1/20/2017 – By unanimous decision, the Nevada Athletic Commission has voted to begin an open inquiry about keeping marijuana as a listed prohibited drug for MMA fighters.
During a monthly meeting this past Friday, NAC chairman Anthony Marnell announced that they would begin in depth research and conduct a number of workshops to discuss the matter. He further stated that the commission would make its final decision in either April or March, leaving many, including fighters themselves, eager for the results.
This decision was made after recreational marijuana was legalized, with some restrictions, in Nevada on Jan. 1 of this year. Under commission rules, however, anything more than 150 ng/ml in a fighter’s system is a violation, and could land the fighter with a suspension from the league, as well as some significant fines. In one of the most notable incidents, Nick Diaz was handed down a five year suspension by the NAC in 2015, which was subsequently amended to 18 months after the parties reached a settlement agreement.
In a statement, Commission chairmen Marnell told the press “To be lax on that allows the fighters to engage, if they want to go out and get baked, it shouldn’t have to do with us. But if it starts affecting in any way, shape, or form the integrity of the sport, and the health of the fighter, it should be up to the commission to review this and say … what is that limit. That’s going to be a tough one given different weights and physiologies of individuals.”
Unfortunately for many fan favorites, however, the lifting of the ban, should it take place, will have no effect for UFC fighters. Those fighters also need to abide by the rules of the USADA, which follows rules put in place by the World Anti-Doping Association. The regulations state that marijuana use is prohibited both six hours before weigh-in and six hours after the end of a fight, but they make no attempts at regulating fighters use when away from the ring outside that time frame.
