re entered in the Coney Island hot dog eating contest on Fourth of July.”

Moses replied Sha’Carri Richardson’s situation “was one of the most heartbreaking cases that we’ve had this year. Although there was a handful of similar cases from the beginning of the year—and so it was not the first case of its kind—we’re heartbroken at USADA to have to adjudicate any of these cases because, in many cases, there’s lots of reasons for drug use,” Moses told Representative Cohen at the hearing. 

Unfortunately, the USADA has its hands tied when it comes to enforcing international drug policy, according to Moses. “We’ve moved and promoted changing the regulations, bringing the level [of allowable THC concentrations in tests] higher to eliminate cases of out-of-competition use, which in certain states is legal,” Moses explained. “It’s not banned out of competition. However, [Richardson] just got caught within that window. We have been trying everything we can to get the world to understand how this drug fits into the scheme of things.”

Reform

Even with the USADA and other US athletic organizations backing cannabis reform, each organization doesn’t have much say in the Word Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). In a recent letter responding to Representatives Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., the WADA president said the US is to blame for harsh cannabis rules. Plus, WADA can’t reverse Sha’Carri Richardson’s suspension. WADA and USADA work as separate entities. WADA has over 650 organizations and listens to all of them regarding rules. 

The US is more progressive now than it was twenty years ago when it comes to cannabis reform. They are also more progressive internationally. Most countries still classify cannabis as an illegal substance or have heavy regulations around any substances from the plant. Therefore, rules can’t change simply to suit the US over other countries. 

Future

There’s potential for cannabis laws to change soon in the US and around the world with the publicity surrounding Sha’Carri Richardson’s suspension. But that doesn’t help her now. She became removed from the US Track and Field team completely this year after her positive test. One of her events, the 4x100m dash, will run after her suspension ends. However the US Track and Field team removed her in fairness to the other athletes who followed the drug rules. Organizations, lawmakers, and the public are pushing for change, and it could come soon. 

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