The use of marijuana in sports will remain banned . 

This after the world anti-Doping Agency…..WADA…..resisted calls to change its status on the list of prohibited substances. 

The decision was taken by WADA’s Executive Committee after a meeting in Sydney, Australia and followed recommendations from the body’s advisory group. 

The agency was asked to review the status of T.H.C — the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis — after the case of colourful american sprinter Sha’carri Richardson who missed  last year’s Tokyo Olympics and served a one-month ban after testing positive at the U.S national trials where she won the women’s 100 meters. 

Richardson in her defense said she had smoked marijuana as a way of coping with her mother’s death. 

WADA in handing down its ruling said it had decided to  maintain the ban on cannabis because use of the drug “violated the spirit of sport”…….adding the level in a sample needed to trigger a positive test in competition would require the user to be a “significantly impaired athlete or a frequent user”. 

WADA in its statement says it plans to continue research in this area in relation to its potential performance enhancing effects, its impact on the health of athletes and also in relation to perceptions of cannabis from athletes, experts and others around the world. 

And in a separate decision handed down by the agency, the Opiate Tramadol will now be banned as of January 2024.

According to WADA the wait to enforce an in-competition ban until 2024 will allow time to educate athletes and team doctors and also address the safe use of tramadol for clinical purposes.