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Is There A Place For Cannabis In Athletics?

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15min 09sec
Denver Beer Co’s Carbon Dioxide Boosts Plant Growth At The Clinic’s Marijuana Growing Operation
Hart Van Denburg/CPR News
At The Clinic’s marijuana grow operation in Denver, carbon dioxide generated during fermentation at the Denver Beer Co. is used to boost plant growth.

Earlier this month sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson was suspended from Olympic competition after she tested positive for marijuana. It was a controversial move by the World Anti-Doping Agency, with many decrying the rule as unfair and nonsensical. We wondered: Does marijuana have any effect on athletic performance? And why is it a banned substance to begin with?

Angela Bryan is a professor of psychology and neuroscience at CU Boulder. She’s done a lot of research on athletes' relationship with cannabis. And CU’s Roger Pielke is the author of “The Edge: The War Against Cheating and Corruption in the Cutthroat World of Elite Sports.” He founded CU Boulder's Sports Governance Center.