New Zealand rugby athlete suspended after testing positive for THC

New Zealand rugby player Isaia Walker-Leawere recently tested positive for THC and has been banned from playing on a team for a month. 26-year-old Lock (a rugby second row position) plays for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby; Hawke’s Bay; and the Māori All Blacks international rugby team. According to the New Zealand Herald, he has appeared in over 120 top-flight games over the past eight years.

Walker-Leawe tested positive after a game in Fiji on May 6, where he received two yellow cards and a red card. Due to the red card, Walker-Leawere went through the Sanzaar Super Rugby Pacific court case and the incident was reviewed by the Sanzaar Foul Play Review Committee on 8 May. The verdict was that Walker-Leawere would not be suspended or punished.

On May 10, however, he spent time with friends to “disconnect” from the week’s events while using cannabis. His ban for testing positive came into effect on August 5.

“We don’t believe cannabis is performance-enhancing,” said Nick Paterson, managing director of Drug Free Sport New Zealand. “Mr. Providing support to Walker-Leawere after serving his sentence and getting him back to sport is the most practical outcome and supports the long-term health and well-being of the athlete.”

However, Paterson added that attempts are being made to remove cannabis from the list of illegal substances. “We have advocated removing cannabis from the Prohibited List for over 15 years and we will continue to do so,” continued Paterson. “Although cannabis remains on the banned list, the best approach to avoiding a positive test is not to use it.”

The Drug Free Spot New Zealand follows the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) guidelines on prohibited substances. According to WADA’s 2023 Prohibited List, cannabis is banned in all forms. “All natural and synthetic cannabinoids other than cannabidiol (CBD) are prohibited. Cannabis, hashish and marijuana are prohibited. Products, including foods and beverages, that contain cannabinoids are also prohibited. All synthetic cannabinoids that mimic the effects of THC are prohibited,” WADA said on its website.

Drug Free Sport New Zealand allows athletes to undergo a treatment program to reduce the length of their suspension. For Walker-Leawere, if he chose not to participate in the program, he would be suspended for three months instead of one month.

Like other athletes in the US, some rugby players have pointed out the benefits of cannabis use. Welsh rugby player Dominic Day and English rugby player George Kruis have also advocated CBD in the past, leading to the launch of their sports-focused brand, fourfourCBD, in 2019.

FourfiveCBD targets health and well-being to improve the quality of life. “Our mission at fourfive is simple: we want to help people live healthier, happier lives through the power of CBD and vitamin supplements – and we only use the highest quality botanical extracts and ingredients. Our premium blends are designed by world-class scientists to fit seamlessly into your daily routine, whether you’re taking CBD oil, capsules or vitamins,” the brand wrote on its website.

According to a BBC interview, Day started taking CBD while recovering from knee surgery, which helped reduce inflammation and also improve his sleep. “The first thing that struck me was that I slept wonderfully. The inflammation in my knee also went down and the pain lessened. From then on, I was sold,” Day said.

Kruis also added the benefits of sleep and reduced his opioid use. “Sleep was definitely one of the things that helped me,” Kruis said. “But I also have mild chronic pain and have been able to reduce the amount of pain medication I take.”