Here is an article I just found that is helpful to understanding Peterson's culpability. In sum, the commissioner said that Peterson broke multiple rules. First and foremost, synthetic testosterone is a banned substance. However, if its use is disclosed to the commission in a timely manner, and the commission implements an indepdent review by its own medical professionals, it will in certain cases permit its use if it finds due cause. In such a case, he would be granted a therapeutic-use exemption. [One would assume that in such an instance, if it were permitted, the other side would be made aware of its use.] Therefore, Peterson violated the rules because (1) he used a banned substance, (2) failed to disclose the use of the banned substance to the Commission, and (3) failed a VADA test.

Thus, irrespective of the merit behind his use of the substance, it is a banned substance, which has to be obvious. In this day and age, anytime you are supplementing your body with more testosterone, questions will arise. What really does Peterson in here is that he failed to inform the Commission of his use of the banned substance. Why would you think Peterson would choose not to inform the commmission? The cynic might say that one reason is that his claim of low testosterone was false and he didn't believe he would be granted a therapeutic use exemption, or that he didn't want to draw any scrutiny to himself that would come with a independent review board examining his records because of what would then might be uncovered.

I have read elsewhere, but not confirmed by a reliable source, that he first took the substance three weeks before Khan-Peterson I. He travelled from D.C. to Vegas to get the testosterone treatment from a small, somewhat notoriously shady, clinic. He didn't report his use of testosterone to the D.C. commission either. Clearly, if that was the case, he was aware that he was supplementing with synthetic testosterone.

On a side note, Peterson actaully passed the Nevada drug test because his testosterone ratio was 3.77-1. He failed the VADA test because it also tests for synthetic testosterone, which is what he was taking.

NSAC's Kizer Discusses Peterson Scandal, License Issue - Boxing News