A few months ago, Sha’Carri Richardson was a pariah; some even labeled her an ‘embarrassment to the game. The incident had the world reevaluating cannabis in an unwanted way. Since then, Richardson has competed in a few professional events. Amazingly, she was offered an endorsement by a cannabis company for $250K. Today, the Anti-doping Agency of the USA Track and Field team is reconsidering cannabis altogether.
Recap on Richardson and cannabis
At the end of the summer, record-breaking track star and Olympian hopeful Sha’Carri Richardson made news worldwide. The Anti-doping Agency of the USA Track and Field squad stated that Richardson flunked a drug test. Moreover, the dope czars made it explicit that the issue was cannabis. As a consequence, Richardson was suspended from track and field ventures for 30 days. Richardson gracefully accepted her punishment. During that time, the length of the suspension would allow Richardson to participate in the Tokyo Olympics. However, the USA Track and Field team published a statement regarding the incident. Sha’Carri would be left off of the team altogether. Richardson affirmed her understanding of the consequence while rooting for her team from home. For more on Sha’carri Richardson, check out our article from earlier this summer.
Changes for cannabis in Track & Field
As aforementioned, the Anti-doping Agency of the USA Track and Field is reevaluating its stance on cannabis-related offenses. It is currently unclear how the agency will implement these changes or how soon. In similar cases, governing bodies increase the threshold of THC present in the samples. This allows athletes to consume a reasonable amount of THC without consequence. It also enables anti-doping agencies to the ability to convict those who are too high to perform. The UFC recently implemented the latter to ensure fighters are not gaining a competitive advantage (i.e., resistance to physical pain) with the help of cannabis. We don’t know if the Anti-doping agency will give cannabis a PED label like the UFC. We doubt it. However, the chance is welcomed by athletes.
Richardson, post-2020 Olympics
Although Sha’Carri Richardson was unable to participate in the 2021 Olympics, she still had considerable traction (pun intended.) Richardson was offered an endorsement from a cannabis company that was worth a quarter million. The brand that presented Richardson the offer is a vape company known as ‘Dr. Dabber.’ Dr. Dabber is a label committed to accommodating patients with modern and eco-friendly vaporizers and vape accessories. The end is usually referred to as dab pens. The company focuses on its variety of one-of-a-kind vaping accessories. Dabber also provides a mixture of units for the typical buds and concentrates. The brand also provides upgrades for a slew of vapes to take your vaping experience to the ultimate level. The most alluring quality of the company is its affordability. Dr. Dabber provides a litany of unique vaping rigs ideal for your pocket. It is unclear if Sha’Carri Richardson signed the deal. Richardson was initially concerned about how the endorsement would look to the world of Olympic track and field.
The future of cannabis in pro sports
Again: Richardson was hesitant to accept such a bohemian endorsement, being immediately concerned with how the endorsement might appear. However, Richardson offered the endorsement before the Anti-doping agency’s statement on reevaluating cannabis for governing athletes. In theory, Sha’Carri Richardson could take the endorsement considering recent news. If she were to do so, it would be the first of its kind. There has never been an Olympic prospect that has been directly endorsed by a cannabis company. We know what you’re thinking: ‘What about Phelps?’ That is not the same whatsoever.