The suspension of Sha’Carri Richardson is absolutely stupid.

For the record, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) operates on a silly premise that a substance is banned if it meets any 2 of 3 criteria, (a) it has the potential to enhance or enhances sport performance; (b) it represents an actual or potential health risk to the Athlete; and (c) it violates the spirit of sport.

Anyone on the planet who has smoked pot knows for a fact that the first element, “has the potential to enhance or enhances sport performance,” is not realistic. If anything, it makes you sluggish.

Second, it is certainly not an actual health risk. Again, not a single study out there would should that smoking pot is harmful for your health. In fact, if you want to get all technical, studies have shown that for most people the main adverse effect of acute marijuana use—that is, the immediate effect of a single potent dose—is solely limited to a temporarily diminished psychomotor performance. As far as a potential health risk, this is riddled with years of stigma here in the United States.

When you look at studies, when it comes to any negative effects, it’s all speculative.

In the same study, they mention (a) 70 million people have used, only 5% of that 70 million use it currently, (b) 28% of users actually do it a second time after trying it once, and that (c) there is no existing scientific studies of the relationship between medical marijuana use and abuse. So what is the natural conclusion here?

“Clearly, marijuana use carries a risk of dependence and abuse—a danger that must be taken into account if either the crude plant extract or its active ingredients are to be used for medical purposes.”

Clearly? How do you deduce that sort of conclusion based on the research and testing to the contrary?

You want to know what is more addictive based on studies, and carries much worse health risks than smoking pot?

Sugar.

And you what happens when people are addicted to sugar and eat too much? They become diabetic, become obese and die.

See “Evidence for sugar addiction: Behavioral and neurochemical effects of intermittent, excessive sugar intake: Nicole M. Avena, Pedro Rada, Bartley G. Hoebel Neurosci Biobehav Rev. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2009 Jan 1. Published in final edited form as: Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2008; 32(1): 20–39. Published online 2007 May 18. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2007.04.019 PMCID: PMC2235907

But you know what else sugar does?

Enhances performance in athletes.

“In addition, high carbohydrate diets and carbohydrate intake before and during exercise have shown to be beneficial due to increased concentrations of hepatic glycogen and maintenance of blood glucose.”

See Peinado AB, Rojo-Tirado MA, Benito PJ. El azúcar y el ejercicio físico: su importancia en los deportistas [Sugar and exercise: its importance in athletes]. Nutr Hosp. 2013 Jul;28 Suppl 4:48-56. Spanish. doi: 10.3305/nh.2013.28.sup4.6796. PMID: 23834092.

Logic. Science.

Oh, and Alcohol is not prohibited either. Guess that’s safe and in the spirit of the sport.

Finally—it violates the “spirit of sport”.  So this is a set of principles and ideas set forth in the Olympic Charter. A few principles are:

to encourage and support measures relating to the medical care and health of athletes;

to encourage and support the promotion of women in sport at all levels and in all structures with a view to implementing the principle of equality of men and women;

to promote safe sport and the protection of athletes from all forms of harassment and abuse.

They encourage and care about health?

Well, Ms. Richardson smoked a bit to help calm her nerves and cope with the death of her mother just a week prior. Studies show that “some of marijuana’s psychological effects may prove to be medically useful—specifically, the antianxiety properties of cannabinoids may help relieve conditions worsened by anxiety.” But I guess the scientist at the IOC and WADA must not have got wind of the research conducted over 20 years ago.

To encourage and support the promotion to women?

Well.. not really. Richardson, who had been described as the “best American hope” in the track and field events, and was a role model everywhere has now been disgraced by the IOC. All the meanwhile, here comes Laurel Hubbard, a biological male who came to the conclusion that as a male athlete, he fucking sucked, so rather, he would take his biological advantages such as increased bone density and heightened muscle mass, consume a ton of estrogen, and complete with the women. Are we really advancing women here? Actually, you are setting them back, because you are putting them up against others who aren’t biological women.

Are they really protecting her from abuse?

Nope. Based off a stupid decision, on archaic rules, that don’t even meet the elements of the prohibition, her legacy has now been shitted on.

Just a stupid decision. Archaic rules. Outdated science. Erroneous Logic.

This is absolutely disgusting.

Fuck the Olympics.