Congress shows support for marijuana protections for athletes

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Capitol Hill is working on an initiative to allow athletes in legal marijuana states to consume without interference

The use of cannabis in sports as a supplement has experienced a considerable increase. It is a use made by professionals who need to control their diets and inputs to the maximum in order to improve themselves every day. As a result of this growing trend, it has been reported that the US Congress has made a decision to boost marijuana protections for athletes through new spending bills.

The fact that a person’s health is not simply a matter of how they are doing but the result of the lifestyle they lead, is an undeniable truth. As time has passed, cannabis has become a much more accessible product, and many athletes have spoken out about its use without any qualms.

Although this is a reality, there are still different sanctions that have led to the generation of much controversy in the athlete community. To address that situation, lawmakers in the US Congress have opted to include a novel section along with a myriad of other marijuana provisions in the appropriations legislation.

The goal of this move by House Appropriations Committee leaders is to pressure international officials to view cannabis in a much more positive light. The idea is to end the practice of suspending athletes from competition after testing positive for cannabis.

The committee now wants to urge the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) to take action on the issue. The USADA is in charge of administering the anti-doping program for all sports recognized by the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

“The Committee encourages USADA to support additional research on the effects of cannabis on athletic performance, including whether marijuana use during the in-competition period delivers performance-enhancing effects, and to engage in efforts to change how cannabis is treated under the World Anti-Doping Code and World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List,” the committee’s report said.