It wouldn’t be a Diaz fight without some sort of controversy involving marijuana, and it seems like Nate Diaz checked that particular box off last night during the UFC 202 post-event press interviews. The bruised and bloodied fighter can be seen during the official UFC video taking hits from a vape pen.When asked later what exactly was in the pen, Nate wasn’t shy about revealing its questionably legal nature.
“This is the ‘Tru’ company. It’s CBD,” Diaz said. “It helps with healing process and inflammation and stuff like that. So you wanna get these for before, after the fight, training. It’ll make your life a better place. CBD oil…if you don’t know what that is.”
So what exactly is CBD oil and is it basically marijuana?
To start off: yes, it’s basically marijuana…but not really the same thing at all. CBD oil is cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid derived from the marijuana plant. Different cannabinoids react differently with our brain receptors, and while the THC cannabinoid is famous for getting you stoned, the CBD cannabinoid’s reputation is heavily focused around its medicinal properties.
Many of the edibles and creams you see in weed dispensaries geared towards pain relief and management are CBD based, and studies have shown it is an effective treatment for promoting sleep and relieving inflammation, anxiety, and nausea. It has even been shown to shrink tumors in certain cases. New uses for CBD are being discovered constantly.
Now here’s the other question many people have: did Nate Diaz possibly violate USADA or NSAC rules by smoking his CBD vape pen on fight night? It comes down to whether Nate was considered ‘in-competition’ following the fight. Both organizations make no distinction between different types of cannabinoids, but only consider their presence a violation for in-competition tests, according to the Combat Sports Law Blog.
The World Anti-Doping Agency’s definition, which the NSAC follows, states “In-Competition means the period commencing twelve hours before a Competition in which the Athlete is scheduled to participate through the end of such Competition and the Sample collection process related to such Competition.” So if Nate waited until after the NSAC tested him following the fight, that would be considered out of competition use and perfectly fine.
But the USADA/UFC rules are a bit different and say “In-Competition means the period commencing six hours prior to the commencement of the scheduled weigh-in and ending six hours after the conclusion of the Bout.” So technically, Diaz was still in-competition for roughly another five hours when he showed up to press interviews sucking on his CBD vape pen.
USADA doesn’t even have to test him to find him in violation of the rules. Earlier this year Mirko Crocop was suspended for two years after telling the UFC he had used HGH to rehab his injured shoulder. That was USADA being lenient. If they had found traces of HGH in a test, Crocop would have received a four-year suspension. But Crocop never failed a test and was still suspended for admitting drug use, a fate that may befall Diaz in this situation.
So what was Nate thinking? He might have thought he was out of competition after taking his final drug tests of the night. Or maybe he figures a weed suspension is an easy way to guarantee he doesn’t have to fight for the next year while waiting for a third McGregor fight. Perhaps he’s just sick of the stigma surrounding marijuana and decided to make a point by vaping CBD oil in front of a room full of reporters.
Whatever the case, we’ll have to sit tight and wait to see how the UFC, USADA, and the NSAC (who really don’t like the Diaz brothers) react.
(via Combat Sports Law Blog)
