ST 13/07 · Decision 14 September 2007 · The Tribunal heard this case under urgency, with the consent of the parties. The Tribunal issued its decision shortly after the hearing. Reasons for the decision were released on 25 September 2007.

Overview:

Anti-doping – cannabis – recreational use – mitigating circumstances included young age of defendant (16) and that, despite signing participation agreement stating he was aware of the anti-doping policy, he apparently had not been provided with all the relevant anti-doping information including the policy – however there were aggravating circumstances justifying suspension – defendant originally claimed positive drug test result solely due to him 2 weeks earlier ingesting cake which unknown to him contained cannabis – however defendant withdrew this claim when presented with evidence that test result indicated more recent cannabis use – a period of suspension was harsh for this player as he would be missing important matches which could impact on his selection for a national junior team – 31 days’ ineligibility imposed on player.