The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) voted to amend an anti-doping policy this week, and moving forward, combat sports athletes won’t be punished for marijuana use or detection.
MMA Junkie shared the news, which included a statement from NSAC executive director Bob Bennett: “According to the World Anti-Doping Agency, WADA considers marijuana to be a substance of abuse, not a performance-enhancing drug. 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.”
The exception to the rule will be if a fighter shows up to compete while high. This rule also applies to fighters who turn up on fight night impaired by alcohol.
While there was initially discussion about the rule being applied “semi-retroactively,” the commission ultimately decided to set the date of July 7, 2021, to separate offenses that are suspendable and not suspendable. As a result, Gillian Robertson (who tested positive for THC at the time of her March 27 fight against Miranda Maverick) and Misha Cirkunov (who tested positive for THC around the time of his March 13 fight against Ryan Spann) will still have their fines and suspensions applied. Robertson was fined $3,145.36 and will be able to fight again on August 10, and Cirkunov was fined $4,145.36 and will be able to fight again starting on September 13.
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