UFC Fighters Advised To Quit Marijuana To Avoid Stiff Fines

The fighters seeking to participate in UFC 298's Feb. 17 event at Honda Center in Anaheim, California could risk a $100 fine if testing positive over the allowed threshold for marijuana, according to an email obtained by MMA Fighting.

California State Athletic Commission's rules find any positive drug test with over 150 nanograms of THC per milliliter exceeding the limit.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) advised athletes to "discontinue use immediately to ensure you don't exceed" the threshold.

By the usual protocol that commissions follow in terms of competition tests, the UFC informed the fighters that testing would be done on either the weigh-in day or the fight day.

Simultaneously, the fighters were also called to pay attention to the commission's "10-point plan to combat dangerous weight-cutting practices."

UFC officially removed marijuana from its list of banned substances for professional fighters last year. The recent move was built on a 2021 policy that largely shielded athletes from penalties for THC, the psychoactive component in cannabis.

The updated anti-doping program, effective Dec. 31, 2023, was in line with UFC’s goals, Hunter Campbell, UFC chief business officer, said last month.

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"UFC’s goal for the Anti-Doping Policy is to be the best, most effective, and most progressive anti-doping program in all of professional sports," Campbell stated.

Over the years, with the stigma over cannabis fading, its potential benefits have started to shift the narrative within professionals in the combat sports industry and in wider sports circles.

Athletes have been known to use cannabis to alleviate muscle soreness, mitigate stress, and promote brain health — all critical concerns for the well-being of UFC fighters and other athletes.

The National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB) have also opted to alter their cannabis policies, funding clinical trials and permitting personal use among players.

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