Cannabis removed from competition testing for some UBCO, TRU athletes
Some university student-athletes will no longer be penalized for smoking weed prior to competitions.
The rules have changed around how cannabis anti-doping rules are applied for student-athletes who compete only in U SPORTS or Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) events.
Although cannabis remains prohibited in competition, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) will not be testing samples for cannabis, according to a release.
However, for students who are included in their sport’s National Athlete Pool, competing in a non-U SPORTS or non-CCAA event or attending an international event where the CCES does not have jurisdiction will still be required to supply an in-competition sample.
This sample will be tested for the full list of prohibited substances, including cannabis.
The CCES has been advocating for the removal of cannabis from the World Anti-Doping Code Prohibited List for some time.
"Historically, cannabis cases in U SPORTS and CCAA have been unrelated to performance enhancement – rather, they are inadvertent violations caused by the fact that cannabis is only prohibited in-competition and can take 30 days to clear from a human body," the CCES stated in a release.
"The CCES was motivated to use the flexibility allowed within the Code to develop the new protocol for student-athletes who meet the criteria."
Student-athletes will remain subject to any conduct or sport-related codes enforced by UBC Okanagan or TRU, the CCAA or U SPORTS.
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