‘Mindless.’ ‘Tragic.’ ‘Draconian.’ ‘Unfair’ — Cannabis experts slam suspension of Sha’Carri Richardson

But do such rules against cannabis use by athletes have a scientific basis? Harvard Medical School instructor and cannabis expert Dr. Peter Grinspoon, sharply questioned the reasons behind the ban on the US Anti-Doping Agency, which says on its website that cannabis unfairly increases performance, poses health risks to athletes and even their competitors, and that its use ” violates the spirit of sport ”.

“My reaction to that is, ‘What, what, and what?’ “Said an angry Grinspoon in an interview. “What ghost? The spirit of the drug war? It would be strange if it weren’t so tragic for this young woman’s career. “

In reality, according to Grinspoon, marijuana is more similar to ibuprofen than anabolic steroids or human growth hormone: it has a remarkably benign safety profile, and while its compounds can help athletes manage their pain, insomnia, or anxiety – often with fewer side effects and a lower risk of addiction than drugs approved by anti-doping authorities – they offer no direct performance benefit.

“While it helps some people treat an illness or get into a calm ‘state of flow’, you won’t find any studies showing cannabis to improve physical performance,” he said. Instead, “Millions of people around the world use cannabis as a less harmful, herbal alternative to opiates, benzodiazepines, sedative muscle relaxants, Ambien – the list goes on and on”.

In terms of damage, Grinspoon added, Richardson’s highly public punishment will almost certainly cause far more trauma than the toking that caused it, he said. Sports organizations should offer her therapy and other support, he said, rather than “mindlessly imposing 1950s morality”.

“What’s going to be worse for you? After using or being tested for cannabis and deprived of her chance to compete in the Olympics? ”Asked Grinspoon rhetorically. “It’s so backward and such a disproportionate consequence.”

Joanna Sue Zeiger, a former professional triathlete who represented the United States at the 2000 Summer Olympics, and also a cannabis researcher who has a Ph.D. of Johns Hopkins University, agreed that marijuana helps athletes treat a variety of diseases, but it doesn’t make them faster or stronger – and, in fact, might as well affect performance by polluting an athlete’s lungs, or heart, or the Mind racing.

Calling athletes’ marijuana restrictions “draconian,” she urged fans to view Richardson’s marijuana use through a compassionate lens.

“People don’t appreciate the pressures involved in pleasing sponsors, pleasing your team, and trying to meet your competitive goals,” she said. “Now add a family tragedy just before the Olympic trials? That would be difficult for anyone. There are people who doping on purpose to win, but there is an athlete here who is just trying to cope and they are two very different things. The reaction to her was so unfair. “

Most major U.S. sports leagues in recent years have relaxed or dropped requirements for marijuana testing, and instead moved to more nuanced approaches that support those who actually abuse the drug while allowing medical and modest recreational use.

This development reflects a rapid change in public opinion about marijuana over the past decade, a time when numerous states legalized the drug. Today dozens of former professional athletes like Paul Pierce are jumping into the legal cannabis business. Many say the drug helped them manage pain and other ailments throughout their careers.

International anti-doping agencies recently raised the allowable threshold from 15 to 150 nanograms of THC metabolite per milliliter of blood, a change intended to differentiate marijuana use during competition from use outside of business hours. They also created a tight exception that allows the use of CBD, a cannabinoid that is less harmful than THC and can offer a wide variety of health benefits.

But Grinspoon, Zeiger, and other experts criticized this framework, noting that peer-reviewed research has found drastic differences in how quickly and thoroughly different people metabolize the primary highly causative component of marijuana, with some people testing positive weeks after their last joint . Zeiger also noted that it is practically impossible to attribute a specific THC level in the blood to a specific amount of cannabis.

“How many joints or edibles do you have to consume to go over 150 and get this positive result? Nobody knows, ”she said, describing the dilemma that the half-in-half-off rule posed to athletes.

The only solution is for authorities to remove marijuana from the list of prohibited substances entirely, with one possible exception for sports such as luge, where impairment and slow reaction times could be dangerous.

Kassandra Frederique, the executive director of the national Drug Policy Alliance, said Richardson’s plight shows the injustice of the marijuana ban, which routinely results in consequences ranging from layoffs to arrests and deportations – especially for black Americans. She said the criticism of the track star was unjustified and hypocritical.

“This shows that even top athletes in this country have to struggle with the same things that happen in colorful neighborhoods,” she said. “We praised and celebrated Sha’Carri for sharing the trauma of her mother’s death and still delighting us and taking these exams, but then we tore her apart for using marijuana to convey her thoughts to bring a place where she could do this. It’s insidious and just wrong. “

Dan Adams can be reached at daniel.adams@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @ Dan_Adams86.