Weightlifting Athlete Joshua Mauk Accepts Sanction for Anti-Doping Rule Violation
USADA announced today that Joshua Mauk of Battle Creek, Mich., an athlete in the sport of weightlifting, has accepted a three-month period of ineligibility for an anti-doping rule violation.
Mauk, 32, tested positive for 11-nor-9-carboxy-tetrahydrocannabinol (Carboxy-THC), a urinary metabolite of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)—the main psychoactive constituent of cannabis, marijuana, and hashish—above the urinary Decision Limit as the result of a sample collected in-competition at the North American Open Series 1 & National University Championships on March 2, 2024.
Cannabis, marijuana, and hashish are Specified Substances in the class of Cannabinoids and are prohibited in competition under the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing, the United States Olympic Committee National Anti-Doping Policies, and the International Weightlifting Federation Anti-Doping Rules, all of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code (the Code) and the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.
Under the 2021 Code, THC is classified under a special category, “Substances of Abuse,” that allows for a reduced three-month sanction if the athlete establishes that their use of the substance occurred out-of-competition and was unrelated to sport performance. The sanction may be further reduced to one month if the athlete satisfactorily completes a treatment program approved by USADA.
Mauk qualified for a reduced sanction because his use occurred out-of-competition and was unrelated to sport performance. Mauk accepted a three-month period of ineligibility that began on March 18, 2024, the date he was provisionally suspended. In addition, Mauk has been disqualified from all competitive results obtained on March 2, 2024, the date his positive sample was collected, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes.
