The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) stated on Tuesday that American long jumper Tara Davis-Woodhall had tested positive for cannabis, leading to an immediate one-month suspension and the loss of her recent national indoor title.
THC, which is present in cannabis, marijuana, and hashish, was reportedly detected in Davis-Woodhall’s system by USADA. She tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs after winning the 2023 USA Track and Field indoor championships long jump with a distance of 6.99 meters on February 17 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Davis-Woodhall, who is 23 years old, has finished her suspension that began on March 21. Davis-Woodhall was stripped of her championship after the positive test and ordered to give up any and all medals, points, and rewards she had earned after February 17.
According to World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) guidelines, cannabis, marijuana, and hashish is all illegal. “WADA seeks input on each year’s updated version of the Prohibited List,” the USADA statement reads. U.S. Anti-Doping Agency Executive Director David Howland said, “USADA has advocated and will continue to advocate to WADA, the rule maker, for a fairer and more effective way to treat marijuana to identify true in-competition use.”
If the athlete can prove that the THC was used in a non-competition setting and had no effect on performance, the suspension can be shortened to three months under WADA guidelines. Due to these factors and Davis-Woodhall’s completion of a drug addiction treatment programme for her cannabis use, USADA said the suspension period should be reduced to one month.
US sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson won the women’s 100-meter event at the 2021 US Olympic track and field trials in Eugene, Oregon, but was later disqualified after testing positive for marijuana, preventing her from competing in the Tokyo Olympics.
Richardson was given a one-month suspension. Despite the fact that her ban had finished, USA Track and Field did not choose Richardson to compete in the women’s 4×100-meter relay and so did not include her on their Olympic squad.
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