Junior football athlete suspended for the presence of cannabis
(Ottawa, Ontario – March 3, 2014) – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced today that Taylor Flavel, a junior football player, received a two-month sanction for an anti-doping rule violation. The athlete’s urine sample, collected during in-competition doping control on November 9, 2013, revealed the presence of cannabis.
Cannabinoids are classified as “specific substances” on the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List, banned in-competition. Under the rules of the Canadian Anti-Doping Program (CADP), an athlete facing a first violation involving a “specified substance” can seek a sanction reduction from two years of ineligibility down to a reprimand. Based on an analysis of the degree of fault regarding the athlete’s use of cannabis, the CCES proposed a sanction of a two-month period of ineligibility from sport.
In response to the CCES’ notification of the adverse analytical finding, Mr. Flavel waived his right to a hearing, admitted to the anti-doping rule violation, and accepted a two-month sanction which ended February 6, 2014. The athlete, who resides in Nanaimo, British Columbia, was ineligible to participate in any capacity with any sport signatory to the CADP, including training with teammates, during the term of suspension.
The CCES is an independent, national, not-for profit organization with a responsibility to administer the Canadian Anti-Doping Program. Under the CADP rules, the CCES announces publicly every anti-doping rule violation. We recognize that true sport can make a great difference for individuals, communities and our country. We are committed to working collaboratively to activate a values-based and principle-driven sport system; protecting the integrity of sport from the negative forces of doping and other unethical threats; and advocating for sport that is fair, safe and open to everyone.
