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.
