Attention California fighters and part-time potheads: You may be able to dodge Johnny Law with a medical marijuana card -- but don't expect your laminated smoke shield to have any effect on the NARCS over at the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC).
As troubled Strikeforce middleweight Nick Diaz has been finding out, the laws that apply to medicinal marijuana in regards to criminal punishment do not apply to the Commission's duty to prevent a fighter from subjecting himself to a potentially dangerous situation come fight night.
Simply put: The Compassionate Use Act (California Proposition 215) may keep you out of prison, but it doesn't legalize the use of marijuana.
From the CSAC:
"Although the question springs from professional licensing rather than employment, much of the Court's rationale applies. Because the Compassionate Use Act only provides a defense to criminal charges, any argument that the Act would allow an athlete to use the drug without consequences to his or her license must fail. If the Court were to take up a similar challenge to discipline of a licensee, it would likely find that the Commission has a legitimate interest in whether or not an athlete uses the drug because marijuana could slow a fighter's reflexes and endanger his or her health and safety in the ring or the cage. Therefore, given the limited reach of the Compassionate Use Act and the rationale of the Supreme Court in Ross v. RagingWire Telcomm, the Commission may safely discipline an athlete without running afoul of any law or court decision."
From a Commission's perspective, use of marijuana as a medical aid is no different than using prescription pain killers prior to fight. While not necessarily a performance enhancing drug (PED), it may affect a fighter's performance either positively or negatively during a fight and may compromise the safety of the combatant.
What's your stance Maniacs, agree or disagree?
Read the policy in its entirety by clicking here.
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