When it comes to non-performance-enhancing recreational drugs, there is a dual standard for Olympic athletes. Athletes sometimes get a pass on bad behavior as long as the behavior involves alcohol and not marijuana.

During the recent summer games, British cycling gold medalist Bradley Wiggins was not sanctioned for “getting wasted” on alcoholic beverages in public.

In fact, the International Olympic Committee looks the other way if athletes are drunk while competing in their events. Russian high jump gold medalist Ivan Ukhov did just that during the 2008 games in Beijing.

Alcohol not only is okay at the Olympics, it helps pay for them. Heineken UK was an official “provider and supplier” in London, while Budweiser was an official sponsor of Team USA.

But don’t get caught using marijuana.

American wrestler Stephany Lee lost her spot on the 2012 U.S. Olympic team after she tested positive for cannabis. Her replacement was defeated in the first round. Likewise, Nick Delpopolo was stripped of his seventh place finish in men’s judo after tests revealed the presence of cannabis metabolites in his system. When swimming icon Michael Phelps was photographed smoking marijuana from a bong at a party less than three months after he earned eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympics, he was forced to apologize to his sponsors and his public, but because his transgression was out-of-competition, he was not punished.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

To Learn More:

Olympic Athletes Were Using Plenty of Drugs in London: Why Don't We Let Them Use the Safe Ones? (by Russ Belville, AlterNet)

Half of Americans Support Legal Marijuana for First Time (by Noel Brinkerhoff and David Wallechinsky, AllGov)