MMA fighter, athlete and medical cannabis advocate Elias Theodorou will compete with a medical exemption for cannabis use.
Elias Theodorou, MMA fighter and medical cannabis advocate, will be competing with an exemption for the use of medical cannabis.
This is the first time in U.S. history with in-competition Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) in place for medical cannabis, as reported by CannaTech Today.
Many athletes have been penalised for the use of medical cannabis, which is a banned substance even in the absence of performance-enhancing effects.
U.S. track sensation Sha’Carri Richardson was suspended for one month after testing positive for THC earlier this year. Had she been granted an in-competition TUE, she would have been allowed to compete in her signature event at the Tokyo Olympics.
Theodorou’s fight against Bryan Baker, taking place December 18, 2021 in Greeley, Colorado is a momentous event in U.S. sporting history because it sets a valuable precedent for athletes using medical cannabis.
Theodorou explains that this precedent is emblematic of a cultural shift in perceptions of cannabis, from which future generations of athletes stand to benefit. Theodorou’s TUE has created a new wave of opportunity for athletes to share the same right to medicate with cannabis in competition.
The match will be immortalised by an exclusive NFT, available on the New World platform. Theodorou explains that this NFT represents the knockout punch to cannabis prohibition in athletics, making a statement that validates the therapeutic basis of his exemption.
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