To Ban or Not To Ban

Oisin Murphy has been crowned champion jockey for the second year running, although he missed the ceremony.

His attempt to make it a hat-trick will be seriously hampered by the likely 6 month ban for cocaine use that everyone is predicting.

Oisin has denied using the drug.

Cocaine is considered performance impairing, potentially compromising the integrity of racing and being a safety risk. Whether it is any worse than riding with a hangover is a decent question.

Murphy has had a negative hair test. This doesn't prove he didn't take the drug. It does prove he isn't a regular user.

Cocaine has been effectively decriminalised. For a first offence, doesn't three months seem more reasonable?