WADA Executive committee to meet on 23rd Sept on canabis review

• The committee will discuss multiple issues among them the approval of the 2023 List of Prohibited Substances and Method.
• The ExCo Committee includes up to five representatives drawn from the Sport Movement, five representatives from Governments of the world with WADA’s President and Vice-President included.
• WADA is mandated to ensure a collaborative worldwide movement for doping-free sport.

The World Anti Doping Agency’s’ executive committee will on 23rd September hold a meeting in Sydney, Australia to address on the WADA’s progress on key priorities and further suggest certain recommendations to the Agency’s Foundation Board (Board) for its next meeting in November.

WADA President Witold Bańka, Vice-President Yang Yang and Director General Olivier Niggli during a previous meeting in Washington in a meeting other key partners in the United States. Photo Courtesy WADA

According to a statement by WADA on Wednesday the Exco members will attend in person with other stakeholders joining the meeting virtually.

The ExCo Committee includes up to five representatives drawn from the Sport Movement i.e. an athlete representative, five representatives from Governments of the world and four other independent members with WADA’s President and Vice-President included.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) comprise of a 38-member Board being the highest policy-making body together with the 14-member ExCo delegated by the Board mandated to manage the running of the Agency including performance of activities and the administration of assets.

The committee will discuss multiple issues among them the approval of the 2023 List of Prohibited Substances and Method being one of the meetings agenda.

The approval of the Standing Committee Chairs for the 2023-2025 terms will be discussed. Standing Committee is tasked a key advisory part in policy and priority development for the Agency.

The committee will also review the World Anti-Doping Code Compliance decisions regarding WADA’s approach on current cases.

The WADA’s Doping Code Compliance articulates on the vision that strong, Code-compliant anti-doping rules and programs are applied and enforced in a consistent and effective manner across all sports and in all the countries to promote equity in sports competition.

Decisions on proposed enhancements to the International Standards for Therapeutic Use Exemptions and for Testing and Investigations.

WADA will also discuss on the Consideration of the recommendations from its Laboratory Expert Advisory Group in accreditation applications of some anti-doping laboratories and the approval of scientific research project grants that was slated for 2022.

Barely a year ago after the ban of canabis the World Anti-Doping Agency early this week listed it among the prohibited substances for 2023.

The Anti doping agency announced a suspension of Americas Sha’Carri Richardson last Summer Olympics in Tokyo a month before after testing positive for Marijuana leading to a global attention with many sports stakeholders terming it as an antiquated ban.

Americas Sha’Carri Richardson after finishing in the last position in the 100m women race at Diamond League Prefontaine Classic that was held in  Hayward Field in 2021. Photo Courtesy Getty Images

The United States Anti-Doping Agency, US Olympic & Paralympic Committee have also listed it as a prohibited substance saying the substance can easily cause both health and safety risks to sportsmen hence compromising with their performance.