Athletes across the world are celebrating today, after WADA officially removed CBD from their list of prohibited substances that sportsmen can take
While many people have never heard of WADA, they are a force to be reckoned within the world of international sports and Olympic events. They supervise and manage all drug testing for athletes, as well as setting anti-doping guidelines for numerous international events.
The fact that many in the NFL and the UFC want to take CBD before and after activity, means that this new move is fantastic news for those sportspeople. Athletes claim they use CBD for protective and recovery treatments, and have been lobbying WADA for decades. Their efforts finally seem worth it, as from Jan 2018, there will be no issue for athletes who wish to take CBD.
WADA’s official statement, issued by Director General Olivier Niggli, reads, “Annually, the Prohibited List review involves a very extensive stakeholder consultation process over the course of nine months. In reviewing the List, experts examine such sources as: scientific and medical research; trends; and, intelligence gathered from law enforcement and pharmaceutical companies in order to stay ahead of those that endeavor to cheat the system.”
The WADA official guidelines have been amended to reflect the new move, noting that, “Cannabidiol is no longer prohibited. Synthetic cannabidiol is not a cannabimimetic; however, cannabidiol extracted from cannabis plants may also contain varying concentrations of THC, which remains a prohibited substance.”
It remains to be seen how successful the new initiative will be in the future, but there is no doubt that for the time being there are a lot of very happy athletes who are praising WADA for their foresight.
[Image credit- Pixabay]