UFC’s cannabis policy is hazy

Nate Diaz tested UFC's stance on pot once again at UFC open workout

Nate Diaz smoked a joint

A video of one of Diaz’s pre-fight workouts went viral before scoring a unanimous decision against Anthony Pettis. In the video, Nate lights up a joint and passes it through the crowd on stage.

UFC fans are quite aware of Diaz’s pot consumption. Both Nate and his brother have gained notoriety as outspoken cannabis advocates in the sport.

"I said pass it around," says Nate Diaz while offering the joint to an audience member. "It's good etiquette, for sure."

How will this impact Nate Diaz

Nate's brother Nick, also a well known UFC fighter has been hit hard with penalties before. The Nevada State Athletic Commission issued a five-year suspension to Nick in 2015 after testing positive, later reduced to 18 months and a $100,000 fine.

UFC color commentator Joe Rogan believes majority of their fighters use cannabis. Even Nate Diaz’s recent opponent, Antony Pettis recently said he's down to smoke weed with Diaz after the fight.

What will UFC do now

With the rise of cannabis and CBD culture, it begs the question: what will UFC's stance be on cannabis use among its athletes?

The answer, however, isn’t definitive.

Fighters are subject to the UFC’s Anti-Doping program, which adheres to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of prohibited substances. THC, a psychological compound in Marijuana, is strictly banned by the agency. Although WADA has considerably raised the level of allowed marijuana in an athlete's system. All CBD-derived products are free from any restrictions. Nate in a surprising turn of events claims the joint at the UFC open workout was CBD only.

A handful of states have a zero-tolerance policy towards marijuana. These states give a fair warning ahead of an event scheduled in those states.

But according to UFC President Dana White, fighters only really need to quit smoking pot the day before entering a fight.

The UFC’s pot policy is murky at best, but we’ll go with what came straight from the face of the organization.

“...you have to not smoke marijuana for 24 hours,” White explained in a 2017 interview with Snoop Dogg. “[Nick Diaz] fights three times a year! So you can’t stay off marijuana for 24 hours for three days a year? ”

UFC fans are quite aware of Diaz’s pot consumption. Nate and Nick are often seen promoting their favorite brands on social media.

This has driven up the demand and search volume for legal cannabis products on popular cannabis delivery platforms like bud.com. Customers often seek products typically promoted by influencers and public figures.

This signal is another proof that the Diaz brothers are impacting the industry in a positive way.