Nick Delpopolo Disqualified From 2012 Olympics After Failing Drug Test, Claims He Inadvertently Ate Pot Brownie

U.S. judo competitor Nick Delpopolo was disqualified at the 2012 Olympics in London after the 23-year-old reportedly tested positive for THC, a substance found in marijuana, during a drug test.

Delpopolo blamed the failed drug test on a brownie he ate that was baked with marijuana prior to the 2012 Olympics, Reuters reported.

"My positive test was caused by my inadvertent consumption of food that I did not realize had been baked with marijuana, before I left for the Olympic Games," the New Jersey resident said in a statement released by the United States Olympic Committee.

''I apologize to U.S. Olympic Committee, to my teammates, and to my fans, and I am embarrassed by this mistake,'' Delpopolo said. "''I look forward to representing my country in the future, and will rededicate myself to being the best judo athlete that I can be.''

Patrick Sandusky, USOC spokesman, said the body accepted Delpopolo's disqualification.

Sandusky said the USOC is "absolutely committed to clean competition and stringent anti-doping penalties. Any positive test, for any banned substance, comes with the appropriate consequences and we absolutely support the disqualification," according to the Associated Press.

Delpopolo, who was born with the name Petra Perovic in the former Yugoslavia and was adopted by an American family, finished in 7^th place of the 73kg division of men's judo at the 2012 London Olympics.

Delpopolo lost to Wang Ki-Chun of South Korea in the quarterfinals on July 30. The event was won by Mansur Isaev of Russia. Riki Nakaya of Japan took the silver while the bronze medal was won by Nyam-Ochir Sainjargal of Mongolia.

Delpopolo's Olympic future is up in the air for the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro. While Delpopolo indicated he would like to compete in the next summer Olympics, cannibis is a banned substance and any athlete found with it in their system faces a two-year ban from their sport.

But John Fahey, president of the World Anti-Doping Agency, said the body may revisit cannibis' status as a banned substance, according to Reuters.

Delpopolo earlier told Reuters that the U.S. judo team has a bright future; whether he'll be part of it is unclear.

"It's not an old team but it's not exactly a young team either, so I think it depends on what we're all going to do. If we all stay, look out," he said.