If you’re a Nick Diaz fan, you probably weren’t too happy about the Nevada Athletic Commission’s recent ruling, which fined the now former UFC welterweight contender a whopping five years for testing positive for marijuana, along with a $165,000 fine.
What makes the Diaz decision even more nonsensical, is the method in which he was tested. According to sources, following his loss to Anderson Silva on January 31
st at UFC 183, the 32 year old Diaz received not just one, but three different drug tests from three diffferent testing authorities, one of which was not accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
It was only through the non-accredited drug testing agency that Diaz received positive test results for marijuana, begging the question as to why the Nevada Athletic Commission would side with testing methods that had not yet been approved by the (WADA).
This isn’t the first time that Diaz has tested positive for pot, as two prior offenses were the first in a series of a three strikes and you’re out UFC policy, prompting unlikely supporters for both marijuana and the UFC to point out the absurdity that marijuana is even tested in the first place.
Ronda Rousey Knocks Out Marijuana Drug Test Policies
Jumping to the defense of Diaz, Rounda Rousey brought up key issues from Diaz's marijuana drug test results during a recent press conference pinpointing major discrepancies of the UFC's current marijuana drug test policies.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YZVKWiXam8[/embed]
In reference to marijuana, the current UFC Women's Champion stated that "it's not a performance enhancing drug. It has nothing to do with athletic competition; it's only tested for political reasons."
Rousey also drew comparisons to fellow UFC Champion Anderson Silva, who just last month, tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. Instead of facing a 5 year suspension like Diaz, Silva only received a one year suspension for a substance, when compared to marijuana, is much more destructive both to the individual fighter and the ones that they fight against.
“It’s so unfair. If one person tests for steroids, that could actually hurt a person, and the other person smokes a plant that makes them happy, and he gets suspended for five years, where the guy that could have hurt someone so much that he could’ve died in there gets a slap on the wrist. It’s not fair. It’s not fair at all."
Rousey's response is nothing short of spot on to the fact that the marijuana drug test policies at the UFC are being used as political pawns in order to demonize a drug that has been deemed by the medical community as being 114 times safer than alcohol. The fact that the UFC would allow steroids of all things to carry a shorter suspension term than marijuana, points to the bias that is still present in professional sports when it comes to the War on Drugs.
Floyd Mayweather Shares Similar Views on Pot
Sharing similar sentiment, when asked how he felt about the Diaz suspension on his YouTube channel, Floyd Mayweather stated "Man, let that man smoke weed and enjoy his life. "
Although Mayweather's response seems semi-scripted when compared to Rousey's, possibly due to the fighter's poor acting skills, one can't help but side with the now retired, undefeated boxing champ, known mostly for his big mouth.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF84FTJBy1c[/embed]
