Buying anabolic steroids is not illegal per se. These are being used as a treatment in many medical conditions. However, it becomes unlawful to buy or possess the drug if it is used for other purposes such as bodybuilding and improving skills in sports. Steroids are controlled substances so a prescription is generally required before you can buy one. However, up to this time, many are still confused about the legality of buying and possessing steroids.

Bodybuilder Using Steroids Charged

A bodybuilder from the UK recently pleaded guilty to illegal possession of anabolic steroids after he found out that the law prohibits its use for non-medical purposes. A Wiltshire newspaper reported that bodybuilder Graham McAdams initially pleaded not guilty to the offense because he believed importation and possession of anabolic steroids for personal use is not illegal. McAdams even cited an online drugs education website explaining that steroids possession is not a crime.

McAdams was charged for illegal possession of Class C drugs after the police raided his home last year. The raid resulted to the seizure of several types of anabolic steroids. The Wiltshire.co.uk website reported that authorities confiscated various steroids from McAdams’ residence in October last year.

Various Bodybuilding Steroids Found

Several boxes and pills were found by the raiding officers which were identified as anabolic steroids. The report stated that more than 20 boxes of steroids including more than 500 pills, and several vials were seized from McAdams. There were 15 boxes of different liquid steroids like testosterone, drostanolone, nandrolone, and boldenone. More than 500 caplets of Stanozolol were also found. 400 of these caplets contain the label Stromba 10. Another 8 boxes were identified as testosterone and several vials of Sustanol, another brand of testosterone.

According to the prosecution, all of the drugs confiscated by the authorities are Class C drugs. Prosecutor Richard Thomas confirmed that these substances are commonly used by bodybuilders and athletes to improve performance and physique. However, possession of these substances is still unlawful. This is aside from the health and behavior problems it can cause to the user.

Defendant Competing in Bodybuilding Events

The authorities are convinced that the steroids were for personal use of McAdams because he is active in bodybuilding competitions. Most of the steroids are used to build lean muscles. Nevertheless, he was still charged with seven counts of class C drugs possession.

The lawyer of McAdams told the court that the information on a government website is confusing. “The guidelines by the Government stated it was legal for him to possess it if it was a medical product,” said Amanda Thornton, lawyer of McAdams.

Although she admitted that as the case progresses, they learned that the use of anabolic steroids for bodybuilding is not considered as a valid medical treatment. This is the reason why they decided to plead guilty to the charges. The court sentenced McAdams to 12-month conditional discharge and required him to pay a fine of £85.

Last week, home run king Barry Bonds failed to convince San Francisco Judge Susan Illston to overturn the previous decision of the jury regarding the obstruction of justice charge. Bonds was convicted for obstruction last April after the jury deemed he provided evasive answers to the investigators about his use of steroids and human growth hormone.

And on August 26, Judge Susan Illston affirmed the obstruction of justice verdict. She reiterated that Barry Bonds repeatedly provided non-responsive answers to prosecutors. Bonds did not directly answered questions about whether his trainer, Greg Anderson, ever provided him with injectable substances like HGH.

The defense tried to explain Bonds’ position but their efforts remain futile. The baseball legend is still lucky that the jurors failed to agree on the other perjury charges. A mistrial was declared on steroids and HGH use charges and whether he received injections from Greg Anderson.

Sentencing is Scheduled on December

Based on court records, Barry Bonds will be sentenced on December 6. The obstruction of justice verdict can put Bonds into prison for up to 10 years. However, federal sentencing guidelines usually result to lighter penalty. In this case Bonds may just receive 15 to 21 months jail term.

Since Bonds is one of the athletes charged for their involvement in the BALCO steroid investigation, there is a possibility that the judge may hand him a much lighter penalty. Judge Susan Illston sentenced other key personalities in the BALCO steroid scandal with just 6 to 1 year sanction. Cyclist Tammy Thomas received 6 months home confinement while track and field coach Trevor Graham received 1 year home confinement.

Bonds Planning to Appeal Verdict

There were reports that the baseball slugger will file an appeal after his sentencing. Mercury News reported that the lawyers of Bonds may ask the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to look into the case of the home run king.

On the other hand, the prosecutors are still mum whether they will pursue the steroid perjury charges against Bonds. They are facing a similar situation with the Roger Clemens’ perjury case where the judge declared a mistrial.

Record Unsurpassed

Up to now, the home run record of the former San Francisco Giants left fielder is still unsurpassed. Bonds broke the record of Hank Aaron in 2007 when he recorded 762 career home runs. He was a 14-time All-Star, with 7 MVP, 8 Gold Glove award, and 2-time batting champion.

He also achieved 7 single season records including the home run in 2001 where he recorded 73 homers. It’s just sad that this impressive record was marred by his involvement in steroids. His Hall of Fame bid may suffer because of this scandal.

The fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Victor Ortiz, which is scheduled on September 17 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, will determine if Ortiz is ready for a more skilled and veteran boxer. Many are speculating that Ortiz will be outclassed in this match-up because of Mayweather’s proven tactics inside the ring. However, the camp of Ortiz believes otherwise. They predicted a first loss for Floyd Mayweather in his professional boxing career.

NSAC Doing its Job

With a few weeks remaining, both fighters are still busy training and promoting the fight. On the other hand, state regulators are also doing their jobs in ensuring that both fighters are free of any performance enhancing drugs. The Nevada State Athletic Commission or NSAC already conducted drug testing on both fighters and the result was announced recently by NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer.

Steroid Results Negative for Both Fighters

Kizer told RingTV that both fighters passed the drug testing particularly for anabolic steroids. “They went and had their urine taken last Thursday, and then the results came back today, and both guys passed,” said Kizer. The athletic commission also tests fighters for other banned substances like masking agents and recreational drugs.

NSAC Steroid Test Only

Though Mayweather and Ortiz both claimed that they are clean of any performance enhancing drugs, the results of the steroid tests conducted by NSAC only covers urine testing. These do not include the comprehensive testing being pushed through by Floyd Mayweather Jr. The executive director of NSAC clarified to the media that they only subjected the two fighters to urine testing. “Today’s was the commission test. It was the official test before the fight. The fact that they’re doing some additional testing on their own, well, they’re free to do that,” Kizer said.

Mayweather required every opponent to undergo an Olympic style blood testing just like what he demanded on Sugar Shane Mosley and Manny Pacquiao. The blood test was not an issue with Mosley but Pacquaio initially made a counter offer on the Olympic style test. Though, recent reports showed that the 8-division world boxing champion already agreed to an Olympic Style blood testing.

Mayweather and Ortiz will be subjected to USADA’s random urine and blood testing. However, there are still no reports with regards to the results of USADA’s test. A lot of boxing fans (especially those who are anti-Mayweather) are asking about the steroid test results of USADA. They want to know if Mayweather really subjected himself to blood testing and if he was cleared for any kind of steroid.

NSAC Will Still Conduct Another Round of Steroid Testing

Kizer also told RingTV that the steroid test on Mayweather and Ortiz is just a part of the anti-doping measures of the athletic commission. “Usually a month or so out from the fight, I call up the lab and I say that I’m going to send these two fighters for testing,” said Kizer. Mayweather and Ortiz will still undergo pre-fight and post-fight test on September 17.

Ortiz Camp not Bothered by Steroid Tests

Mayweather’s opponent is not bothered by the type of testing that he requires. According to Rolando Arrellano, Ortiz’ manager, his fighter has nothing to worry because Ortiz is clean of steroids. “It’s part of the terms and the conditions of the contract, and we’ve been testing with urine, we’ve been testing with blood, and they’ve all been clean because Victor’s not on anything,” he said.

“We’re providing what they’re asking, and it’s no problem because we’re not doing anything illegal,” added Arellano. But the most important message they want Floyd to know is this, “We don’t care what Floyd wants us to do, because we’re going to beat him any way.”

Law enforcement officers are still tempted to buy and use steroids even if it will cost their jobs. There are only two possibilities, a law enforcement officer involved in steroids could be distributing it for profit or buying these drugs for personal use. However both activities are not permitted in any law enforcement agency in the country.

Just recently, another Broward County law enforcement officer was arrested for buying steroids. The incident happened early this month but was only made public this week. The South Florida Times reported that Hollywood police arrested a certain David Agosto after the latter was spotted buying steroids in a parking lot of an IHOP restaurant in Hollywood Boulevard.

The Hollywood Police’s Street Crimes Unit was responsible in the arrest of Agosto and another person identified as David Kader. During the surveillance, operatives saw Kader handing Agosto a bottle of pill. When the alleged transaction was completed, Hollywood police arrested the two suspects and conducted searches on both suspect’s car.

Search Yielded Thousands of Steroid Pills

A search on Kader’s car yielded more than 20,000 pills of anabolic steroids. Authorities confirmed that the orange pills seized were Stanozolol or commonly known as Winstrol. This type of steroid is popular among bodybuilders because of its muscle building effects. Glass jars containing liquid steroids were also found in the trunk of his BMW. The jars were labeled as testosterone. Several syringes were also confiscated by the police in Kader’s car.

The police also found guns and ammunition from the suspect. An AK-47 assault rifle with 2 empty magazines was found inside the trunk and a .40 caliber Glock handgun with ammunition was hidden underneath the driver’s seat. A total of $2,821 in cash was also recovered.

Agosto was caught in possession of 100 steroid pills similar to what authorities seized from Kader. Kader initially told arresting officers that he just sold supplements to his friend but poison control officers later identified the pills as controlled substances.

Another BSO Deputy on Steroids Controversy

Deputies from the Broward County never learned from the previous controversies involving their department. Hollywood police learned that Agosto is also in the law enforcement when he presented an identification card. “Agosto then handed me a Broward County Sheriff’s Office correctional deputy ID card,” said Detective Mark Alford. A handgun, a Broward Sheriff’s Office uniform and a badge were seen at Agosto’s car.

“Upon further conversation, he advised me he purchased some pills from Kader. I retrieved a white plastic bottle from Agosto’s front right pocket containing 100 orange pills with markings SM on one side and a score line on the other side,” Alford wrote in his report.

The issue of steroids use became a problem in the BSO when several of its officers were implicated in an illegal distribution of anabolic steroids by a Deerfield Beach pharmacy in 2005. Several deputies allegedly bought steroids from the pharmacy through fraudulent means. However, the officers were not sanctioned and the state attorney’s office and the BSO were in conflict with regards to who will handle the case.

Suspects already Charged for Selling and Buying Steroids

Both suspects posted bail for their temporary release. Agosto was charged with one count of possession of anabolic steroids while Kader was charged with one count of drug possession with intent to sell. It is not clear if Kader was also charged for illegal possession of firearms and ammunitions.

According to the SFL Times report, Agosto was suspended with pay. Agosto works in the BSO since 2002 and is currently assigned as a detention deputy in the Corrections Department. If he will be convicted of the charges, he could face up to 5 years in prison and may be fired from the service.

“I became a celebrity child with a famous father.” This is part of the testimony Barry Bonds gave to the grand jury in 2003 when asked whether Greg Anderson injected him with performance enhancement drugs. Bonds was one of the professional athletes linked to the BALCO charged for distributing designer steroids. His evasive answers and denial that he was taking anabolic steroids or human growth hormone during the inquiry led to his indictment.

Last April, Barry Bonds faced trial on various charges including obstruction of justice, perjury and lying about his steroid use. The jurors failed to agree on 3 charges but concluded that Bonds obstructed a federal investigation. He was convicted on the obstruction of justice count and a mistrial on the others.

Bonds maintained his stand that he never knowingly used steroids or human growth hormone. He claimed Anderson only gave him flaxseed oil, vitamins, protein shakes and creams. The cream turned out to be a designer steroid from BALCO. Bonds’ escaped from other charges due to the continuous refusal of Greg Anderson to testify against him.

Bonds Asked Court to Throw Out Conviction

Lawyers for Bonds asked Judge Susan Illston to throw out the obstruction of justice conviction. During the hearing, Bonds legal counsel Dennis Riordan said that his client answered the questions of prosecutors. He said the defendant could end up in prison for 5 years by just taking 75 seconds before providing a direct answer to the grand jury. “It’s really preposterous to say there was evasion,” said Riordan.

Judge Illston disagreed on Riordan’s argument that other evidences should not be weighed in determining whether Bonds provided an evasive answer. “I don’t think it’s fair to say, just focus on the one statement. It seems to me we need to look at this in the context of all the evidence in this trial,” Judge Illston told Bonds’ lawyer in the Thursday hearing.

20-Page Decision Affirms Conviction

The San Francisco Judge ruled Friday that the motion filed by Bonds’ lawyers was not sufficient to overturn the conviction. Judge Illston, in her 20-page decision, said that the obstruction of justice is final and denied retrial of the case.

Judge Illston noted that Bonds provided non-responsive answers to the prosecutors. “Defendant repeatedly provided non-responsive answers to questions about whether Anderson had ever provided him with injectables, resulting in the prosecuting attorneys asking clarifying question after clarifying question, and even once resulting in one prosecutor interrupting another who was about to move on to a new topic in order to clarify defendant’s mixed responses,” she said in her ruling.

She also added, “An evasive answer about an issue material to the grand jury is not necessarily rendered immaterial by the later provision of a direct answer, even if that direct answer is true.”

“It is clear from the language of the indictment, as well as from the manner in which the government has proceeded prosecuting this case, that defendant was at risk of being convicted of obstruction of justice on the basis of any and all statements that he made to the grand jury that were evasive, false, or misleading,” the judge said.

Prosecution May Ask for Retrial on the 3 Charges

The media tried to get comments from the defense and the prosecution but both parties declined to issue statements. The Justice Department may also opt to retry Bonds on the 3 charges on which the jury failed to reach majority decision. The prosecution must present new evidences that will prove the baseball legend really knows that he was taking anabolic steroids and human growth hormone. And force Bonds to admit that Anderson injected him with performance enhancing drug.

This is a sad news for North Korean women’s football. The FIFA decided to ban the entire team from participating in the next Women’s World Cup due to doping violations. The sanction may be too harsh but the sports organization wants to send a strong message to participating teams. Any form of cheating will be dealt with an iron hand.

5 Tested Positive for Steroids

The North Korea women’s team was eliminated early in the competition but before they were finally sent home, a total of 5 soccer players tested positive for steroids. Football officials were dumbfounded when North Korean representatives told them that it may be due to a traditional Chinese medicine given to the athletes. The team doctor alleged that the Chinese medication musk deer gland was administered to the athletes after they were struck by a lightning during a pre-competition training.

Suspension, Fine, Ban

Many consider this sanction as one of the harsh disciplinary action made by FIFA after 17 years. The North Koreans must endure these sanctions and hopefully return after their ban in the 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada. The ban includes participating in any qualifying matches.

The women soccer players who were banned for 18 months were Pok Sim Jong, Myong Hui Hong, Un Byol Ho, and Un Hyang Ri. Jong Sun Song was given a reduced suspension of 14 months. The FIFA disciplinary committee also holds the team doctor liable. Jong Ae Nam, who admitted that she used the musk deer gland remedy on injured players, was given a 6-year ban from the sport.

The North Korea soccer federation was also fined $400,000. This is equivalent to their prize winning as the 13th place in the final rankings of the recently concluded World Cup in Germany.

The Musk Deer Gland Treatment

What is in the musk deer gland extract that could cause a positive test? There is still little information regarding the chemical composition of musk deer gland extracts. What we know is it is a common ingredient in perfumes because of its unique smell. A research on the internet revealed that musk deer gland extracts are really used in homeopathic remedies. This validates the claim of the North Koreans that they used it to treat players.

Musk deer gland extracts has been in use in homeopathic remedies for years. An herbal website claimed that the said traditional remedy contains anti-inflammatory and antihistamine properties. Other reported therapeutic effects include treatment for angina, fainting or loss of consciousness, exhaustion, dizziness, vertigo, asthma, and anxiety. It also works as a stimulant.

Steroids from Musk Deer Gland

The FIFA reported that several types of steroids were found in the samples of the North Korean women soccer players. Jiri Dvorak, the chief medical officer of the football organization, believed that the steroids came from the traditional medicine.

“We can really say with far-reaching confidence that these steroids were the result of this so-called Chinese traditional medicine,” Dvorak told the media. It is not yet clear if the medicine was contaminated with steroids similar to the many cases of dietary supplement contamination.