There\u2019s been widespread condemnation over the United States Anti-Doping Agency\u2019s (USADA) recent decision to suspend U.S. runner Sha\u2019Carri Richardson from at least some Olympic competition over a failed marijuana test. But according to a new poll, women are notably more likely to oppose the suspension than men are.<\/p>\n
YouGov surveyed nearly 30,000 Americans about the decision and, somewhat surprisingly, found that a plurality (43 percent) support the punishment, while 41 percent oppose it. But a gender breakdown of respondents revealed an interesting divide.<\/p>\n
More women oppose the suspension of Richardson (44 percent) than support it (39 percent). Men, on the other hand, are more supportive of the penalty (48 percent) than they are against it (38 percent).<\/p>\n
\nAmericans are closely divided on whether runner Sha’Carri Richardson should have been suspended after testing positive for a chemical found in marijuana.<\/p>\n
Support \u2013 43%
Oppose \u2013 41%https:\/\/t.co\/guurB6xIam<\/a> #Tokyo2020<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/93jaqOxVO2<\/a><\/p>\n\u2014 YouGov America (@YouGovAmerica) July 6, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
The divide is all the more curious considering that past polls have found that women are generally less inclined to embrace marijuana legalization than men are<\/a>. One might assume that support for cannabis reform in general would translate into opposition to Richardson\u2019s marijuana-related suspension, but that doesn\u2019t seem to be the case in this instance.<\/p>\n
The YouGov poll<\/a> doesn\u2019t attempt to solve that quandary, but it raises questions about how public opinion shifts in the intersection of sports, drug policy and gender.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, there\u2019s also a significant gap on the issue when it comes to party affiliation and age\u2014though these data are more in line with prior polling on support for legalization.<\/p>\n
Fifty-three percent of those who identify as Democrats oppose the punishment, while 37 percent support it. In contrast, 62 percent of Republicans agreed with the suspension and 26 percent opposed it.<\/p>\n
Young people aged 18-24 were relatively divided on the issue with, 27 percent saying they oppose the sanction and 22 supporting it. As could be expected, those in the oldest category of 55+ were most in favor of the penalty.<\/p>\n
While there hasn\u2019t been a lot of public polling on the specific changes, advocates have broadly embraced internal marijuana policy reforms at other major professional athletic organizations, arguing that they are long overdue especially given the ever-expanding legalization movement.<\/p>\n
NFL\u2019s drug testing policy changed demonstrably<\/a> last year as part of a collective bargaining agreement, for example. Under the policy, NFL players will not face the possibility of being suspended from games over positive tests for any drug\u2014not just marijuana.<\/p>\n
In a similar vein, the MLB decided in 2019 to\u00a0remove cannabis from the league\u2019s list of banned substances<\/a>. Baseball players can consume marijuana without risk of discipline, but officials clarified last year that\u00a0they can\u2019t work while under the influence<\/a>\u00a0and can\u2019t enter into sponsorship contracts with cannabis businesses, at least for the time being.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a temporary NBA policy\u00a0not to randomly drug test players for marijuana<\/a>\u00a0amid the coronavirus pandemic may soon become permanent, the league\u2019s top official said in December. Rather than mandate blanket tests, Commissioner Adam Silver said the league would be reaching out to players who show signs of problematic dependency,\u00a0not those who are \u201cusing marijuana casually.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n
When it comes to Richardson\u2019s suspension, the penalty has been widely slammed on social media.<\/p>\n
While President Joe Biden faced criticism after saying on Saturday that \u201cthe rules are the rules,\u201d fewer paid attention to the fact that he also suggested that there\u2019s an open question about\u00a0whether \u201cthey should remain the rules.\u201d<\/a>\u00a0That\u2019s notable for a president who has maintained an opposition to adult-use legalization.<\/p>\n
That came after White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki\u00a0declined to condemn Olympics officials\u2019 sanction<\/a>\u00a0on Richardson when asked about the issue at a briefing with reporters.<\/p>\n
A bipartisan group of members of Congress slammed Richardson\u2019s punishment on Friday, with leaders of a key House subcommittee sending a scathing letter to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and the Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), urging the bodies to \u201dstrike a blow for civil liberties and civil rights by reversing this course you are on.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe divergent treatment of recreational alcohol and marijuana use reflects obsolete stereotypes about cannabis products and a profound misunderstanding of the relative risks of both substances,\u201d they said, noting that\u00a0major sports leagues\u00a0such as the\u00a0NFL, MLB and NBA\u00a0are making moves to\u00a0scale back or eliminate cannabis punishments\u00a0for players.<\/p>\n
\nMarijuana Industry \u2018Will Continue To Grow,\u2019 Federal Economic Panel Says While Recommending Classification Changes<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
Photo courtesy of Brian Shamblen<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n
The post Women Oppose Sha\u2019Carri Richardson\u2019s Marijuana Suspension While Men Support It, Poll Finds<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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