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Drug Free Sport New Zealand v Nat Connell

Overview:

Anti-doping – cannabis – recreational use – basketball player tests positive to cannabis after match – Tribunal provisionally suspends player on application of NSO – violation admitted at hearing -aggravating factors include experience of player and used cannabis few days before match – remorse and impact of provisional suspension taken into account including adverse publicity- comments on relevance of being professional athlete – player fully professional – Tribunal finds little favour in argument that sanction should be reduced due to financial penalty suffered by professional athlete due to suspension – comments on high levels of prohibited substance in samples – levels not specifically taken into account here but Tribunal may require evidence in future cases re relevance of high levels – Tribunal applying principles from previous cases – 6 weeks’ suspension effectively imposed (taking into account time athlete provisionally suspended).

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