Skip to main content

The Olympics are stuck in the 1980s on marijuana

Marijuana Legalization,Sports,Sha'Carri Richardson,Olympics,Public Health

Vox
From the Left

What would have happened if Sha’Carri Richardson were suspended from the Olympics for marijuana use in the 1980s?

In the era of Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” mantra, as the country barreled further into its war on drugs, much of the public likely would have backed the move to block the sprinter from competing after a failed drug test. Politicians on the right and left, many of whom worked together to enact punitive anti-drug laws, would have said the suspension sends the right message to the public about the dangers of drug use — while news shows hosting these politicians’ messages cut to “This Is Your Brain on Drugs” commercials showing an egg frying on a pan.

AllSides Picks

More News about Public Health

News from the Left

News from the Center

News from the Right