Nevada State Athletic Commission Drops Cannabis as a Banned Substance

I’m sure Nick Diaz would like an apology from somebody. The Nevada State Athletic Commission recently announced it would end the ban on cannabis as a prohibited substance for fighters. No one suffered more at the hands of the rule than Diaz, who, at 41, is still scheduled to have one more fight in the UFC.
Diaz was suspended for five years in part due to testing positive for cannabis. The NSAC at the time said it suspended Diaz not just for using marijuana but for disregarding the committee. But none of that will matter anymore.
Anyone who closely follows MMAfighting latest news will see this is a seismic shift in the sport. There have been several fighters cast out of the UFC over the years because of their inability to quit smoking marijuana. It will be interesting to see if other commissions follow the NSAC’s lead.
Why is Marijuana Banned in Sports?

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to that question. One of the most difficult parts of making a drug testing policy work in any sports league is that different countries, and sometimes cities and states, have different rules for marijuana use. It’s especially different in the United States.
Many places don’t allow any marijuana usage at all. There are also some people who argue that regular marijuana usage as an athlete can be dangerous for the person using it as well. Using marijuana can lead to increased risk-taking, slow reaction times, and poor decision-making. All of those types of things are things that MMA breaking news shows can lead to fighters having a difficult time.
UFC Chose to Move in Different Direction for Anti-Doping

Anyone following combat sports will notice a noticeable change in 2024. Without USADA, the UFC’s former drug testing partner, in the picture, there is a feeling that everything will be more relaxed about performance-enhancing drug use in the sport. Combat sports are generally more afraid of the wrong perception surrounding their competitors. Boxing and MMA are both real competitions where someone could lose their life if proper precautions aren’t taken. When the UFC switched to using Drug Free Sports International instead of USADA, many changes were made.
The DFSI is allowed to consider different concentration limits to help tell when an athlete took something intentionally or unintentionally. While this policy kicked in in 2024, many people are still interpreting what goes and won’t go.
Diaz Was Posterboy for Marijuana Suspensions
Diaz’s battle with the NSAC goes back a long way. His first suspension was in 2007, for six months. Diaz hadn’t reached the UFC at this point but was considered one of the top lightweights in EliteXC. This wouldn’t be the end of his troubles. Diaz continued to use, and he was suspended again in 2012. The second suspension would last a year. Diaz’s toughest suspension came in 2015 when he was initially suspended for five years before it was overturned on appeal.
All of the stopping and starting made it difficult for Diaz to keep the momentum of his career going. Diaz did have several big opportunities in the UFC. He fought Carlos Condit for the interim welterweight title in 2012.
Diaz also had an opportunity to claim the welterweight crown in March 2013 but lost a decision to Georges St-Pierre. An embarrassing moment for Diaz and Anderson Silva came after the two men fought at UFC 183.
Silva and Diaz both tested positive for banned substances, making the fight a no-contest.
Riddle Had to Find New Work
Matt Riddle couldn’t keep his nose clean in the UFC. While the best MMA news site shows that Riddle landed on his feet in professional wrestling, there could have been some potential in his MMA career. Riddle has even talked about a return to MMA after recently being released from the WWE.
Riddle exited the UFC on a four-fighting winning streak. The UFC ended up having a hard time keeping him around because he was always failing the drug tests for marijuana. While Riddle got his arm raised in the cage during his last four UFC fights, two of those bouts were declared no contests due to positive drug tests. While Riddle may have liked to become an MMA champion, it would be hard to complain about his overall career. Many athletes aspire to spend several years at the top level of professional wrestling.
Is This a Good Decision?
The NSAC is likely being smart by making this move. As attitudes toward marijuana change as more states legalize the drug, there will be pressure to allow fighters to use it if they wish. While there are harmful side effects, many people believe marijuana can help people deal with the pain of constantly trying to be in fights.
Fighters will need to be started and keep an eye on the rules. While the NSAC is one of the more influential state commissions, others may choose to keep it on the list. When this change is made fully, it will be interesting to see if the other commissions will fall in line.
For many years, the commissions held firm on the wacky rules for when a fighter is down and when he or she isn’t. With an opportunity to grow the city and to help improve the lives of taxpayers, they should quickly fall in line with the NSAC.
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By Dean McHugh.