Amendments to the list of prohibited substances and methods are published

On 1 October, the World Anti-Doping Agency published an update to its list of Prohibited Substances and Prohibited Methods, which will enter into force on 1 January 2023.  Prohibited substances in sport are those substances that enhance or may enhance performance, impair the health of the athlete and undermine the spirit of sport.

The most significant change to the World Anti-Doping Agency's List of Prohibited Substances and Prohibited Methods is the addition of tramadol (an opioid analgesic) to the List. After several years of monitoring how the use of the substance can affect sporting performance, the World Anti-Doping Agency's experts have decided that the substance will be banned in all sports during competition, due to the high risk of opioid dependence and the high risk of fatal overdose. As the substance is classified as a medicinal product, the ban will only take effect from 1 January 2024. It is important to note that when prescribing tramadol for therapeutic purposes, athletes can apply to the Agency for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (more information here).

Despite several requests from national anti-doping agencies to review the banning of THC - tetrahydrocannabinol, the active compound in cannabis - during competition, a World Anti-Doping Agency panel of experts has concluded that the substance poses a serious threat to the health of athletes, especially young athletes, and can cause irreversible changes to the nervous system. It is also not excluded that THC may in some cases enhance athletic performance and that its use endangers the safety of other athletes and the spirit of sport, which is why it remains on the list of prohibited substances in competition and is classified as a substance of abuse.

For more information in English and the full amendments, see: https://www.wada-ama.org/en/news/wada-publishes-2023-prohibited-list

https://www.wada-ama.org/en/resources/world-anti-doping-program/2023-prohibited-list