There’s a scene in the movie Half Baked where Dave Chappelle goes to rehab and announces that he is addicted to marijuana.

This results in him being booed, and Philadelphia native Bob Saget stands up and proclaims that “marijuana is not a drug” while revealing that he “used to suck dick for coke.” The rehab attendees then throw items at Chappelle, and the scene ends.

The attitude towards marijuana in that clip seems to be the same as the public response to this Sha’Carri Richardson story. Long story short, she’s the really good American sprinter who is now going to miss one of her Olympic events due to a positive weed test.

Via ESPN:

The United States Anti-Doping Agency on Friday announced that Richardson has accepted a one-month suspension. In accepting the penalty, Richardson’s results from the U.S. Olympic trials have been “disqualified, and she forfeits any medals, points, and prizes,” USADA said in a statement.

Richardson tested positive at the Olympic trials last month where she established herself as a gold-medal contender by winning the 100 meters in 10.86 seconds.

She explained that she knew the rules, but her use of marijuana was a coping mechanism after finding out her biological mother had died.

Richardson apologized during an appearance on NBC’s Today show.

This all seems fugazi, and here’s why:

  • Attitudes towards marijuana have changed drastically over the years. We have legal weed in some states and movements to legalize everywhere else. Unfortunately, this is a global thing, and so we have to adhere to the rules of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
  • The point of anti-doping is to prevent athletes from taking performance-enhancing drugs. Is marijuana a “performance-enhancing” drug? That’s debatable. Weed helps you focus and relax and doubles as a stress reliever, but it’s really not the same as using HGH or steroids or similar substances that you would say affect muscle building and muscle mass and directly influence physical capability. It’s more or less a mental vs. physical debate, which has been discussed ad nauseam over the years.

For some context, the World Anti-Doping Agency published a 2011 paper on marijuana, and while it’s long, there’s this blurb about why it’s banned:

Anecdotal evidence from blogs and drug hotlines also indicates that athletes abuse cannabinoids to enhance sport performance. Athletes under the influence of cannabis indicate that their thoughts flow more easily and their decision making and creativity is enhanced; others claim that cannabis improves their concentration or reduces pain. Health professionals have encountered athletes including gymnasts, divers, football players and basketball players who claim smoking cannabis before play helps them to focus better.

That’s the explanation in a nut shell. It’s one of those things where it makes you wonder where and how the line is drawn. Coffee drinkers will tell you that a cup a day also helps them focus better. Hot tea, etc. All of the things BYU players can’t endorse with their newfound NIL freedoms.

This is a bummer since the violation itself seems harmless, but it’s a violation nonetheless.