Justin Brownlee Positive Dope Test is Allegedly Due to His Medicines
Gilas Pilipinas basketball player Justin Brownlee tested positive in dope test due to his alleged medicines with “herb” while recovering.
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) has suggested that Justin Brownlee might have inadvertently ingested medicines containing marijuana while recovering from foot surgery in the United States. This belief stems from the fact that medical marijuana is legal in many U.S. states.
SBP conveyed this theory to the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), as confirmed by committee president Bambol Tolentino. According to Tolentino, they suspect that the prohibited substance in Brownlee’s system may have come from prescribed medications during his extended stay in the United States for medical recovery.
Tolentino stated in Inquirer Sports article, “The SBP told me that Brownlee stayed for a long time in the US to recover (from a surgery). They think it came from medicines he was prescribed there. And as you know, there are a lot of States that have legalized (cannabis) for treatment.”
It was reported on October 13 that Brownlee had failed a doping test conducted by the International Testing Agency, with traces of the prohibited substance Carboxy-THC, linked to cannabis use, found in his urine. This revelation came shortly after Gilas Pilipinas secured a gold medal at the 19th Asian Games.
The POC president reassured that the gold medal would not be forfeited since the Olympic Council of Asia’s rule states that three players must test positive for drugs in order for the team to lose its medal.
Brownlee is the second athlete in Team Philippines to have a positive A sample in doping tests during the Hangzhou Games. Mountain bike cyclist Ariana Evangelista also failed a doping test at the Asian Games.
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