High on sport: the ethically unjustified inclusion of cannabis on the anti-doping list

Abstract

The objective of my thesis is to morally analyze the inclusion of cannabis on the anti-doping list. Cannabis is relatively often identified in athlete‟s test samples and this causes a lot of controversy about the question whether cannabis should be included on the anti-doping list. In my thesis I argue that the three criteria WADA uses to include a substance or method on the anti-doping list, do not provide a morally right justification for the inclusion of cannabis. I argue:

(1) Cannabis is not performance enhancing. (2) Although cannabis can be harmful to the health of an athlete, I argue that this should only be a matter of concern for sport organisations if the substance is performance enhancing. (3) I provide a definition of „the spirit of sport‟ which is grounded on the normative framework that makes a sport into what it is. Using this definition I argue that cannabis is not contrary to „the spirit of sport‟.

I add two other arguments against the inclusion of cannabis on the anti-doping list:

(1) Prohibiting the use of cannabis is interfering with the privacy rights of athletes. (2) Given the limited resources of the anti-doping organisations, it is morally wrong to spend any resources on the prohibition of cannabis. I conclude from these arguments that it is morally wrong to include cannabis on the anti-doping list.