IOC CRACKS DOWN ON MARIJUANA

SYDNEY, Australia -- Moving to close a loophole exposed by the Ross
Rebagliati case in Nagano, the IOC said today that marijuana and other
"social drugs" will be included on its list of banned substances.

The International Olympic Committee executive board agreed to draft new
provisions in the Olympic Charter and the IOC medical code dealing with
marijuana and other recreational drugs. IOC officials said marijuana would
be added to the banned list, even though it is not considered a
performance-enhancing drug, and that any athlete testing positive for the
drug would be disqualified.

The move came as a response to the case of Rebagliati, the Canadian
snowboarder who was stripped of his gold medal in the men's giant slalom
during the Nagano Winter Games after testing positive for marijuana.

The IOC's decision was later overturned and the medal reinstated by the
Court of Arbitration for Sport, which ruled there was no clear provision
for marijuana testing at the games.

"This was a clear lesson," IOC director general Francois Carrard said. "We
had regulations that were not clear enough. We had to draw a lesson from
Nagano. The IOC wants to take a stand against a social drug."

IOC vice president Dick Pound of Canada, who has expressed reservations
about regulating for social drugs, said the Olympic body wanted to set an
example.

"The IOC has decided in the case of social drugs we should take a stand,
and Olympic athletes should be put to a somewhat higher standard than
society in general," he said. "Marijuana is sufficiently serious that we
will be recommending disqualification."

Carrard said the IOC needed more time to work on the details and language
to be included in the charter and medical code. "Marijuana will be banned,
that's for sure," he said. "There is absolutely no doubt that marijuana is
included there."

IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch set up a four-member task force to
study the issue after Nagano.

Prince Alexandre de Merode, chairman of the IOC medical commission, was
among those pushing for marijuana to be banned. "I believe the IOC as a
principle likes to be associated with the fight against drugs, including
social drugs," he said. "The IOC is taking care of the health of athletes
and young people. We believe Olympic athletes must be an example for other
young athletes and the youth."

De Merode said marijuana should be banned even though it does not act as a
performance-enhancer like steroids.

"It's basically not performance-enhancing, but marijuana can destroy the
performance," he said. "It can be dangerous. It can give you the impression
that you are indestructible."

The medical chief said he would recommend that, outside of Olympic
competition, international federations should apply a maximum three-month
suspension for marijuana use.

De Merode said heroin and cocaine are already on the banned list, while
drugs such as ecstasy and hallucinogenic mushrooms could be added.

He rejected suggestions that the IOC should streamline its banned list to
include only performance-enhancing drugs like steroids, human growth
hormone and EPO.

"If you take something off the list, it's an open door to use that
product," he said. "Everybody jumps on it and uses it." Pound, the Canadian
IOC vice president, stressed that marijuana should be seen in a different
light from steroids.

"I think you have to be careful on social drugs," he said.

"Marijuana is not a performance-enhancing drug. One man's marijuana is
another man's alcohol. If it's not something that enhances your
performance, I'm not sure we should be in the business to regulate it."

Copyright Los Angeles Times