US sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson suspended for one month after positive marijuana test

Olympic sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson is the latest American athlete to be banned from competition for using prohibited substances.

After winning the women's 100m race at the US Olympic track and field trials in June with a time of 10.86 seconds, the 21-year-old looked all set to go to Tokyo. Those hopes were dashed, however, when it was revealed that she had tested positive for THC, a chemical found in marijuana, which is a prohibited substance.

The United States Anti-Doping Agency's statement reads: "Richardson's competitive results obtained on June 19, 2021, including her Olympic qualifying results at the Team Trials, have been disqualified, and she forfeits any medals, points, and prizes. Beyond the one-month sanction, athlete eligibility for the Tokyo Games is determined by the USOPC and/or USA Track & Field eligibility rules."

The USADA adds that "Richardson's period of ineligibility was reduced to one month because her use of cannabis occurred out of competition and was unrelated to sport performance, and because she successfully completed a counselling program regarding her use of cannabis."

Both the USADA and the World Anti-Doping Agency say that cannabis is banned because it "poses a health risk to athletes, has the potential to enhance performance and violates the spirit of sport."

According to CNN, Richardson had used marijuana as a "coping mechanism" after finding out via TV interview that her biological mother had passed away prior to the competition. "To hear that information come from a complete stranger," Richardson said, "it was definitely triggering."

Richardson was quick to take responsibility for her actions, adding that she'll be back to compete in plenty more Olympic games in the future.

Many high-profile athletes have been handed suspensions for their use of marijuana, including 23-time Olympic gold medal winner Michael Phelps. In February 2009, Phelps was suspended from competition for three months after an image went viral showing him smoking marijuana out of a bong.

After hearing the news of Richardson's suspension, many supporters took to Twitter to compare her case to that of the Phelps incident, declaring, falsely, that there were double standards at play.

In reality, both Phelps and Richardson were handed suspensions for actions that took place outside of competition. It just so happens that Richardson's overlaps with the Tokyo Olympics, whereas Phelps was fortunate to have been given his on an off-year. Given that the suspension is only for one month, Richardson may still be eligible to compete in the 4x100m relay, which falls just outside that timeframe.

There have been questions posed as to whether Richardson's ban was racial, or otherwise ill-motivated. However those inflamed claims all fall flat. The only controversial issue is, perhaps, why marijuana use outside of competition still results in athlete suspensions at all.