For the things the MMA and the UFC do bad, such as not adopting the Muhammad Ali Act, which allows pro-boxers to profit off their own endorsement deals, there are also many good things the MMA and UFC do. One of the positive things that the UFC does is look out for their athletes’ health, provide them with state of the art training facilities and provide them with some of the best doctors in the world.

The UFC is well known for understanding their athletes. Pro fighters come from all kinds of backgrounds.  Some were raised in difficult situations, with hard backgrounds and poor living conditions. Some come from great backgrounds, and enjoyed more privileges during their youth. Simply put, fighters come in all shapes, sizes and forms. There is no one prototypical fighter, but there is one thing amongst all of these fighters that they all have in common (one feature that is well known by the UFC) Marijuana.

Marijuana is not punishable in the UFC.  Understanding their fighters, and understanding the pivotal role marijuana plays in recovery and relaxation for the fighters, the UFC has taken the position that it is no longer punishable.  …

According to ESPN, “The UFC has “essentially” struck marijuana as a punishable offense in its anti-doping policy, the promotion and anti-doping partner USADA said in January 2021. Beginning retroactively Jan. 1, a positive drug test for carboxy-THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, will no longer be considered a violation — unless USADA is able to prove that an athlete intentionally used it for performance-enhancing purposes.”

Marijuana is not a performance enhancing drug. While some may spin it that way, any user of marijuana would tell you first hand, they do not use it for performance.. We all know that those people who say that have never been in the vicinity of marijuana and doubt that it has any positive traits, but the fact is that those people are just uneducated. Marijuana has endless medical benefits and we as a society are still in the early stages of what marijuana can do for the health  and recovery of the human body. The UFC knows that, which is why they are no longer punishing their athletes for use of marijuana. Something other sports should also take note of.

We are reliving history right now, and it is the second round of prohibition.  Historically, marijuana was always forbidden, and now, we are starting to come around. The UFC is playing a major role in helping show the world how wrong we were about marijuana.

The UFC has major fights in different cities to allow fans from all over to see the highly-touted combat sport. One major city they always tend to have events at is in Sin City, LAS VEGAS NEVADA! The only place to have the biggest and the best fights. Some of the world’s best have fought in Las Vegas and the city may be seen as the mecca of event holders. To be fighting or performing or playing in Las Vegas, means you have made it.

But for some in the UFC, Las Vegas posed a threat. The state, until this week, held marijuana as a punishable offense for fighters and athletes at any level. And for the UFC which no longer holds fighters punishable, makes for a murky situation.

According to The Athletic, The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) will not punish fighters who test positive for marijuana.

The UFC and WBO immediately took the news with great relief. UFC Senior Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance Jeff Novitzky said, “The bottom line is that in regard to marijuana, we care about what an athlete consumed the day of a fight, not days or weeks before a fight, which has often been the case.”

The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), is renowned for suspending star fighter Nate Diaz in 2015 for testing positive for marijuana. The NSAC suspended Nate Diaz from fighting in the state for 5 years. Ultimately one year later, the commission approved a settlement of only an 18 month suspension, reduced from the original 5 year suspension.

Lance Pugmire, boxing insider for The Athletic, held the NSAC in high regards for passing the bill. Pugmire stated,

The Nevada ruling provides peace of mind to boxers and UFC fighters who rely on marijuana for both recreational and recovery purposes. It’s a common-sense move that has been on the commission’s mind for quite a while dating to Diaz’s over-the-top penalty. And in a week where there was such outrage over leaving U.S. sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson off the Olympic team despite her strong chances to medal because of a positive marijuana test, combat sports has taken the smart step in allowing the use of a legalized drug.”

From our perspective, if Miletti Law were advising the UFC, we would have encouraged this move decades ago.  The fact is marijuana is not a performance enhancing drug, period.  Had Connor McGregor smoked an ounce the night before his fight with Dustin Poirier, there would have been no difference in the outcome. The archaic prohibition ignores modern science. In study after study, THC is recognized for helping to reduce sensations of pain through anti-inflammatory actions, which can be instrumental in the recovery portion of workouts and dealing with the discomfort caused by overly-sore muscles.

Additionally, as staunch defenders of personal freedom,  what athletes do in their own time and weeks leading up to games or events is none of anyone’s business and assuming it doesn’t impact their ability to make rational decisions, it should not be punishable. An athlete should be able to recover however he or she wants, and that should not be looked down upon by sporting commissions. It’s one thing if they are unable to function due to addiction or some other habit forming practice that restricts their ability to make rational decisions, but this is not the case here. Miletti Law wants what is best for their athletes, and if that is recovering through marijuana, then so be it. We stand by them and we don’t believe they should be punished for any sort of marijuana use. Miletti Law believes other sports should and will follow in the smart footsteps of the UFC and allow other players to choose their own recoveries without the worry of repercussions.

As we mentioned above, marijuana has many medical benefits and if everyday people can use it, why can’t athletes do so as well. To all the athletes out there, Miletti Law is here for you and we will see to helping change the narrative and no longer allow athletes to be punishable for marijuana. That’s a promise.