Cannabis use and the spirit of sport: a response to Mike McNamee

Abstract

In a recent article in this journal, Mike McNamee (2012: 374–92) noted that “one particularly problematic aspect of present anti-doping policy relates to the existence of what are often and variously referred to as ‘social drugs’, ‘recreational drugs’ or ‘substances of abuse’, in the list of prohibited methods and substances that comprise ‘doping’ as defined the [sic] global body responsible for anti-doping: the World Anti-Doping Agency”. The focus of his article was, he wrote, “whether and how the presence of Cannabinoids on the Prohibited List (PL) is justified or not” (McNamee 2012: 374). He noted that many “scholars, scientists and key actors have argued that it should not be included” but he argued that, on the contrary, “Cannabinoids should be retained on the Prohibited List; that its [sic] use may be thought of as doping; and that the Spirit of Sport criterion, though vague, is still a defensible criterion for the demarcation of ‘doping’ ” (McNamee 2012: 374–5). As part of his argument, he criticised a recent call signed by many members of the International Network of Humanistic Doping Research (INHDR 2012) calling for cannabis to be dropped from the prohibited list. As signatories to that call, we wish to reply to his criticisms of our position.