NCAA rules won't allow for CJ Harris's epilepsy medication, dream to play at Auburn apparently over
By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com
C.J. Harris wasnât going to start his college career on scholarship at a Division I football program.
He was going to get a definite shot to earn a scholarship, though, accepting a preferred walk-on offer at Auburn, his favorite school.
Not now. At least not for awhile.
The NCAA has ruled Harris ineligible to participate because of his prescription usage of cannabis oil to battle epilepsy.
WGXA-TV Fox 24 in Macon first reported the story Wednesday night. See the full story and video here.
Harris spent his senior year at Warner Robins after transferring from FPD. He started at safety and helped the Demons to an undefeated regular season and trip to the GHSA Class 5A championship game.
Harris finished second on the team with 82 tackles and had two interceptions.
Harris was diagnosed with epilepsy as a sophomore in high school, and cannabis oil was eventually prescribed after more than a dozen of seizures.
State representative Allen Peake has been a staunch proponent of medical marijuana, and fought for its legalization. He was the main force behind a 2015 law that established a registry in the state for medical marijuana.
Nearly 2,000 patients and almost 400 doctors in the state are registered.
Harris began taking it in January of 2017 while FPD, which as a private school was able to permit Harris to administer the medicine to himself. But after transferring to Warner Robins in the middle of his junior year, he found things different.
For one, he couldnât administer the medicine to himself while on campus at the public school, so his father would pick him up around lunch time and they would drive around for a few minutes while Harris took the medication, which he must do every six hours.
WGXA reported that Auburn coaches re-examined Harrisâs medical records and told his father about acceptable medication while competing in NCAA sports.
The station noted the NCAA rule about athletes having any THC in their system. Harrisâs medication has .3 percent THC, which would reportedly still be enough to prevent him from passing a drug test.
The family is examining options outside of the NCAA, which has three divisions, including NAIA and junior colleges, as well as other medical options.
Peake has worked hard to provide legal cannabis medication to Georgia residents. It has become a priority for him, leading Peake to not seek re-election to represent District 141 after 12 years.
State representative Heath Clark expresses support for Harris and anger with Congress with a string of Tweets Wednesday night, including:
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Peake did as well, with a Tweet backing Clarkâs words, noting: âWe must fix this, cmon congressâ with a hashtag âchangethedamnlawâ.
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