FAQ's

A cannabinoid is a compound produced by the cannabis (marijuana) plant or synthesized as a chemical (synthetic cannabinoid). Of more than 100 cannabinoids in the plant, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main psychoactive compound, which alters the mind or behavior. Other cannabinoids include cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), and cannabigerol (CBG). Since the mid-2000’s, many different synthetic cannabinoids were produced in illegal laboratories and sold as drugs to mimic the effects of THC.

All natural and synthetic cannabinoids are prohibited except for cannabidiol (CBD). Cannabis, hashish and marijuana are prohibited.  Products, including foods and drinks, containing cannabinoids, are also prohibited. All synthetic cannabinoids that mimic the effects of THC are prohibited.

CBD is not prohibited; however, athletes should be aware that some CBD oils and tinctures extracted from cannabis plants, may also contain THC and other cannabinoids that could result in a positive test for a prohibited cannabinoid.

Effective 1 January 2018, and after careful consideration and extensive consultation, Alcohol is excluded from the Prohibited List. The intent of this change is not to compromise the integrity or safety of any sport where alcohol use is a concern, but rather to endorse a different means of enforcing bans on alcohol use in these sports. The International Federations (IF) affected by this change were alerted sufficiently in advance in order to amend their rules and to put in place protocols to test for alcohol use and appropriately sanction athletes who do not abide by the rules of their sport. Control of the process will allow IF more flexibility in applying rules or thresholds as they see fit. The National Anti-Doping Organizations are no longer obliged to conduct tests but may assist IF and National Federations where appropriate.

The fact that a substance is not on the Prohibited List does not mean that it is not prohibited since most categories only include some common examples and are not exhaustive.

In addition, section S0 (Non-approved substances) includes substances used for doping which are not included in other sections of the Prohibited List that are not approved by any governmental regulatory health authority for human therapeutic use. This includes drugs under pre-clinical or clinical development, discontinued drugs, designer drugs or veterinary drugs. A designer drug is defined as a synthetic analogue of a legally restricted or prohibited drug, devised to circumvent drug laws.

Most prohibited substances fall in one of the S1 to S9 categories.  Therefore, only in rare occasions a substance is included in S0 after a case-by-case evaluation.

Proteases (also known as proteolytic enzymes), for example, pancreatin, are not prohibited when taken orally for the medical treatment of digestive or other conditions.

According to the Prohibited List, proteases are prohibited when added to a urine or blood sample to tamper, or attempt to tamper, with the sample.

Nebulizers are by definition inhalation devices and thus not prohibited as a method. However, the inhalation of salbutamol in doses recommended by the manufacturer is most likely to result in urinary levels of salbutamol exceeding the urinary threshold of 1,000 ng/ml and thus, the use of salbutamol with a nebulizer requires a TUE. However, a TUE for nebulized salbutamol would be granted only in rare situations, such as a severe acute asthma attack treated in an emergency room setting. In otherwise healthy adults, the use of metered dose inhalers with a spacer has been demonstrated as effective as the nebulized drug in managing acute exacerbations of asthma.

Extreme caution is recommended regarding dietary/nutritional supplement use.

The use of dietary supplements by athletes is a serious concern because in many countries the manufacturing and labeling of supplements do not follow strict rules, which may lead to a supplement containing an undeclared substance that is prohibited under anti-doping regulations. A significant number of positive tests have been attributed to the misuse of supplements and attributing an Adverse Analytical Finding to a poorly labeled dietary supplement is not an adequate defense in a doping hearing.

The risks of taking supplements should be weighed against the potential benefit that may be obtained, and athletes must appreciate the negative consequences of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation as a result of taking a contaminated supplement.

Use of supplement products that have been subjected to one of the available quality assurance schemes can help to reduce, but not eliminate, the risk of an inadvertent doping infringement.