The Final Preventing Championship (UFC) introduced on Thursday that it’s formally eradicating marijuana from its newly modified banned substances checklist for athletes, constructing on an earlier reform.
Whereas UFC says it’s modeling its checklist of prohibited medicine after the World Anti-Doping Company (WADA)—which has controversially maintained hashish as a banned substance—it’s making amendments “based mostly on historic findings (i.e. marijuana faraway from the prohibited checklist).”
Skilled fighters have already been largely protected against being penalized over testing optimistic for THC below a coverage change that UFC adopted in 2021, however now it’s eradicating hashish as a banned drug altogether.
“UFC’s objective for the Anti-Doping Coverage is to be the most effective, only, and most progressive anti-doping program in all {of professional} sports activities,” UFC Chief Enterprise Officer Hunter Campbell said in a press launch on Thursday.
“UFC is pleased with the developments we’ve got made with our anti-doping program over the previous eight years, and we’ll proceed to take care of an independently administered drug-testing program that ensures all UFC athletes are competing below honest and equal circumstances,” he stated. “With this new iteration of this system, UFC has as soon as once more raised the bar for well being and security in fight sports activities.”
.@UFC pronounces particulars of latest anti-doping program ⤵️:https://t.co/LiIP8sgcfXhttps://t.co/LiIP8sgcfX
— UFC Information (@UFCNews) December 29, 2023
The coverage change—which may also contain coming into right into a partnership with the pattern assortment and delivery company Drug Free Sport Worldwide (DFSI)—takes impact on Sunday, December 31.
Jeff Novitzky, UFC senior vp of Athlete Well being and Efficiency, stated the up to date anti-doping program “is the results of years of enter and trial and error taken by UFC, our athletes, and third events who’ve assisted UFC in working this system.”
“The anti-doping coverage is a residing and respiratory doc that may proceed to evolve and adapt when clear science helps modifications that may additional defend UFC athletes who compete in UFC,” he stated.
A number of sports activities organizations have moved to amend their marijuana testing insurance policies for athletes amid the state legalization motion.
For instance, in September, a Nationwide Collegiate Athletic Affiliation (NCAA) committee formally really helpful that its divisional governing our bodies take away hashish from the checklist of banned substances checklist for faculty athletes.
Over the summer time, the Nationwide Basketball Affiliation (NBA) and its gamers union signed a collective bargaining settlement that removes marijuana from the league’s banned substances checklist and lays out guidelines permitting gamers to put money into and promote hashish manufacturers—with sure exceptions.
Nevada sports activities regulators voted earlier this yr to ship a proposed regulatory modification to the governor that will defend athletes from being penalized over utilizing or possessing marijuana in compliance with state legislation.
The Nationwide Soccer League’s (NFL) drug testing coverage modified demonstrably in 2020 as a part of a collective bargaining settlement.
NFL and its gamers union additionally introduced in June that they’re collectively awarding one other spherical of funding to help unbiased analysis on the therapeutic advantages of CBD as a ache remedy various to opioids for gamers with concussions.
The New York Media Softball League (NYMSL)—which has groups representing The Wall Avenue Journal, Excessive Occasions and BuzzFeed amongst its ranks—introduced in July that it was launching a sponsorship cope with a Kentucky-based CBD firm.
The thought behind the collaboration was impressed by strikes by Main League Baseball (MLB) and sure groups just like the Kansas Metropolis Royals and Chicago Cubs which have additionally not too long ago partnered with CBD companies.
MLB itself introduced its league-wide partnership with a preferred CBD model final yr. Charlotte’s Internet Holdings, one of the vital recognizable hemp-derived CBD firms within the nation, signed the cope with league to turn out to be the “Official CBD of MLB.”
Whereas advocates have welcomed these modifications, there’s been criticism of the World Anti-Doping Company over its ongoing hashish ban. Members of a panel inside the company stated in an opinion piece in August that marijuana use by athletes violates the “spirit of sport,” making them unfit function fashions whose potential impairment might put others in danger.
Advocates strongly urged WADA to enact a reform after U.S. runner Sha’Carri Richardson was suspended from taking part in Olympics occasions as a result of a optimistic THC check in 2021.
Following that suspension, the U.S. Anti-Doping Company (USADA) stated that the worldwide guidelines on marijuana “should change,” the White Home and President Joe Biden himself signaled that it was time for brand new insurance policies and congressional lawmakers amplified that message.
Photograph courtesy of Martin Alonso.