Iditarod Launches Drug Testing of Mushers
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Every human competitor now running the Iditarod
Trail Sled Dog Race will be tested for alcohol and illegal drugs on the
trail for the first time in the history of the 1,100-mile race - a
change defending champion Lance Mackey believes is directed at him.
"I know for a fact," said the three-time winner.
Mackey,
who has been open about using medical marijuana on the trail, on
Tuesday was among the early front-runners in the race, which began with
71 teams Sunday in Willow. (Please click on the link to read the whole article.)
Mackey Seeks 4th Win in Iditarod Sled Dog Race
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Both knees are shot, injected with synthetic cartilage until he can have surgery next summer. His right arm is still healing from a major operation to fix a staph infection. He continues to deal with other side effects of cancer. (Please click link above to read entire article.)
If anyone has a use for medical marijuana it's Lance Mackey. He's a certified, card-carrying user of the same, and with good reason: he's a cancer survivor. If it were me with all the physical issues he has right now, I'd be home eating popcorn and watching movies. But Mackey is a doer, not a watcher. Even though he is allowed to take his cancer pills, which contain the active ingredient in marijuana, he isn't going to. He says he can't take the chance. I agree.There would be no way for the drug testers to distinguish between the pills and actual marijuana use, even though it's legal for Mackey to use marijuana.
From what I can tell the Iditarod is one mean, nasty, cut-throat race, where people lie and connive to get others thrown out of the race. I've seen it in years previous and I'm sure we'll see it again. Four mushers have complained that Mackey's use of marijuana gives him an edge. Right. Marijuana, it just makes you super strong and fearless, able to stay awake for hours on end, right? Yeah, right. You can go for extended periods of punishing physical activity with marijuana, right? It's laughable!
How many people do you know who use marijuana so they can sleep at night? So that they can deal with the nausea caused by cancer drugs? How about ADD people who self-medicate with marijuana so that they can stop being so hyper?
How many people know guys who still live in their parents' basement and smoke dope and watch video games in between shifts at the nearest convenience store? I mean honestly, marijuana is the most NON-performance-enhancing drug of them all! It's the most non-motivating, pro-layabout drug. Come on, Iditarod folks, this is a joke.
The rules for the Iditarod state that mushers will be tested for illegal drugs. But Mackey's use of marijuana is legal.
The whole thing just stinks. And I applaud Lance Mackey for being an incredibly persistent person who is rolling with the punches with so much more amiability than I would have in his circumstances.
