THG is a slightly altered form related to steroids Gestrinone and Trenbolone. According to Dr. Catlin, it’s a clear liquid taken orally. He said THG was specifically designed to escape detection in normal dope tests by disintegrating when a urine sample is tested. Catlin’s lab designed a new test for the drug, which has now been provided to the 30 IOC-accredited labs, including the one in Montreal.

Gestrinone is used legally in Europe to treat endometriosis, a painful condition caused by uterine tissue growing in the abdomen. It is chemically related to Trenbolone, a steroid used by cattle producers to bulk up their herds.

On Oct. 28, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration formally declared the new steroid illegal, not a dietary supplement. FDA Associate Commissioner John Taylor also warned anabolic steroids, including THG, can have dangerous side-effects, including liver damage, heart disease, anxiety and rage.

On Nov. 5, the IOC and WADA officially banned the newly-discovered designer drug, adding it to its list of prohibited substances to test for in competition and out-of-competition doping tests. The main reason was the similarity in its chemical structure to the steroid Gestrinone, already on the banned list.

What are the side-effects of THG?

The U. S. Anti-Doping Agency says that THG is so new that no known research studies have been carried out on it. It warns however, “The unusual side-effects with the use of some steroids that could also be exhibited by THG include liver toxicity, excessive hair growth for women and baldness and infertility in men.”