Osaze De Rosario Suspended One Month For Unintentionally Eating Edible

Just one week after the Canadian Premier League saw its first anti-doping violation, another has followed suit – though it perhaps takes an even more bizarre shape.

York United FC has confirmed that striker Osaze De Rosario will be ineligible to represent the club for one month following a sanction from the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport.

The forward’s anti-doping rule violation saw him test positive for THC, a component of cannabis which may be legal in Canada but is still included in the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of prohibited substances. De Rosario had ingested the THC a few days before an in-competition urine test on October 1, 2022, with the resulting positive handing him a one-month ban for the violation – which he states had been accidental.

“Last September, I unknowingly consumed THC after eating an unlabeled dessert at a dinner gathering I attended days before a match,” Osaze De Rosario explained in a club statement.

“I understand that cannabis is legal in Canada but is also prohibited in-competition in some professional sports. I did not intentionally eat cannabis, but I take responsibility for my actions and will abide by the sanction. This will allow me to get back on the field in the shortest timeframe allowed under the CCES rules. I apologize to my club, the coaching staff, my teammates, our supporters. and my family for not being available this month.”

The terms of the sanction means that the York United striker will be unable to train or participate with his teammates until September 7, 2023. With three league goals this season, he’s the clubs joint-second top goalscorer behind Molham Babouli.

Strikers Austin Ricci and Brian Wright, who the club will now rely on, have one league goal apiece.

“This is a regrettable situation. We are satisfied that Osaze consumed the THC inadvertently and out of competition. While we support his decision to comply with the CCES’ sanction, it is disappointing that a sanction is required under these circumstances,” said York United Club President Angus McNab.

The club official pointed out that given that the NBA, NHL, and MLB have all stopped testing for cannabis – which is legal to consume in Canada – that the WADA still maintains the substance on its prohibited liost.

“The fact is, if Osaze played for the Toronto Raptors, the Toronto Blue Jays, or the Toronto Maple Leafs in the same city, he would not be sanctioned.  We strongly urge WADA to review the inclusion of THC on its prohibited list for the benefit of all current and future Canadian soccer players,” concluded McNab.

The one month ban handed to Osaze is a minimum length ban from the CCES, who recently handed Halifax Wanderers strike Ludwig Amla a two-year ban for a doping violation related to his asthma medication.

Header Image Photo Credit: John Jacques