It might not be 420, but UFC fighters looking to compete at UFC 264 have a reason to light up and celebrate. The Nevada Athletic Commission has handed down the decision to stop punishing fighters for testing positive for marijuana.
Earlier this year USADA, the drug testing partners of the UFC, announced that they had made a change in policy that would effectively end their sanctioning of fighters for THC. However that did nothing to stop individual athletic commissions from handing out their own punishments, as we have seen since then.
However NAC can be officially removed from that list of commissions, as according to reports, they have removed marijuana from the list of banned substances for fighters. This means that no more athletes competing in Nevada have to worry about popping for weed and getting suspended.
#Breaking: The Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) has amended its marijuana policy unanimously. Fighters will no longer be punished for marijuana use or detection.
— Nolan King (@mma_kings) July 7, 2021
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Frankly this decision from the NAC was a long time coming, as various UFC fighters have been suspended for the use of marijuana, even as recent as the last few weeks. Although it is worth noting that this change is not retroactive, meaning that any suspensions handed out before July 7th still stand.
Of course, the most noteworthy victim of this war on pot was none other than Nick Diaz. The elder Diaz brother has actually not fought since Nevada initially banned him for life, before reducing this to a five year suspension, and then an 18-month sanction for marijuana.
This universally praised decision from the Nevada Athletic Commission will undoubtedly make the lives of UFC fighters who like to do a little puff puff pass from time to time, a lot easier. This decision comes just in time for the UFC to head to Nevada for this weekend’s UFC 264 card, headlined by the third bout between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor.
