Jim Finnel
Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex News Moderator
The Iditarod sled-dog race from Anchorage to Nome begins Saturday and besides the obvious question -- will Lance Mackey win for a fifth consecutive year? -- is whether anyone will test positive for marijuana.
Drug testing during the Iditarod began last year under rules that called for disqualification only if a musher was found to have smoked pot during the 1,150-mile race. Since that was nearly impossible to determine, because pot can stay in the system for weeks, rules have been updated to allow for disqualification merely for a positive test.
That means pot-smoking mushers who are still puffing away will be at risk of being disqualified during testing along the Iditarod trail.
It should be noted that all of the top mushers tested clean during last year's race. Two mushers who finished far back tested positive.
It's also worth noting that Mackey might have been inspired last year after falling under the impression that fellow competitors supported testing in the hope that Mackey would be caught and disqualified.
After his clean test Mackey, a cancer survivor, told the Associated Press: "There goes all the finger-pointing and accusations and assumptions -- they just got laid to rest."
Mushers can apply for "therapeutic-use exemptions" and according to the Anchorage Daily News, at least some mushers have applied.
The newspaper supplied this list of banned substances: marijuana, hashish, cocaine, amphetamine, opiates, synthetic opiates, propoxyphene, phencyclidine, and any other drug described as a controlled substance by federal law.
There's plenty at risk. This year's Iditarod purse is $528,000, with $50,000 going to the winner.
NewsHawk: Jim Behr: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: petethomasoutdoors.com
Author: Pete Thomas
Copyright: 2011 petethomasoutdoors.com
Contact: Outdoors, action and adventure
Website: Iditarod begins Saturday with updated drug-testing rules
Drug testing during the Iditarod began last year under rules that called for disqualification only if a musher was found to have smoked pot during the 1,150-mile race. Since that was nearly impossible to determine, because pot can stay in the system for weeks, rules have been updated to allow for disqualification merely for a positive test.
That means pot-smoking mushers who are still puffing away will be at risk of being disqualified during testing along the Iditarod trail.
It should be noted that all of the top mushers tested clean during last year's race. Two mushers who finished far back tested positive.
It's also worth noting that Mackey might have been inspired last year after falling under the impression that fellow competitors supported testing in the hope that Mackey would be caught and disqualified.
After his clean test Mackey, a cancer survivor, told the Associated Press: "There goes all the finger-pointing and accusations and assumptions -- they just got laid to rest."
Mushers can apply for "therapeutic-use exemptions" and according to the Anchorage Daily News, at least some mushers have applied.
The newspaper supplied this list of banned substances: marijuana, hashish, cocaine, amphetamine, opiates, synthetic opiates, propoxyphene, phencyclidine, and any other drug described as a controlled substance by federal law.
There's plenty at risk. This year's Iditarod purse is $528,000, with $50,000 going to the winner.
NewsHawk: Jim Behr: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: petethomasoutdoors.com
Author: Pete Thomas
Copyright: 2011 petethomasoutdoors.com
Contact: Outdoors, action and adventure
Website: Iditarod begins Saturday with updated drug-testing rules
