Editorial Spotlight: The Training While Smoking Weed Debate From Someone Who Does Both
By: George C. Mathews
For the past few days, Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit have been the most talked about topics amongst MMA fans. Between the fans on Twitter, the endless amounts of message board threads, or just people sitting around the gym, last weekends fight has left fans with a lot to debate about. I’m not sure if it was the decision itself, or that fans were let down because expectations were so high, but the chatter has been non stop. Regardless, over the past 24 hours, the hot topic has remained the same, although the focal point has moved solely to Nick Diaz. Though not for the fact that he would be getting another chance at UFC gold, but because of his second drug test failure in the state of Nevada.
With this being his second offense, he’s probably looking at a 12 month suspension, some fines, a bunch of paperwork, and a whole lot of inconvenience. The indirect impact is that he won’t be getting paid, not to fight at least, and for a high level athlete in his prime, losing precious time is a big blow. Now with that said, I’m all for playing by the rules, but is a rule for a drug like marijuana really even necessary?
As someone who also trains a lot (I train jiu jitsu alone 7-8 times a week along with 2-3 strength and conditioning sessions), I’ve never really understood why marijuana was grouped in with the other banned substances. Over the years, in many of the various gyms I’ve traveled to, I’ve been offered and seen people do all sorts of drugs in front me, or at least admitted to what they’re taking. Most notably HGH, steroids, or pot, but I can honestly say that I was much less threatened by someone who smoked a joint and came in to train, then the guy that had been loading up on Dianabol. Now I’m not proclaiming that pot doesn’t aid in your training. Of course it enhances your performance, but it’s more of a help with mental focus and in some cases, relaxation. This is a far cry from a steroid, growth hormone, speed, and other various recreational drugs that not only directly impact your strength, speed, and endurance, but many have also proven to be fatal, while surely giving you an edge in some form or capacity. One could even argue that marijuana’s effects are even less dramatic than most preworkout drinks, as even many of those contain caffeine, and/or other drugs. Sleep and nootropics also aid in brain function, and mental focus, but I’ve yet to hear about the Joe Rogan endorsed “Alpha Brain” or naps being a banned substance…
Do people simply need to be educated? I believe that’s part of the problem. The first time I smoked pot, I had no idea what I was doing or what to expect. I didn’t have any understanding of how to use it for it’s medicinal effects. To me there was two states, “high” and “not high”. It wasn’t until much later that I figured out that it’s not all the same, and that you can actually use it responsibly, although, there was an education (and maturity) process that I had to go through in order to get a grasp on it. Some might ask, why even bother? In my case, I went to the doctor for trouble with anxiety and insomnia, only to be recommended Xanax, another powerful narcotic medicine used for anti anxiety, that’s also highly addictive. After going to three different doctors, all of which wanted to prescribe me anti anxiety pills like Xanax and Valium, I decided that I would look into an alternative. Why was I so vehemently against taking pills? Because I had spent the better part of two years kicking a painkiller addiction, and there was no way I was gonna go back start another habit…
(Continue to page 2)
Related:
About the Author
Listen to internet radio with FIST TA CUFF RADIO on Blog Talk Radio This Sunday…
By Jake Chastain | After an odd sequence of events it seems that things for Mark…
Vitor Belfort’s beautifully placed spinning back kick KO over Luke Rockhold earned “The Phenom” Knockout…
The Main Event featured two of the top Middleweights in the world and they did…
Making his long-awaited UFC debut ‘Jacare’ Souza (17-3) did not disappoint as he dominated Chris…
The second fight on the Main Card looked to revive the card after the first…
The first fight of the Main Card started off with excitement, but ended with a…
By Evan Stoumbelis (@MMAEvan) Tonight fans will see the former UFC lightheavyweight champion Vitor Belfort…
Immediately following tonight’s UFC on FX 8 event, BJPENN.COM will host a live feed of…
UFC on FX 8: Belfort vs. Rockhold takes place tonight from the Arena Jaragua in…
The UFC on FX 8 prelims start tonight at 6 p.m. ET and 3…
By Jake Chastain | It is no secret that Vitor Belfort is one of the…
WEED!!!!!!
These kinds of idiots introduce the stereotype and cause this kind of shit.
If people weren’t immature and retarded about cannabis, it probably would be legal and we wouldn’t have to hear “OH THIS GUY GOT KICKED OUT FOR SMOKING WEED BECAUSE ITS SOOOO BAD” etc. (Retarded example, I know)
Get the **** off my internet and go kill yourself or something useful.
i would rather listen to nick diaz talk while under the influence than sober. He can’t put a complete sentence to save his life. LOL
Apparently my grammer is f*cked as well.
I can’t even cut the lawn properly while high.
Considering every time I used to get baked i’d have severe ****ing difficulty gathering the ingredients for ‘cheese on toast’ – IE; cheese, and toast – and sit in silence for ten minutes wondering what I was supposed to be doing after i’d decided to put another CD on and instantly forgot, i’d say Diaz deserves a goddam medal for entering a professional fighting organisation and kicking the **** out of someone whilst taking incoming punishment!
The man’s a legend.
aren’t the ingredients for Cheese on Toast cheese and bread??
why the **** are all you failures spelling organization like this “organisation” , **** theres like a dozen of you failures at least
You tool. That is how it is spelt in England… where English derives from… Have you ever left your country?
Why the **** are all you failures spelling organization like this “organisation”?****, there’s like a dozen of you failures at least. Please leave troll.
take the gay pic off you skinny little ****!
lol
so says Mr Failure himself. how does that crow taste? lolz!
@david you are easily the biggest dick on this forum & always make stupid ****in points that have nothing to do with what ur saying, trying to use big words and sentences trying to make yourself look good who gives a **** if you spell something wrong big deal , are you the spelling nazi or something?
No dude, that’s a cheese sandwich.
Un desastre la traducción. Como se hace para entender una nota así?
Yes Eddie speaks the truth.
By: George C. Mathews
just cause it has a pic of eddie bravo doesnt mean he wrote it.. joe rogan is there tooo.. why not say joe speaks the truth.. american potheads are dumb.. come to canada we got 41% THC in our shit and it gets you proper ****ed. not sloppy ****ed.
totally dude, and to get more bang for your buck i recommend a vaporizer. you get a better high with no burnout and no burnt particulate matter going into your lungs like with smoke >:D
Send me some of that 41% shit please.
Well written article but I have to disagree with the statement “no crime was really committed” clearly he broke the Nevada fight commission rules as well as state and federal bans on a controlled substance. That is the only fact that matters. I agree the control of this “Drug” needs to be revisited, however, until then rules are rules and laws are laws and that is not debatable.
He was a medical permit to smoke it
his card is only good in CA.
There’s no proof he smoked in nevada. weed stays in your system for up to 30 days. He could just be testing positive for THC from something he smoked in CA. He clearly broke the Nevada fight commission rules, but there is no proof that he broke the ‘LAW’… just sayin
rules and laws are not always correct. they tend to be created by those in power, and those currently in power are manipulated by corporate lobbyist.
remember our founding fathers… they broke the rules and laws, under penalty of death… and they grew hemp and smoked weed.
Lets all get one thing straight. Nick failed his POST fight drug test, not his pre fight one. In my eyes, he retired himself after that fight and probably lit up to calm himself post fight. I also think it was a deliberate attempt on his part to solidify his retirement and give the UFC and NSAC a big fat middle finger in the process. Whether you like or hate him, Nick has always been real, and I seriously doubt he was posturing about his retirement (at the time). Hopefully he will be back someday, but lets not all think he didn’t know what he was doing post fight…he just didn’t care about what he considered the bullshit anymore.
See and that’s what I think is bullshit he was done in his mind and still has to be punished, honestly if I was in the same position after a bullshit 4-1 call I would have burned some buds too. Im sure alot of people would too, he also has a card so I dont get why he has to be punished for some shit that he can do legally like 100 miles in one direction
doesn’t matter what any of you guys would do or what you think he did and why he did it, given the circumstances, diaz is a ****ing retard. LMAO at any type of justification for his stupid actions. IDIOT! rofl!
I’d say Alcohol, caffeine and prescription drugs are way worse than marijuana. I think the world would be a better place if most of these uptight people got some THC in their system.
bj acting like he doesn’t smoke a joint before he rolls
Uno it bu
excuse me?
Nick has a legal prescription for medical marijuana in the state of California. This whole situation is ridiculous. Some fighters can get cleared to artificially boost their testosterone levels by the commission but somebody who uses medical marijuana for obvious anxiety problems can’t. This is just a case of a bunch of old jerkoffs messing with a kid they think is a punk because they can. This will probably end the career of one of the last true warriors we have left in the game and I’m deeply disappointed. Please come back BJ PENN we need u more than ever!
Hahaha smoke weed erryday
superman smokes weed.
@David it’s “organization” that’s the wrong spelling actually.
Americans changed a lot of conventional English as it was far too complicated for them
Your a retard the only difference in the spelling of those words is one letter. We change the spelling so we don’t have to sounds like fruitcakes like Brits do when they talk. So go sip some tea, perhaps brush your teeth and take orders from an old ass senile woman. Cheers homo!! Ha
I live American dream, I come take american job and have yours imported to my country. We are winners.
This is one of the most intelligent articles I have read in a long time – not just on this site but anywhere. Did Pedro write this? Or was it Eddie Bravo? I think someone above said it was Eddie.
Anyway, I can absolutely relate to the part talking about smoking weed over taking Xanax or Valium to prevent relapse. I have battled addiction myself. Alcohol has been the sole contributor to all the major problems I have ever experienced. A pretty significant cocaine habit to supplement the booze didn’t exactly make things any better. But I’ve been clean for nearly seven years, and I still don’t see the problem with marijuana. Toward the end of my run I refrained from smoking due to enhanced paranoia, but that was probably the result of many cocajuana cocktails. I never plan on drinking another drop of alcohol or doing “drugs.” However, I can definitely see myself blazin’ the tweeds a little later on after I accomplish what I want to accomplish.
Overall, my point is that at one point drugs were my business and business was good. But I cannot recall one marijuana-related experience that would have given me the edge in a fist fight. Like so many other people on this site over the last few days have stated, marijuana is only good to enhance the mental aspect. I used to burn in undergrad and be focused enough to study. That’s the extent regarding its “performing enhancing” effects. Aside from that, Pete said it quite well above when he mentioned his bread-and-toast dilemma. I spent many a night in convenient stores trying to decide between Cheetos and Munchos. PED? C’mon. Let’s be serious.
My other point is related to what Gyeah said above. As of now, Diaz did break the rules. That’s not debatable. But changing the rules is. Some seemingly ironclad precedent has been overturned. All it took was some sort of vehicle in which to do so, e.g. Roe v. Wade; Brown v. Board of Education, the latest Proposition 8 decision. The legalization of marijuana is ever expanding. It is mostly for medical use now, but mark my words it will be legalized within the next 25 years. Maybe this whole Diaz situation is a good thing. Maybe it can be used as a vehicle to differentiate what is and what is not a PED. While NSAC enforces the law, they don’t make the law. The courts do. I would love for this to be taken through the legal system and would be anxious to see what the result would be.
Sorry about the rant, guys. Just had a lot to say on this one.
Great point Thurgood! I tried making that point and got called “sheeple’ and told to follow the herd off a cliff, which was pretty funny. Probably cuz I didn’t word it like you, but you are spot on. The courts make the law and that’s where it needs to happen. Diaz got busted for breaking a rule he knew was there. It’s a stupid rule for marijuana especially in MMA, but until things change there’s not much they can do but enforce what their bylaws state. And YES the day is coming (hopefully soon) when it will be legalized!
I agree with your point. Although I still feel Diaz could have prevented it as he is in a professional sport and no one should have to baby sit him. Regardless, marijuana has been way to controversial with no hard evidence of why it should be illegal, especially when we have cigarettes out there causing lung cancers (with scientific proof). Marijuana can alter state of mind but the duration of it is like Salvia, except it lasts just a little longer. Fact is that there is no evidence or experimental studies that it can increase or alter physical performance. Therefore, Diaz breaking the rule deserves the punishment but I hope his punishment is used by media as a outrage to change the rules in NSAC in terms of testing for marijuana. I’m not a fan of Diaz’s personality but am a fan of watching his fights win or lose and hopefully his punishment brings some change into NSAC.
One thing you guys might want to notice is that no or not enough media is calling out the NSAC to change the rules. Too sensitive of a topic for journalists to take on and try to win this one. Just like DW said, you can’t win with the government.
The ONLY reason pot is illegal is because it is a naturally growing plant.. There is no possible way the Goverment can put a patent on it and make a profit because there are too many strains to cover, therefor they consider it illegal.. It’s all about the money, not the effects it has on people!
Weed, steroids, cocain what ever it is it’s a drug, great advertisement for kids smoke weed it helps with mental focus hahaha if you no you have a fight coming up in 3 months stop until after the testing period
He has so low body fat,and cuts weight so for it to even be in his system he would have had to smoke like the day before the test lol.
Hey toothpick!!!!take that gay pic off ****in’ fag!
Best article I’ve read from you. Very honest! Let’s go Nick!!!!!!!! WAR DIAZ!!!!!!!!
Marijuana can reduce pain which can lead to more endurance..So painkillers are also aloud in mma?I smoke weed too,but you got to look at what removing marijuana from drug tests would lead to.Also this could increase the risk of a fighter getting hurt like if it reduces the pain of a broken finger and they keep punching,or if you receive more strikes and you feel less pain which would increase injury, or if someone is putting you in a armbar and you reaction time is a few seconds slower and he breaks your arm before you tap.And to all the people who say marijuana reduces your endurance you should smoke,ride a bike, and come back after to tell me otherwise.
The only smart stoner here?
not at all, some people are just that retarded. as for myself, i train and can do anything stoned better than sober. mostly because of my anxiety from a ****ed up childhood, but it relaxes and makes me focus on any task in front of me. and he’s right about one thing, you have more pain tolerance after you toke because your mind goes “yeah im being hit, but i don’t give a ****”
I have to say, as a nurse in California, the only medical benefit smoking or eating marijuana has is pain control (try reading the actual published literature and independent studies rather than repeating the crap you hear on You tube and from your stoner buddies). With that said, a fighter who ingests marijuana prior to a fight does have an unfair advantage over his/her opponent. This is really the issue here. Do you want to step into the ring with someone who isn’t feeling the full effect of your punches or kicks? Let’s be fair and keep the playing field level for all competitors. Not to mention, a medical marijuana card in this state is extremely easy to obtain.
BTW – it really doesn’t matter how you spell “organization” – the Brits still think they gave us a perfectly good language and we butchered it. LOL
You forgot about the how smoking weed can cause dehydration…Being dehydrated after the weight cut is even more risky.
They can increase the accepted amount of THC in the blood/urine. I agree that fighters don’t need to go into the ring blazed but considering the test will pop you if you smoked 2 weeks before is BS. And there is a difference between chronic pain (no pun intened) and acute pain. A punch in the face is acute pain, and if you’ve smoked so much you can’t feel acute pain then you’ve fallen asleep.
I’m pretty sure Nick has a license for medical marijuana. So it’s pretty ridiculous if he does get anything. To be honest weed shouldn’t even be something they test for.
+1 Agreed, why is marijuana even used as medicine?Mostly for people who can’t eat, people who are depressed, and to REDUCE PAIN.
The bottom line is that a pot-smoking MMA fighter needs to make sure they’ll pass the test because the rules are the rules. Plain and simple. Lack of oversight on Nick’s part. Personally, I think a bigger issue is the Diaz’s lack of respect for opponents in the ring and for the sport in general. Fans give them a pass when they shake the opponents hand at the of a match. Taunting an opponent on the ring disrespects the opponent and throwing a hissy fit after a decision disrespects the sport. Koscheck has made a living as “the villain” without taunting his opponents in the ring.
Back in 1998 Canadian Olympic Gold medal winner, Ross Rebagliati, tested positive for weed use after winning the gold.
“After winning the gold, he was found to have THC in his circulatory system and he was automatically disqualified. This decision was eventually overturned, largely on the basis that marijuana was not on the list of banned substances, and Rebagliati was given back the medal”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Rebagliati
The Olympic committee takes this shit VERY seriously. And I remember at the time, the big question was, is weed a performance enhancing drug. They found it wasn’t, and he got to keep the medal. Unfortunately, the Nevada state sees it differently.
i think uptight beings should smoke a bowl
I’m sure nick doesn’t give 2 shits about this suspension over the use of a flower, considering he said he was done with the bullshit that is the ufc and mma in general.
funny how he finally doesn’t give a **** anymore after he was owned. Yeah if I knew that I was garbage whilst being on top of the world and then was exposed, I would be done with the bullshit as well. PATHETIC!
owned?lmao Ima blaze one to dat dumb shit you just wrote.
Yea, I gotta agree. If anyone was owned on that card it was either Nelson or Stittgen.
Some of the best jiu-jitsu practitioners I know smoke weed regularly. Not to mention the numerous people I know who are very successful in their professional lives.
Who doesn’t know someone whos smoking the Gange? It aint no big deal,Ive never had a friend get belligerant while smoking pot,unlike alcohol that can turn you into an instant asshole pot aint like that! I smoke from time to time we got some real good chron out here in my part of the world,people need to chill this aint going away ever,but just cause you like to burn it don’t make you a bad person,in fact alot of my friends are very sucsessful and intelligent,not to mention layed back groovin mother****ers!
+1
These same friends get behind the wheels of cars and are not as alert as other drivers and CAN AND DO kill people. I lost a best friend to weed, it was his own damn fault he was high and driving and lost control of his car, luckily if you want to call it that he was the ONLY one killed or hurt, what if he had ran into your mother and she had died also? What if he had ran into a school building killing children? What then???? Weed I do feel is safer than beer and other such products but facts are facts weed can and does kill
Look I’m not against or for smoking weed. But as a “professional” fighter at the top of the game using any substance is unprofessional. And I don’t care what a person does on their off time, but during camp when your sponsor’s are paying you to train. You now entered the realm of responsibility that holds you to a higher standard than most. Any excuse on why a person can not do that clean and sober of any controlled substance is just that, an excuse.
Fighters Union Local 420
The thing everyone forgets is that it IS a drug and it SLOWS down reaction times. In the fight this does NOT give any advantage to the fighter smoking weed, however does this fighter drive a car to the fight, does he drive his car anywhere while high? Thousands of people have been killed in car crashes because one of the drivers were high on weed. Most of my friends smoke it and honestly I think it should be legalized, the tax money they could make, not to mention it is much safer in my opinion than the beer people drink and drive on. Should Diaz be cut for smoking weed, NO should he be fined and lose the year of pay this is up for debate, but if he drives his car when he is high there is NO debate and the answer is a resounding yes, at least in my books. Weed does harm people, usually those that are not taking it, or the driver who is high himself. Those that say weed is okay need to look at the big picture, it is not okay, BUT it IS better than beer in many peoples books and in mine
alcohol kills more people than marijuana does….
I drive better when I’m high. I’m too focused. If I smoke before I mow the yard, the shit looks professionally done and I actually enjoy doing it. For me weed keeps me focused on the task at hand and not a McDonald’s cheese burger. Cigarrettes kill thousands every year yet they are advertised and endorsed. No one has ever died directly because of pot
Nothings more proper than smoking a blunt while taking a nice shit on the toilet.
lol.
lol str8 up
JUST IN!!!!
Nick Diaz v.s. Michael Phelps
for the Interim Bong Olympics Championship
a true test of whos lungs can hold the bigger rip !!!
No ways bra no do that shit bra doing meth is the way no green all in the clear bra doing rex kwon do after chongin a fatty pudle is the way to b bra only ice in paradise bra yours truly dog the batu huntah
Love training high
I agree wit u a hundred percent bra doing my wing chun tai chi and rex kwon do flying high on dope bra is heaven for me bra aloha the only guy who can run a blond mullet on tv andhas been dressing him self for 56 yrs urs truly dog chapman
who gives a rats ass about a little weed. Athletic commisons care more about weed than ACTUAL CHEATING WITH STEROIDS that 95% of all mma is on including the biggest offender who can afford the most expensive of desighner sterpoids and HGH none other than GSP. At least Diaz is clean from steroids just like BJ Penn. I would pay anything to see someone ask GSP if they could have a sample of his blood to test for HGH he would prob cry and say his groin hurts
they care so much because its an organization based OUT OF AMERICA, where in america you do more time for 1 oz of weed then KILLING SOMEONE…
Wooo bra know ur laws only if u haved it bagged up for distrubution but bra u kill some one u go jail more long bra dat y weed smells do meth u can smoke it in the mcdonalds bathroom and not get busted bra tru story no lie bra aloha from dog the bounty huntah
Weed is not a drug, in my opinion. I used to be anti-weed and I hated it. I even told my best friend I would not be his friend anymore if he continued. After I did research, and tried it, my opinion is changed. I wish it was legal, but it’s not. It’s a stupid law and rules, but you have to follow it. I haven’t had weed in over a year and a half. I wish I could, but I have responsibilities. Nick should realize it, too; or at least stop around fight time knowing they’re going to test. Oh, well. I had Diaz 48-47. Hope he comes back stronger. WAR DIAZ!
Bra uz a story teller bra
Good article. Speaks truth. Nick is what Nick is. He miscalculated his routine of flushing out his system, plain and simple. But in a situation like this, he should have (and I believe most would have) erred in the side of caution. Taken more time to do what he does to eliminate the THC’s from him system. And as dumb as the rule is for weed, it’s still a rule. Until the commission decides it’s not needed, there is nothing we or the fighters can do about it. If we can’t remove the tiger from the kitchen, we better be following the rules so we don’t get our asses mauled, or stay out of the kitchen. Many systems can be played, you just have to be smart about it. Many fighters are, as many fighters I’m sure use some sort of PEDs. They are just smart enough not to get caught. Be smart, not stubborn.
Doing Meth and training rex kwon do bra
Eh bra. HOwz dis one. I rock da bowl and train in carbreakinjitsu and then I chew on the glass to make my mouth even mo fuk up. Ya bra dog bra
Cheeeeee braddah dat the 1 bra come down my gym I teech u some rex kwon do to enter the ultimate cage fighting bra bow to ur senseh
I smoke and I trained for over 20 years, and IMO I think it’s much harder to fight while high… your reaction time is not as fast and you may be able to focus on simple things with more ease, but focusing on those simple things while still maintaining strategy and awareness of the “BIG” picture (IMHO) is much more difficult. I think that the only reason marijuana is included in the list of banned substances is due to ignorance and not based on medical facts.
ماهي اهم الاعشاب المفيدة للقدره الجنسية؟
بعد ظهور كثير من العقاقير التي اتخذها البعض كعلاج اسطوريا للضعف الجنسي حيث من خلاله قد يحل جميع المشاكل الجنسية بالنسبة للرجل ولكن رغم ذلك فان الامر لا يخلو من المخاوف والقلق لما قد يسببه من مخاطر جانبية فهنا يدخل الطب البديل كمنافس لتلك العقاقير فلقد اتجهت البحوث الي الاعشاب والتغذية للقضاء علي المشاكل الجنسيه والحياتيه في نفس الوقت ومنذ قديم الزمان عف قدماء المصريون علاقة التغذية بالجنس وادخلوا بعض من الاصناف الي قائمة المنشطات الجنسية مثل الخضراوات الورقية كالجرجير والكرفس والبقدونس والجزر والكرات والفجل وايضا فيث تحسين حالة الاعصاب والمخ الذان مسؤلان عن نقل الاشاره الي الاداء الجنسي .للمذيد اضعط هنا.
hi!,I love your writing so a lot! share we communicate more about your post on AOL? I require a specialist in this space to unravel my problem. Maybe that is you! Taking a look forward to see you.