Sport anti-doping agency to keep cannabis on prohibited list

By March 7, 2019 Recent News

Radio NZ News 6 March 2019
Family First Comment: “Cannabis will remain on the prohibited list. It will not affect what we do in sport if [the drug] is decriminalised or otherwise… We want to protect our clean athletes so they don’t make a mistake.” National MP Maureen Pugh quipped the agency might have to rename itself “Almost Drug Free Sport New Zealand” given its push to remove cannabis from WADA’s prohibited list.
Hee! Sounds like the Drug (Friendly) Foundation.

Drug Free Sport has told MPs that cannabis will remain off-limits for athletes even if New Zealand votes to legalise it.

The anti-doping agency was quizzed about its official position on the drug at Parliament’s Social Services and Community select committee today.

Chief executive Nick Paterson told the committee New Zealand was bound by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules, which banned athletes from using cannabis in-competition above a certain limit.

“Cannabis will remain on the prohibited list. It will not affect what we do in sport if [the drug] is decriminalised or otherwise,” Mr Paterson said.

He told MPs the agency would need to educate athletes about the drug’s continued prohibited status, but that would “not necessarily” require extra funding.

“We want to protect our clean athletes so they don’t make a mistake.”

Board chairman Warwick Gendall QC said the agency would have to “very carefully monitor what sort of money” would be required for that education and potential testing.
READ MORE: https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/384098/sport-anti-doping-agency-to-keep-cannabis-on-prohibited-list
> twitter follow us