The sporting world appears to be having a moment of reckoning regarding athlete use of cannabis. Still, Texas is certainly not at the vanguard of that thinking revolution at this point.
Before the UFC 265 event in Houston this summer, fighters in the mixed martial arts championship received a memorandum. According to the MMA Junkie blog, the notice states that the Lone Star State’s strict anti-pot laws could result in them being stripped of possible victories.
US Anti-Doping Agency, a UFC partner, no longer punishes fighters if marijuana use shows up on drug tests. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which will also oversee the championship, does not believe this to be the case.
Donna Marcolini, Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, warned fighters that the Texas threshold for allowable THC is so low that they should stop using marijuana and CBD products immediately to avoid testing positive for the August 7 fight.
Marcolini warned that athletes who test positive for drugs above the state’s standard would face a 90-day suspension, a $500 fine, and their victories will be overturned.
In a copy of the document obtained by MMA Junkie, Marcolini stated that the threshold is considerably low, and “all UFC athletes should take precautions” to abide by Texas’ different law.
Original article: https://www.sacurrent.com/sanantonio/ufc-warns-its-athletes-of-texas-stringent-anti-marijuana-testing-rules-ahead-of-houston-event/Content?oid=26670235
