Hemp Power
Controversy over Olympic ban and THC in sports
American sprinter Sha‘Carri Richardson is considered one of the fastest women in the world. However, the ongoing Olympic Games in Tokyo are taking place without the top talent. The reason: According to her own statements, Richardson consumed cannabis shortly beforehand in Oregon. A state that has legalized the use of marijuana since 2015. However, since the World Anti-Doping Agency WADA lists cannabis as a banned substance, the sprinter is not allowed to compete in Tokyo. Numerous stars on social media platforms, as well as the President of the United States, Joe Biden, have weighed in and commented on Richardson's suspension.
She has colorful hair, a toned body, and she is considered a great hope for the future of the US sprinting team. However, shortly before the Olympic Summer Games in Japan in July 2021, Richardson's mother dies, and the sprinter consumes cannabis, which is legal in the state of Oregon. Just before what is likely the biggest event of her career, the young athlete is obviously struggling mentally and used cannabis for her own calming, as she herself shares on social media. The result: a positive THC anti-doping test before the games with far-reaching consequences. Sha’Carri Richardson receives a suspension that lasts 30 days and thus overlaps with the period of the Olympic Games in Japan.
Cannabis, CBD & Professional Sports: Risks and Opportunities
Stars from around the world are speaking out, and an unexpected echo arises on social media. Numerous stars and athletes come forward to defend the young sprinter's behavior. Even US President Joe Biden weighs in: "Rules are rules," Biden said, but added that it is another question whether these rules should remain as they are. Scientific evidence for a performance-enhancing effect of marijuana is quite rare, by the way. The position of the WADA is primarily based on a review article from 2011, which states that the data available at that time suggest that the active ingredient THC can potentially enhance performance. The uprising, especially in the United States, is growing, as attitudes towards cannabis have changed significantly. These changes are particularly reflected in professional sports; for example, global top sports leagues like the NBA (basketball), the NFL (American football), and the UFC (mixed martial arts) have allowed the use of cannabis, CBD & other cannabinoids under certain circumstances. Particularly, the National Football League is increasingly supportive of the healing and cultural plant. While American football players often face several hundred (!) injuries during their careers, more and more professionals are turning to the substances that hemp has to offer. Especially CBD products like CBD oils are gaining more and more popularity. As reported by the world's probably most successful business magazine "Forbes" in June 2021, the NFL recently invested 1 million USD in researching the therapeutic potential of cannabis, CBD & Co – a clear sign for the future!
Trend: Hemp, CBD Oils, and Protein in Professional Sports
Even in Europe, athletes are increasingly relying on the active ingredient cannabidiol. CBD is completely legal in Europe as long as the legally required THC content is not exceeded. Even professional athletes can safely use approved CBD products externally, provided the products come from reputable manufacturers and are tested for THC contamination. In 2018, WADA removed the active ingredient CBD from the list of prohibited substances. Since then, these products have found great acceptance in sports, especially in the area of recovery.
Certified Hemp Products for Maximum Safety
The HANAFSAN Ambassadors Collin Quaner, Laurens Halfmann, Johannes Tartarotti, and Timur Bas also rely on the certified products from HANAFSAN in their daily lives and have all hemp products like CBD oils for care or organic hemp protein as energy boosters as active companions by their side. Especially in elite sports, it is extremely important to use certified products and to turn to corresponding manufacturers. Only in this way can absolute safety for the professional athlete be ensured. A recently conducted study by Dr. Feurstein Medical Hemp GmbH clearly shows, for example, that certified hemp products (in this case from HANAFSAN) do not lead to a positive THC anti-doping test.
How the topic around the various cannabis active ingredients in sports will develop further is still open. However, the direction taken shows the new orientation. Thus, one can only speculate whether suspensions in elite sports due to THC will belong to the past in the future.
Image source: © Luka Kevric / HANAFSAN; Teaser image by Patrick Smith/Getty Images
More content in this category
Many customers therefore place their trust in us.
Payment and shipping
