Growing List of UFC Fighters Stand Up for Cannabis
[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]T[/dropcap]he message is clear; mixed martial arts fighters want cannabis off the list of controlled substances. UFC fighters, Michael Chiesa and Rose Namajunas, have announced that they want to see cannabis removed from the banned list of substances. Since Nick Diaz was outrageously suspended from the UFC for five years for cannabis, MMA fighters have had enough.
“Take marijuana off the banned list,” Chiesa recently told fans at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. “I know a lot of people who actually use marijuana for medical purposes. I know fighters that have legitimate issues – not a lot of people want to put medicines in their body that are built in a science laboratory, but there’s a plant out there that grows naturally that can help guys with [attention deficit disorder] and certain other things.”
Meanwhile, the UFC has been busy legalizing elevated steroid limits.
“You can have a 6-to-1 [testosterone-to-epitestosterone] ratio in Nevada – which is pretty tough to do naturally,” Chiesa said. “But you can’t smoke pot. It’s medicine. Times have changed. You can drink before a fight. You can get drunk, but you can’t have pot in your system? That doesn’t make sense to me.” Chiesa believes the UFC is focusing all the attention on the wrong substance. Everyday athletes sacrifice their pulmonary health for their careers. Chiesa is currently at 13-2.
Watch Chiesa and Namajunas discuss cannabis specifically below:
Rose Namajunas is currently ranked number three in the women’s strawweight division. Among Namajunas’ comments, she made a #FreeNickDiaz reference.
What is this I am hearing about 5 yr suspension for Diaz/weed but 1 yr for silva/roids?! Am I missing something? #freenickdiaz
— Rose Namajunas (@rosenamajunas) September 15, 2015
Before Chiesa and Namajunas weighed in, former MMA champion Ronda Rousey blazed the way by showing uncompromising support for cannabis.
MMA fighters in the UFC hope to create some kind of sane drug policy that reflects the local laws in Nevada.
