ATP player banned for two years after testing positive for marijuana

America’s young tennis player Casey Kania has been handed a two-year ban after testing positive for marijuana.

The decision was announced by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) in a detailed statement where it accepted that the player did not take the substance intentionally which is why the ban is for two years.

"Cannabis is a cannabinoid banned in competition under section S8 of the WADA Prohibited List,” the statement said. “Kania, who reached a career-high world doubles ranking of 1317 in August 2023, did not possess a valid Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) for the substance

“The ITIA accepted that Kania did not intentionally breach the provisions of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP), but the player was unable to demonstrate that they bore No Fault or Negligence for their violation.

“Therefore, a two-year period of ineligibility (rather than a four-year sanction for an intentional violation) was imposed. In accordance with TADP Article 10.14, during the period of ineligibility, the player is prohibited from playing in, coaching at, or attending any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by the members of the ITIA.”

In the recent past, a lot of tennis players have suffered similar fates. The most famous has been the former world number one Romania’s Simona Halep who received a four-year ban after testing positive for using a banned substance. Her verdict will be announced any time soon.