UFC Fighters Will No Longer Be Punished For Positive Marijuana Tests

The Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) has changed its stance on marijuana use among athletes.

In fact, the state's sporting governing body hasn't just slightly pivoted, it has done a complete backflip altogether.

The NAC has now amended its strict anti-doping policy to ensure marijuana detection in samples is no longer a punishable offence for competing mixed martial artists.

In turn, a new rule has been sanctioned by the commission members who voted unanimously for the change.

"According to the World Anti-Doping Agency, WADA considers marijuana to be a substance of abuse, not a performance-enhancing drug," Bob Bennett said.

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"I think our goal is to test for performance-enhancing drugs to ensure a level playing field. The fact that it is not a performance-enhancing drug, I do not believe we should test for it any longer."

It's understood the newly-formed regulations indicate that the only way a combatant can be punished is if they turn up to their bout impaired.

To put it simply, athletes competing in Las Vegas - the fight capital of the world - can ingest as much weed as they like both before their bouts or after - it doesn't matter whether it's for recovery purposes or recreationally.

But while fighters won't be slapped with any lengthy bans or hefty fines like we've seen in the past, the NAC still plan on testing for it when collecting drug samples from the athletes during competition time.

"If we don't test for it, we lose a significant amount of data over a significant period of time that may be educational to the commission and its doctors," commissioner Anthony Marnell said.

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"My opinion is that it should be from this point forward any positive test fall under this new rule because we have been caught in a jam before of not giving enough notice to the world... In this tweener stage, a lot of people are going to cry foul for people that got off the hook, which is now down to a 90-day penalty, which isn't a hook anyway."

This sudden policy change comes as huge news for people within the UFC.

The UFC's senior vice president of athlete health and performance Jeff Novitzky, who is otherwise known as 'The Golden Snitch' for his high success rate in catching PED users, heaped praise on the historic decision.

"How about that! NSAC no longer sanctioning for marijuana," Novitzky tweeted.

"Crazy that in my tenure with UFC I've seen NSAC try to suspend Nick Diaz for life for marijuana, to this. Big credit to Exec Director Bob Bennett for spearheading this change. Just don't show up to fight impaired!"

You can imagine a couple of big-name MMA fighters (cough cough, the Diaz brothers) will be breathing a sigh of relief upon hearing this news.

Older sibling Nick was famously suspended from the sport for five years following a failed drug test with the substance in question later revealed to be, you guessed it, marijuana.

Well, it seems we have seen the last of UFC stars getting popped for cannabis use.

Topics: UFC News, MMA News, UFC, Australia, MMA

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry