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[Spoon]

Dana White fearful that increased drug testing would result in widespread positive marijuana tests - Yahoo! Sports

Dana White said Thursday that if he were to implement year-round, random drug testing of his approximately 475 contracted fighters, more than 80 percent of them might wind up being suspended.

The drug he's concerned about, though, is not what you might think.

The outspoken UFC president reiterated his long-held position that drug testing by state athletic commissions is sufficient to police the sport. When pressed if he's considering a random, year-round drug screening process to try to eradicate performance-enhancing drugs from the UFC, White said he is not certain. He said it is something he's never considered previously.

Then, he conceded he's worried about a slew of positive tests if he did adopt such a regimen.

"Forget about PEDs," White said. "If we get into this system that we're talking about where we would randomly test these guys, do you know how many guys would probably test positive for marijuana? It would be probably off the charts.

"If you randomly test them and then [the results] came out, you'd get the exact same suspension [for using marijuana] as you do for using PEDs."

The length of the penalty for using marijuana disturbs White.

"I do not think the penalty should be the same for taking marijuana as it is for [using] performance-enhancing drugs," he said.

He's right on that point, though the the World Anti-Doping Agency's 2012 prohibited list covers that issue well. Marijuana usage is prohibited by WADA in-competition. It is not considered a violation for athletes following the WADA code if they test positive when they are not competing.

[Repenter]

individual states will be legalizing marijuana more and more often over the coming years, putting pressure on the federal government. obama saying that it wasn't a DEA priority to bust pot dealers in WA and CO sets a good precedent, and eventually it will be legalized completely.

having it removed from the banned substances in the athletic commissions will happen far before that. saying that nick diaz is a better fighter because he smoked a joint three weeks ago is beyond retarded.

[cnlclink]

I agree with Repenter, however the time being I can see Dana's point. They should be doing random drug testing anyway, all these guys know the rules, how could they not? So I'm 100% for random drug testing and if you need something to help you heal then you had better have some type of certificate for it.

[AnchorPunch]

Originally Posted by Repenter

individual states will be legalizing marijuana more and more often over the coming years, putting pressure on the federal government. obama saying that it wasn't a DEA priority to bust pot dealers in WA and CO sets a good precedent, and eventually it will be legalized completely.

having it removed from the banned substances in the athletic commissions will happen far before that. saying that nick diaz is a better fighter because he smoked a joint three weeks ago is beyond retarded.

Unfortunately, Obama tripled DEA raids, including over (state) legal dispensaries. It'll be a long time before politicians catch up with the people.

[Sniggles]

Originally Posted by AnchorPunch

Unfortunately, Obama tripled DEA raids, including over (state) legal dispensaries. It'll be a long time before politicians catch up with the people.

The prison industrial complex will not go down without a fight.

[Fe1]

Ok, simple solution to this. PUT DOWN THE FUCKING PIPE. It's simple really. If you're an athlete, you're paid to compete, and you know you are going to be subject to random drug tests, DON'T DO DRUGS! It may sound like an after school special but if it's something that Dana is worried about, maybe he should discourage it a little bit more. Stricter fines within the company rather that just the athletic commissions perhaps?

[TheKidInside]

Originally Posted by AnchorPunch

Unfortunately, Obama tripled DEA raids, including over (state) legal dispensaries. It'll be a long time before politicians catch up with the people.

yeah seriously...someone isn't aware of the REALITY.

I love how Fe1 is handling the symptom and not the problem that it's not a drug, it's a plant/herb that grows from the ground and it's against all scientific and moral judgement that it still maintains to be illegal. Some people absolutely blow my mind.

[W.Silva>C.Norris]

Originally Posted by TheKidInside

yeah seriously...someone isn't aware of the REALITY.

I love how Fe1 is handling the symptom and not the problem that it's not a drug, it's a plant/herb that grows from the ground and it's against all scientific and moral judgement that it still maintains to be illegal. Some people absolutely blow my mind.

Unfortunately, Cocaine comes from a plant that grows in the ground, as does Heroin, and other opiates..

I agree that marijuana should be legalized, and for it to be on banned substance lists for competitive sports is pretty silly, but as things stand now, it is illegal, and banned from most competitions. If these guys want to compete, they need to conform to the rules they agree to compete under.

[RearNakedStroke]

Originally Posted by W.Silva>C.Norris

Unfortunately, Cocaine comes from a plant that grows in the ground, as does Heroin, and other opiates..

I agree that marijuana should be legalized, and for it to be on banned substance lists for competitive sports is pretty silly, but as things stand now, it is illegal, and banned from most competitions. If these guys want to compete, they need to conform to the rules they agree to compete under.

Are you serious? Comparing pot to cocaine is pretty stupid. One is chemically altered, one is not. One kills people, one does not.

As far as "it is illegal, therefore it is banned", that's not true across the board anymore. What if a fight takes place in Colorado or Washington? If its not illegal in that state it shouldn't be illegal to have it in your system when you fight there. And then there's people from those states. How can they suspend someone for doing something that's perfectly legal in their home, and that they did weeks before their fight? They need to take a look at this before lawsuits start.

As far as I know, and I've read up on this quite a bit, in Colorado a persons employer still has the right to fire people for marijuana use if they fail a drug test, but that is because it stays in your system for so long and there is no way to prove that you weren't high on the job. But many lawyers believe that will change after a major company gets sued and loses their case.

On a side note bring the Nick and Nate Diaz fights to Colorado! I love watching those guys fight!

[dbader08]

Originally Posted by Fe1

Ok, simple solution to this. PUT DOWN THE FUCKING PIPE. It's simple really. If you're an athlete, you're paid to compete, and you know you are going to be subject to random drug tests, DON'T DO DRUGS! It may sound like an after school special but if it's something that Dana is worried about, maybe he should discourage it a little bit more. Stricter fines within the company rather that just the athletic commissions perhaps?

It's just that there's that whole freedom of choice argument thinger...

It would be beyond retarded if they started testing guys randomly and suspending them for marijuana when they don't even have a fight near.

Plus most of these guys don't get paid anything near what most professional athletes make...and they are fighters. It's probably a pretty chaotic life...I'd say a little self induced winding down is warranted from time to time.