There comes a time in history when a change is not only needed, but necessary. It is time that State Athletic Commissions start to realize that marijuana is not a Performance Enhancing Drug (PED).

UFC VP Marc Ratner spoke at a meeting telling the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) that they need to revisit rules surrounding the drug.

“I think it’s something that has to be discussed on a commission level now. Right now I just cannot believe that a performance enhancing drug and marijuana can be treated the same.  It just doesn’t make sense to the world anymore and it’s something that has to be brought up.”

Several states have already legalized the use of marijuana as a medical drug. Colorado and Washington have even gone as far in the last election in 2012 to make the drug legal. In those two states you can purchase and sell the drug free of any worries from state law enforcement.

The issue of marijuana reared its ugly head after Nick Diaz lost to Carlos Condit at UFC 142. It was Diaz’s argument that he didn’t test positive for the drug, which he has a legal prescription for in the state of California, but rather for metabolites of the drug. Those metabolites can stay in your system for much longer than the actual drug THC.

“Society is changing; it’s a different world now than when I was on the commission.  States are legalizing marijuana and it’s becoming more and more of a problem with fighters testing positive and the metabolites,” said Ratner.

A lot of fighters have been getting popped for failing drug tests for smoking marijuana. The most recent fighters include Dave Herman, Alex Caceres and Matt Riddle. The last fighter mentioned, Riddle, was even cut by the UFC for the failed test.

Even the President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), John Fahey, has stated that they may look into changing the criteria for cannabis as a banned substance in testing. They may or not remove it, but it all it would take is one sanctioning body to take that step.

If one state commission were to lift the ban, or just lighten the suspension, others would follow. There is no doubt that marijuana still has a negative stigma in this country. A change is necessary though, even UFC VP Marc Ratner knows it, the state commissions should listen.

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