Over the last little while, I have been amused at the discussions generated by an admission from an athlete that he smoked cannabis.
This, in a nutshell, is the situation as I see it:
- Michael Phelps, an athlete with 8 Olympic blood medals, is photographed inhaling from a marijuana pipe.
- Following the publication of the photo, he admits to cannabis use.
- This creates negative publicity: from dismay over an again-tainted role model (he faced a drunk-driving charge earlier), to the discussion of ‘recreational use of cannabis’, to calls that he be stripped of his medals.
- The athlete issues an apology.
- Public debate continues – but not only does it not look like the athlete will not be stripped of his medals, it looks like he will be eligible to continue to compete in athletics!
THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!! WRONG DEBATE!!!
While I have some very strong opinions (sic) about the use of illegal drugs – recreational or otherwise – this is not the post where I would like to explore them. I’ll be glad to oblige later.
The ‘legal status’ of cannabis should not be the main focus of public debate about any athlete admitting to smoking cannabis. The debate should be about how to treat an athlete who admits to using a performance-enhancing drug, after the competition is over…
After all, cannabis is a performance-enhancing drug!
There are several active chemicals in cannabis which have medicinal effects. One of the two main ones is Beta-Caryophyllene, an anti-inflammatory which may be very useful in fighting immune system diseases. Yet, I would like to focus here on the other one – cannabidiol, which turns into THC under some conditions and into quinine under others. THC is the ‘active’ ingredient in cannabis, which gives people the ‘high’ associated with its use.
THC, of course, is known to trigger the release of dopamine – the very word from which ‘doping’, as in ‘using performance-enhancing drugs’, comes!
In a very real way, by triggering the release of dopamine, THC affects the endorphins (natural pain-killers) and serotonin levels in the brain, both immediatelly and in the long term. These two effects, in my never-humble-opinion, classify it as a ‘prformance-enhancing-drug’!
Cannabis creates a temporary high – that is true, and that is why it is illegal in many jurisdictions. THC blocs pain-perceptions by causing the brain to produce too much dopamine, which numbs one to pain and causes a euphorea.
Even after the ‘high’ associated with cannabis use is gone, not all of this chemical is metabolized. Some of the THC gets stored in a person’s fatty tissues, where it stays inactive for weeks – perhaps months. When a person is in a situation of great pressure or stress, their body releases adrenalin (and related hormones). This ‘under-stress-hormone coctail’ triggers a chemical reaction which causes the stored-up THC to be released into the body. And, yes, this has the same physical effect on the body as if the person had just toked up!
In other words, cannabis can produce the immediate, ‘short-term’ effect of a ‘dopamine high’ even months after it was used. It’s called a ‘marijuana flash’.
Also, it has been medically demonstrated that people with low serotonin levels feel pain much more easily and much more acutely. (This is especially true of people suffering from depression.) When the serotonin levels are increased, the person’s long-term pain threshold goes up significantly.
Cannabis effectively raises the serotonin levels in that brain. That is why it has consistently been found effective in treating medical conditions involving dopamine-serotonin balance: migraines, melancholia, loss of appetite, nausea, pain – both topical and systemic, insomnia…and is used in treating very serious psychiatric conditions, like dementia and schizophrenia. This very real, long-term effect is why cannabis has been prized since the times of ancient Egypt!
So, let us consider these effects on an athlete who had, in the past, used cannabis.
The athlete now has an overall higher tolerance to pain than is natural – so he can push himself harder during training than his peers. This will necessarily result in achieving an artificially high physical condition, one the athlete could not have attained without the use of cannabis. Even if there were no THC left in his body by the time of the competition, the athlete would still have used performance enhancing drugs to achieve his physical condition, making any competition unfair.
Perhaps even more importantly, if there are still even small amounts of THC in the athlete’s system, the stress of a high-level contest, the ‘competitive juices’ that flood an athlete’s body, will ‘flush them out’. Now, this athlete has a flood of extra dopamines in his blood stream!
In a very real sense, the athlete’s own body released the ‘stored-up dope’!
Unless I am greatly mistaken, competing while ‘doped up’ is against the rules…
Now, back to Mr. Phelps:
Since he has admitted to cannabis use, he had – knowingly or unknowingly – used drugs to enhance his performance. Therefore, it would be unjust to other athletes if he were allowed to compete again.
The only question remains: did he use cannabis BEFORE he won 14 Olympic medals? If the answer is ‘YES’, then he must indeed be stripped of each and every one of them. Even if unintentionally, he was ‘doping’…
It has nothing to do with ‘legal’ or ‘illegal’ drugs. It has nothing to do with making ‘good’ or ‘bad’ choices. It has everything to do with fair play!
Xanthippa's Chamberpot 
February 5, 2009 at 21:24
If this is satire, it’s badly done. If you’re serious please let me know. I’ll remove my bookmark to your blog.
Xanthippa says:
No, this is not satire.
While I do not think the government ought to have the right to tell us what chemicals we may or may not ingest – regardless of the drug, it is important that we not kid ourselves about the effects of specific drugs. Personally, I think cannabis has a lot of medicinal value.
Yet, if we enter an athletic competition which bans performance-enhancing drugs, we are freely choosing to abide by this rule.
I used to do competitive ‘martial arts’. I understand that raising one’s pain threshold will allow an athlete to achieve superior results. Medical research has demonstrated that cannabis does exactly that. That undeniably makes it a performance-enhancing drug.
The rest is logical conclusion.
I’m sorry if this displeases you. Reality bites.
February 5, 2009 at 22:11
okay bye.
February 6, 2009 at 04:28
Xanthippa:
I agree with many things you say, but in this case it is clear that you are making a theoretical argument about a subject you have no practical experience with.
If you had ever smoked pot, you would know that the resulting loss of mental focus far outweighs any advantage that might be gained by raising the pain threshold. You would laugh at the idea of calling marijuana a performance enhancing drug.
Xanthippa says:
How could I possibly have smoked cannabis when it is illegal to do so in Canada?
July 7, 2010 at 22:11
I just found this post when looking for performance altering effects of THC, and thought it was a huge troll / joke, but apparently not.
February 6, 2009 at 17:10
Xanthippa:
My point was that calling marijuana a performance enhancing drug as silly as calling beer a performance enhancing drug; after all, they both raise the pain threshold…
But while we’re on the topic, here are a couple of other things for you to consider.
The word “doping” as used in competitive sports is used for its propaganda effect – it is intended to create a negative emotional response in people who really don’t understand the underlying issues.
You see, drugs that are truly performance enhancing have nothing to do with dopamine. Anabolic steroids enhance muscle growth in response to intense physical training. Erythropoietin increases production of red blood cells. Caffeine increases alertness and reduces fatigue. Sodium bicarbonate buffers the blood pH and delays the onset of muscular failure due to lactic acid build-up. And so on. None of them release dopamine; none of them make you high.
The last example illustrates the problem with demonizing performance enhancing drugs. Sodium bicarbonate – baking soda – is a performance enhancing drug. It should be illegal. People should go to jail for possession of baking soda! You see how silly the argument sounds when applied to a substance that doesn’t have a pre-programmed negative emotional response attached to it?
But the real point is that you simply cannot eliminate all performance enhancing drugs. The question is, where do you draw the line? Is sugar a performance enhancing drug? Is protein? Why or why not?
And on the other side of the fence, the question is, how much does it cost to come up with a regimen of performance enhancing drugs that are not currently illegal or are not currently detectable? How much does it cost to cross the line without getting caught? If it’s less than the profit from a Nike endorsement contract, then it’s worth it…
And this brings us to the issue of fair play. Those who win medals and pass drug tests are those who can afford the expense of the most advanced performance enhancing drugs, and the advice of experts who know which ones to administer, when and how, so as to avoid detection. Those who get caught are those who cannot afford these expenses. This is what you call fair play?
Both the FDA and the DEA argued strongly against the criminalization of anabolic steroids. But the professional sports lobby succeeded in having them made illegal anyway. Why? Because that puts the control of who wins and who loses in the hands of those with the money.
Truly fair play would give the poor but dedicated athlete access to the same drugs, and allow his doctor to monitor the regimen to make sure it’s being done safely. That way, the poor athlete would have a chance of making it without becoming owned by the mob.
As usual, it’s all about money and control, while creating the illusion of fair play.
February 22, 2009 at 21:44
According to the USADA and WADA, marijuana is not classified as a performance enhancing drug; it is just not allowed. WADA disallows THC because it sends the wrong message, and for no other reason.
April 15, 2009 at 07:38
After reading this article, I just feel that I need more information on the topic. Could you share some more resources ?
November 14, 2009 at 18:55
this is bullshit so what if he smoked cannabis. it it aint illegal to smoke cannibas as long as its for personal use and not for sale to gain a profit, not like he needs the profit anyway. Cannabis is not a performance enhancing drug so there no reason to strip him of his medals. he earned them fair and square
April 4, 2010 at 08:44
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June 15, 2010 at 09:46
lol are you trolling? are just retarded?
April 26, 2015 at 09:12
You are a fucking imbecile.
October 3, 2015 at 07:50
Michael Phelps should not get his medals stripped, yes cannabis is an iffy subject in sports, but Michael Phelps smokes Cannabis recreationally when he’s off season, he doesn’t smoke when he is training for competitions or olympics, they tested him through out his career and the tests showed he had no cannabis in his system every time he won a medal or a race, he should not get his medals stripped because he wasn’t in training, competitions or olympics, anything he does should not affect him in his career, when off season and in his personal life. Oh by the way CBD also known as Cannabidiol does not turn into THC also known as Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, but THC does turn into CBD.
October 3, 2015 at 21:49
Well pointed out.
Thank you for clarifying these points – they are, indeed, important.
November 12, 2015 at 19:35
OP, your an ignorant, arrogant, idiot.