- Nagano 1998. The first Olympics to feature Men’s Giant Slalom in snowboarding. Ross Rebagliati was the winner of the gold medal, a 27-year-old Canadian and the pride on an entire country. Shortly thereafter, they took away his medal because he tested positive for marijuana in a doping test. Panic ensued and they snatched away everything he had worked for over the last four years. However, the medal was returned after an appeal because THC is not on the IOC’s list of banned substances. Now it is, although the World Anti-Doping Agency recently increased the threshold from 15 nanograms per millilitre to 150 ng/ml. According to them, it is only intended to sanction substance abuse and prevent cases like Ross’. But what kind of advantage do you gain over competitors by smoking weed?
Ross maintains that he did not smoke marijuana but did attend several parties and was exposed to smoke from joints consumed by friends. Still, he became a public friend of marijuana and the target of jokes about the plant in his country. Now he has decided to redirect his popularity to his own interest, taking advantage of the policy change on medical marijuana in Canada. With a partner he has started a medical cannabis dispensary called Ross’ Gold.
Many see the change in law as persecution because it prohibits users from being self-sufficient and forces them to buy cannabis through licensed producers. Business is business, but that is another story. It comes in handy for Ross. Ross’ Gold will provide centres where therapists and specialists will prescribe the right cannabis. Patients will receive a personal prescription ID code that they can use to access Ross’ Gold online store. From there, they will be able to order marijuana, which will be delivered to their homes on the following day via bonded courier.
A bowl of krispies in the morning and off to work. Photo from High Times
The cannabis distributed by the company comes from domestic producers and is divided into four classes: Ross’ Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze. We wonder if the packets come with labels with Olympic medals. Of course they do. Platinum will have the highest THC levels (+20%) and Bronze hardly has any, but it contains a lot of CBD. This simplification of the product seems interesting for the medical subsector.
These are high stakes for Ross, which is what we call corporate opportunism. But what about the previous question, you might be wondering? Why is marijuana prohibited for professional athletes? What kind of advantage do you gain over competitors by consuming cannabis? We would say none, but Ross Rebagliati, an expert on the subject, mentions a handful of aspects in this interview:
It is the best jet lag cure, which athletes face from long-haul travel.
It keeps your appetite healthy so you take in a higher quantity of nutrients.
CBD is possibly one of the most powerful and effective anti-inflammatories for muscle strain, injuries, post operation and it is also very effective for treating anxiety and competitive stress.
It provides quality sleep.
No hangover.
It is a responsible alternative to alcohol and tobacco.
It is the safest drug known because it has never caused any death.
According to Ross, “Global change is happening faster than we expected. As I said, once we see politicians riding the bandwagon, you know something is changing, and when it does, it’ll change quickly”. It will change as fast as Ross Rebagliati’s slalom run in Nagano that gave him the Olympic glory.
Look mom, I‘ve won the gold!!! Photo from Maclean’s
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