Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC
It took much longer than it needed to, but World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) finally admitted that recreational drugs lingering in an athlete’s system, like marijuana metabolites, are not going to have an impact on performance, an argument similar to the one that helped Jon Jones fix his picogram problem.
Grain of salt, swimming pool, yadda-yadda-yadda.
As a result, suspensions for certain substances of abuse may be reduced or eliminated altogether, according to United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), which governs Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), assuming fighters who return positive drug tests meet certain criteria.
Alex Ballinger at The Body Lock lays out the current prohibited list:
Cannabinoids: Natural, e.g. cannabis, hashish, and marijuana, or synthetic 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC); Cannabimimetics, e.g. “Spice”, JWH-018, JWH-073, HU-210.
Narcotics: Buprenorphine; Dextromoramide; Diamorphine (heroin); Fentanyl and its derivatives; Hydromorphone; Methadone; Morphine; Nicomorphine; Oxycodone; Oxymorphone; Pentazocine; Pethidine.
Stimulants: Cocaine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “ecstasy”), dimethylamphetamine (DMA), benzylpiperazine (BZP), methamphetamine (D-), p-methylamphetamine, methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA).
WADA is expected to finalize its code revisions in 2021.
“While the code does not prohibit the use of these drugs out of competition, sometimes a presence is detected at an in-competition test even though the use occurred in a social context with no effect,” WADA spokesman James Fitzgerald told Cycling Weekly. “It was felt also that in cases where an athlete has a drug problem and is not seeking or benefitting from performance enhancement, the priority should be on the athlete’s health rather than on imposing a lengthy sporting sanction.”
Say goodbye to those herbal cleaners and 10 pounds of water.
It’s hard to believe there was a time when Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) was handing down five-year suspensions to perennial potheads like Nick Diaz and no question there is still a long way to go in terms of fairness.
This is certainly a step in the right direction.