What fate awaits Brownlee?

MANILA, Philippines — Gilas naturalized player Justin Brownlee has until Thursday to decide whether or not to exercise his right to test his Sample B after the International Testing Agency (ITA) found traces of cannabis in Sample A. Although the ITA report was copied to FIBA, it hasn’t been formally endorsed to the basketball federation.

Two urine samples were extracted from Brownlee the day after the Hangzhou Asian Games final and Sample A yielded a finding of a compound in cannabis which isn’t a performance enhancing substance. Jordan player Sami Bzai also tested positive but his case involved an anabolic steroid. If Brownlee asks for an analysis of his Sample B and it is found positive, the case will be referred for resolution to the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport. An appeal is not in the works as no penalty has been announced because of the pending nature of the second sample.

Once FIBA is looped in, secretary-general Andreas Zagklis will turn over the matter to a panel of two to six persons, including one from the Legal Commission and one from the Medical Commission, for review. The Disciplinary Panel members for 2023-27 are Eleonora Rangelova of Bulgaria, Lubomir Kotleba of Slovakia, Olivier Ducrey of Switzerland and Robert Fox of Jamaica.

“What we have is an Adverse Analytical Finding and this will become an Anti-Doping Rule Violation once the AAF of Sample A is confirmed either by the same results from Sample B or by virtue of accepting the finding by waiving the right to open Sample B,” said SBP’s Erika Dy. “Basically, Olympic Council of Asia will have penalties then they will pass on results to FIBA which will also have penalties.” The penalties of OCA and FIBA may differ in severity. Dy said despite the finding, the Philippines’ gold medal in basketball at the Asian Games is not in jeopardy.

If Brownlee is able to show a doctor’s prescription for the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes and prove the medication is not related to playing while taken during non-competition days, the penalty may not be harsh. A basketball official said Brownlee could’ve received an exemption for cannabis in the anti-doping test if he requested for it before the competition with a doctor’s certification. In the NBA, using cannabis is not prohibited and the drug was removed from its list of banned substances last June.