Petition to get Sha'Carri Richardson back on U.S. Olympic team surpasses 550,000 signatures

An online petition advocating for star U.S. sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson to be allowed to still race at the Olympics despite testing positive for marijuana is nearing its goal of 600,000 signatures. 

In just four days, the "Let Sha'Carri Run" petition has gathered support from over 550,000 signatories who are against what they say is an "outdated" drug rule that has put her on a one-month suspension and ruined her chances of competing in the women's 100 meter sprint in Tokyo later this month. 

The number was 553,358 as of late Wednesday afternoon.

"In no world is marijuana a performance-enhancing drug for runners, and in more places in the United States and around the world, marijuana use is legal. The United States Anti-Doping Agency should drop their penalty and allow Richardson to compete!," the petition reads.

It adds that the rule on marijuana is "arbitrarily enforced," like drug laws are applied in the U.S.

"Recreational marijuana use has been de facto legal for upper-middle-class white people for years – something more states are recognizing as they legalize marijuana for all people and consider how to repair the damage done to Black and brown communities by decades of the 'war on drugs'," the petition states.