Sha’Carri Richardson competes in the Olympic Games in Paris, leaving the marijuana ban behind for Tokyo

As soon as she knew she had done it, Sha’Carri Richardson put her hands on her chest and appeared close to tears. When she crossed the finish line first in the women’s 100-meter final at the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Qualifiers on Saturday night, it was the moment Richardson had waited three years for, the moment so many young athletes dream of when they discover their sport and decide to pursue it passionately.

When Richardson crossed the finish line first in the women’s 100-meter final at the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Qualifying on Saturday night, it was the moment she had been waiting three years for.

Competing in the Olympic Games is undoubtedly special for anyone, as it represents the culmination of years of training and sacrifice. But even more special is qualifying for the U.S. track and field team, the hardest team in the world to get into.

But Richardson’s reaction to Saturday night’s victory seemed to be more than just the realization that she had secured her ticket to Paris for the Summer Olympics, which begin on July 26. It also seemed to be a reaction to the manner in which she had gained – and just as quickly lost – her spot at the Tokyo Olympics.

Richardson’s spot on the 2021 Olympic team was stripped in infamous and controversial fashion. After winning the 100 meters at the Trials, she tested positive for THC, the main ingredient in cannabis, in a post-race drug test. Richardson, then 21, said she took marijuana to help her cope with the news of her birth mother’s death, news she received from a reporter days before the Trials began. (The Dallas native was raised primarily by a grandmother and an aunt.)

She accepted a one-month suspension, and although USA Track & Field, the sport’s governing body, could have allowed her to compete in the 4×100-meter relay in Tokyo (since it took place after her suspension ended), she did not.

Richardson’s suspension sparked a heated debate about whether the disciplinary action was justified given the growing acceptance of marijuana use and its legality in Oregon, where the Olympic trials are held. But all forms of cannabinoids (except cannabidiol) were and still are on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of banned substances. All but three countries – Russia, North Korea and Gabon – adhere to WADA’s anti-doping code.

The head of the US Anti-Doping Agency apparently sided with Richardson. CEO Travis Tygart said in a statement at the time: “The rules are clear, but this is heartbreaking on many levels.” Even President Joe Biden questioned whether it was time to reconsider the ban.

Even President Joe Biden questioned whether it was time to review the ban.

Although Richardson’s suspension seemed like an extreme overreaction to what has now become the cultural norm in the United States, and an unjustified punishment for a young woman in personal crisis, there were many who shrugged and said Richardson knew the rule before she broke it and therefore deserved what she got.

WADA would never relax its rules for Richardson, no matter who challenged them. But the maximum penalty for failing a THC test is several years. The minimum penalty is the one-month suspension Richardson received, so it could have been worse.

Nevertheless, a few days after Richardson’s suspension, USADA announced that it wanted more flexible rules for athletes who tested positive for cannabis. WADA resisted then and continues to do so today.

In 2022, the world body convened a panel of experts from nine countries to conduct a thorough investigation into THC. According to the panel’s conclusion, while it is unlikely to be a performance-enhancing drug, THC meets two of WADA’s three criteria for determining a banned substance: the use of THC could pose a health risk to athletes and it violates WADA’s “spirit of sport,” a nebulous, subjective criterion. So THC remains on the banned list.

Although there are studies showing that regular cannabis use can lead to health problems, the WADA panel’s conclusion that THC violates WADA’s “spirit of sport” is questionable. According to USADA, “In essence, no athlete should take a prescription or non-prescription drug in a way that undermines the shared commitment of all athletes to the values ​​of clean sport. … Only when conditions are fair can people experience the true value of sport, including its ability to provide joy, build character, teach teamwork and instill respect.”

Yet WADA experts themselves said THC is not a performance-enhancing drug, and indeed many current and former athletes praise its effectiveness in relieving pain; in that respect, it is certainly much better for the body and far less addictive than opioids. And how many people today would reject Richardson and others as role models because they use marijuana? Who would cite their marijuana use as a reason not to be inspired by their greatness?

Other countries have lifted restrictions on recreational marijuana use, and in the United States, recreational use is legal in 24 states and the District of Columbia; the federal government recently reclassified cannabis from Schedule I to the less dangerous Schedule III, although prohibition remains in place.

Regardless, Richardson has now put it all behind her, just like the eight women she beat in the 100m final on Saturday. Already the reigning world champion in her signature event, she has overcome the suspension that kept her out of the Tokyo Olympics and can now focus fully on Paris and winning Olympic gold.