Athletes ask doping agency to take marijuana off banned list

More than 150 current and former athletes signed a letter sent to the World Anti-Doping Agency, asking the organisation to remove marijuana from its list of prohibited substances.

Boxer Mike Tyson, retired football players Jake Plummer and Ricky Williams, and cyclist Floyd Landis are among the athletes who submitted the letter through Athletes for CARE. The nonprofit organisation advocates for research into using cannabis to treat a variety of health issues.

“Athletes for CARE is proud to have such a strong network of respected athletes campaigning for the removal of cannabis from the World Anti-Doping Agency’s prohibited substance list,” Anna Symonds, a rugby player and Athletes for CARE representative, said in a statement. “We’re also calling on fans to show their support online via our Change.org petition.”