Local Runners Protest Olympic Cannabis Ban by Sitting on Roof, Getting Totally Baked
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Two local runners have joined the chorus of outrage over the suspension of U.S. sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson for cannabis use, staging a public protest over the weekend to decry the decision.
Dale Denton and Saul Silver, longtime friends and training partners, made their voices heard by sitting on the roof of Denton’s apartment building, sharing a marijuana cigarette, and getting “totally baked,” in Silver’s words.
“(Richardson’s) ban is bullshit, man,” said Denton, in between puffs. “And that rule is bullshit, too. Cannabis is legal in a whole bunch of states and is way less harmful than alcohol or whatever.”
Silver, his lungs full of smoke, nodded in agreement.
The men said they arranged the protest after following the news of Richardson’s suspension and the backlash that followed.
“We couldn’t just sit there on my couch, watching The Matrix Reloaded, any longer,” said Denton. “We had to stand up and do something.”
Silver nodded again.
Officials with USA Track & Field and the World Anti-Doping Agency did not reply to requests for comment.
