A French rugby player suspended for two years after testing positive for cannabis

In France, you have to choose between the poles and being stoned.

In February 2026, the Council of State upheld the two-year suspension imposed by the French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD) on a player from the Anglet Olympique Rugby Club (AORC), who tested positive for THC after a Nationale 2 match played in January 2024, according to Sud-Ouest.

The rugby player, born in 1995, had undergone a doping test following a match between his team and Union Cognac Saint-Jean-d’Angély. Analysis of his urine revealed the presence of carboxy-THC, the primary metabolite of cannabis, at a level of 194 nanograms per milliliter, which is above the threshold of 180 ng/mL set by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

The sanction imposed by the AFLD prohibits the player from participating in any rugby competition or activity through June 29, 2027.

A defense deemed not very credible

Challenging the decision, the player filed a complaint with the Council of State in August 2025, arguing that the penalty was disproportionate. He explained that he had used cannabis a week before the match during a “party,” claiming that he had merely “taken a few puffs from a joint that was being passed around.”

But the administrative judges did not accept this version of events. In its conclusions, the public health official notes that the detected concentration level is more consistent with recent consumption than with a single instance of use several days prior.

The Council of State also noted several inconsistencies in the player’s statements. He had initially claimed that the use occurred on January 20, 2024, before changing his story and ultimately stating January 21, after the AFLD pointed out that he had played a match on that day.

The judges also found that the account lacked credibility regarding the allegedly exceptional nature of this use. The court noted, in particular, that it was unlikely that a 30-year-old athlete would try cannabis for the first time in this specific context.

Cannabis remains banned in competition

The case serves as a reminder that the THC remains on the list of banned substances banned by WADA, even though its effects on athletic performance are still a matter of debate.

In his conclusions, the public rapporteur notes that cannabis is classified as a “substance of abuse” in the same category as cocaine, MDMA, and heroin. The World Anti-Doping Code considers that a substance may be banned if it meets two out of three criteria: potential performance enhancement, health risk, or contradiction with “sportsmanship”.

According to the documents cited by the Council of State, THC is primarily considered contrary to this “spirit of sportsmanship” and potentially harmful to athletes’ health, unlike alcohol, which is permitted in club locker rooms once the game is over. The scientific studies cited in the decision also note that cannabis tends to reduce physical performance, particularly due to its effects on alertness and reaction time.

The report also highlights the challenges associated with cannabis screening in sports. The carboxy-THC, which can remain detectable for several days, or even several weeks for some athletes, the distinction between “off-competition” and “in-competition” use continues to be regularly challenged in sports courts.

A penalty deemed proportionate

The player ultimately felt that this two-year suspension amounted to a “career-ending” punishment and jeopardized his professional standing. He was, in fact, employed by the Basque Country Urban Community in connection with his status as a rugby player.

The Council of State, however, ruled that these personal consequences were not sufficient to reduce the penalty provided for in the Sports Code. The court therefore upheld the AFLD’s decision in its entirety and ordered the player to pay the agency 3,000 euros in legal costs.