A Forbes article Titled “Cannabis Takes The World Stage At The Tokyo Olympics” is making its rounds on social media and people have strong opinions about it.
According to Forbes:
For the first time in the Olympics 125-year modern history, elite athletes are being open about their use of cannabis products to prepare them for the world’s biggest stage in sports.
Leading the charge is Olympic gold medalist and U.S. Soccer Women’s National Team star Megan Rapinoe, who incorporates CBD into her training routine using products from Mendi, a company founded by her sister Rachael Rapinoe and Brett Schwager.
Mendi’s founders started the company to create a brand of hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) products that provide athletes with natural wellness solutions to help them recover better and perform at their best. And while Mendi has assembled a team of top athletes as brand ambassadors, the company hopes to tap into a market of consumers looking for a more natural approach to health and wellness.
Sounds great right? Well, folks are questioning the disparity between THC and CBD use, and if both ‘drugs’ should be banned from the Olympics.
This is what Twitter had to say:
CBD and THC are two different things, yes. But with that article headline they really just playing in our face because Sha’Carri got banned for her “Cannabis” use and now they’re glorifying it. https://t.co/zPWEy9oox6
— CDubb (@CiaraW210) July 23, 2021
and
People are arguing that the differences between CBD and THC are not significant enough to justify the differing treatment of #MeganRapinoe and #ShaCarriRichardson. https://t.co/lge3pd6e9f
— TheWrap (@TheWrap) July 23, 2021
and
This is about as tone-deaf as Bezos thanking his abused employees for funding his trip to space. https://t.co/9k1zVexQGx
— Ben Mumford-Zisk (@MumfordZisk) July 23, 2021
and
and it is ASININE that we can’t delineate the difference with cannabis. It is LAZY that we don’t try, and it is DISRESPECTFUL to deny Sha’Carri her chance at these games because scared rich people can’t be fucked to SCIENCE like SCIENCE ALLOWS US TO SCIENCE.
— Ben Mumford-Zisk (@MumfordZisk) July 2, 2021
Forbes continues to state:
Changing Views On Cannabis And Sports
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) removed CBD (but not other cannabinoids) from its list of prohibited substances in September 2017.
But the change was not effective until January 1, 2018, giving Olympic athletes little time to incorporate CBD into their training programs for the winter games being held the following month in South Korea, another country with strict cannabis laws.
The legalization of hemp via the 2018 Farm Bill further reduced the perceived risk of using CBD for many athletes.
THC, however, remains on the list of banned substances, as much of the world learned earlier this month with the suspension and disqualification of sprinter and Olympic hopeful Sha’Carri Richardson after she tested positive for the compound primarily responsible for the “high” associated with marijuana.
Question: Is there a huge distinction between CBD and THC? Comment below, this is giving us huge side-eye vibes.
