The Olympics begin, the blame game as the Fed commission hearing on Sha’Carri Richardson’s suspension continues

By Maureen Meehan

The blame resurfaced on Wednesday when Edwin Moses, two-time Olympic champion in track and field and retired chairman emeritus of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), appeared at an international sport hearing before a federal commission from the panel’s co-chair , Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), asked about the controversial suspension of Sha’Carri Richardson.

Moses reiterated the USADA trope that they were all “heartbroken” about Richardson’s suspension after a positive cannabis test and that the organization’s hands were tied in enforcing international drug policy.

Photo by Patrick Smith / Getty Images

Cohen also did his part in hand-wringing when he railed against Richardson’s punishment and “slow as molasses” how arduous changing marijuana rules, especially internationally, can be.

Cohen reiterated a remark he had previously made that cannabis is not “a performance-enhancing drug unless you compete in the July 4th Coney Island hot dog eating contest”.

RELATED: More Women Oppose Sha’Carri Richardson’s Marijuana Ban Than Men

Very funny but still not a cigar unless the US is serious about removing a harmless plant from the Controlled Substance Act and recognizing the US role in including cannabis on the world’s anti-banned substances list -Doping Agency (WADA).

The role of the USA

Regardless of lip service like Moses’ remark that there is no country in the world that “will ever be as liberal as we are,” the fact that the US itself has played the leading role in introducing cannabis for years is the ban.

Photo by Patrick Smith / Getty Images

WADA made this clear to MPs Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) in a letter from their President Witold Banka last month, suggesting that the US has consistently harassed the rest of the world on cannabis adhere to the list of prohibited substances.

RELATED: Sha’Carri Richardson: World Anti-Doping Agency Claims The US Has Consistently Pushed For Cannabis Ban, Is Anyone Surprised?

“Since the publication of the first Prohibited List in 2004, WADA has never received objections from US stakeholders regarding the inclusion of cannabinoids on the Prohibited List,” Wada wrote. “On the contrary, (…) the US was one of the loudest and strongest supporters of including cannabinoids on the Prohibited List.”

But in all fairness to Rep. Cohen, he crossed the line at the international sport hearing this week, with his polling led the USADA to “publicly substantiate its position on marijuana use by athletes,” wrote Marijuana Moment.

“USADA told Congress straight to the face that the policy of prohibiting and stigmatizing cannabis users is wrong.” Justin Strekal, said NORML’s Political Director. “The remaining question is when will the House take action to end mandate that organizations like USADA, DEA, ONDCP and others stop criminalizing otherwise law-abiding Americans?”

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and was republished with permission.

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