Cannabis allowed for UFC fighters? Why is it not so simple

It is Nate diaz, legendary fighter and assumed smoker, who can be blissful… The American Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has introduced a big evolution of the anti-doping program of UFC, retroactive to January 1, which has triggered a variety of discuss on social networks in latest hours: fighters constructive for hashish, and to be extra exact for THC, its major psychoactive substance, will now not be punished!

Until then, athletes had solely been examined “in competition”, round fight, however have been awarded an anti-doping rule violation in the event that they exceeded the set threshold, which was 180 nanograms / milliliter. This will now not be the case “unless there is evidence to show that the substance was taken to improve its performance”.

“If a fighter comes into the locker room on the night of a fight with bloodshot eyes …”

A choice based mostly partially on a report by the Department of Transportation submitted to the US Congress in 2017 which defined {that a} threshold may not be outlined for hashish ranges within the blood or within the urine past which the deterioration of the conduct was sure, with every physique reacting in a different way to this substance. “Like everything we do in this program, it’s science-based,” says the UFC vp for athlete well being and efficiency, Jeff Novitzky, at the MMA Fighting site. Especially on this time of pandemic the place we had issues with fighters who accepted fights on the final minute and who ended up with a constructive check for hashish in competitors. This accelerated our imaginative and prescient on this matter. “

A glance additional strengthened by USADA analysis which has proven that in lots of constructive circumstances “the presence of THC was residual and did not improve performance or deteriorate the condition of the fighter.” A clean test to smoke your joints in peace? It’s not that straightforward. Novitzky provides a telling instance: “If a fighter comes into the locker room on the night time of a struggle with bloodshot eyes, smells of hashish and does not articulate properly, there is proof that he took hashish not too long ago, it could be a think about bettering efficiency as a result of he would not be in his regular state to struggle “.

The risk of athletic commissions

Another necessary nuance: UFC athletes will proceed to be examined for hashish by native athletic commissions around the globe and should due to this fact be punished by them in the event that they check constructive. The athletic fee of Nevada (Las Vegas), the place the UFC ought to nonetheless maintain nearly all of its fights within the coming months, for instance nonetheless has a threshold set at 150 ng / ml and should as was the case till then give sanctions if it is exceeded. “I don’t want the message to our athletes to be that they are now free to do whatever they want,” Novitzky confirms. The UFC and USADA will nevertheless be capable of work with the varied athletic commissions to exhibit the deserves of this resolution and attempt to affect them to change their laws.

That of California, already very progressive on the topic since a constructive management for hashish solely provides rise to a advantageous, thus appears “enthusiastic” and “interested” in line with Novitzky. Who understands why it would make extra sense to let athletes use hashish somewhat than sure licensed medication … however extra harmful: “Some who use cannabis call me a few weeks before a fight and ask me: ‘Jeff, when is it? that I must stop to be sure I am below the authorized threshold? ‘ In some of these stories they tell me, ‘I chose cannabis over opioids for pain management, over Xanax to manage my anxiety, or over Ambian so I could sleep because I’m too nervous before a fight. “It bothered me lots that the anti-doping guidelines despatched these fighters to extra harmful medication however not banned. I felt very dangerous after I needed to give them this info. ‘They use nothing however the scale of hazard and habit, hashish is a lot decrease than opioids, Xanax or Ambien. ” By defending athletes whereas following scientific discoveries on sure substances, the UFC and USADA are exhibiting that they know the way to adapt and make the mandatory adjustments. But Nate Diaz will nonetheless should watch out about when he smokes.