Has Marijuana Become A Political Football

Marijuana is a HUGE no for Olympics athletes – and for guests visiting Paris, it is also a French non (wink wink).

Like most sporting organizations, cannabis use, even for medical reasons, is a big no go for athletes. The Olympics are no exception. While the WADA guidance says they can use the cannabidiol (CBD), athletes are prohibited from consuming any natural or synthetic cannabinoids in the time leading up to a competition. US sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson was dismissed from the Tokyo Olympics because she tested positive. So again, marijuana is a big non at the Paris Olympics. And it is still illegal in France, so for visitors, it is also a big French non (well – wink wink)

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Like most major cites including London, Delhi, Tokyo, and Rome, just because it says on things on the books, doesn’t mean the local population adheres to what it says. The illegal black market is a vast multi-billion industry in most of Europe, most of South America and parts of Asia.  Canada is fully legal and the US is a patchwork with both approved and illicit markets. While traveling aboard with marijuana on you can be spotty, in the country you can usually find it pretty easy. Just be careful and go with you gut on trusting people.

Cannabis use is illegal in France. But like it most countries, marijuana continues to a widely used drug for both recreational and medical reasons.  It is not uncommon in the trendy Maris, at football stadiums or even on the famed Avenue des Champs-Élysées to catch a whiff. And with gummies and vapes, it has blended into the Paris scene with hardly anyone noticing or caring. It is reported the country’s population are among the largest consumers of cannabis worldwide. Possession of cannabis has been somewhat decriminalized in France, with minor offenders potentially being served with fines.

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However, prison sentences of up to one year are still possible for people found in illegal possession of cannabis especially those looking to sell.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) technically has no problem with athletes legally having a few drinks. But of course, the focus is on performance, so drinks would come at the end of the games.

While there is reference to the original games in Ancient Greece, the ones we watch really started in 1896 in Athens and are overseen by the International Olympic Committee.