NAC's New PED Punishments Perfect, but Marijuana Rules Are Ridiculous

The sweeping changes instituted by the Nevada Athletic Commission during a Friday meeting will forever alter the way it punishes users of performance-enhancing drugs.

It has been a long time coming. For years, the Nevada commission (and many others around the world) turned a deaf ear to the PED problem in combat sports. The punishments were barely a deterrent. Cheaters knew that they could cheat and, if caught, receive what amounted to less than a year on the sidelines.

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That's no longer the case. On Friday (and in a very short period of time), the commission discussed and voted on new rules that will drop the proverbial hammer on offenders who use steroids, sedatives, marijuana and more.

A sampling of the new rules that will go into effect on September 1, as noted by MMA Fighting's Shaun Al-Shatti:

• A first offense for an anabolic steroid failure is a 36-month suspension and a fine of 50-75 percent of the fighter's purse. A second offense is 48 months, and a third offense is a lifetime ban.
• A first offense for avoiding testing (Wanderlei Silva-style) or using fake urine is 48 months and 75 percent of the fighter's purse.
• A first offense for a positive test for marijuana is 18 months and 30-40 percent of the fighter's purse. A second offense is a 24-month suspension, a third offense is a 36-month suspension and the fourth offense is a lifetime ban.

That last paragraph is the major problem with these new rules.

I applaud the NAC for taking a hard-line stance on cheaters who use PEDs. Athletes who take steroids to attempt to gain an advantage on their opponent in a combat sport should be punished severely, and suspending them for three years is absolutely perfect. The threat of a suspension of that length from the sport—which would essentially end the careers of many fighters—will fundamentally change the drug culture in mixed martial arts.

But the new marijuana rules are ridiculous.

I am not a pot smoker. But even as a casual observer of those who do smoke, I can see that marijuana has no business being classified as a performance-enhancing drug. At best, it is a relaxant and perhaps a tool for focusing; marijuana offers none of the physical benefits that come with the usage of human growth hormone or another PED. Steroids are banned because they can help you recover, build muscle and become stronger and faster.

Marijuana? It does none of those things. 

And it is easy to see that the public attitude toward marijuana usage is changing in the United States. In Nevada, medical marijuana is legal, and there are those who believe it's only a matter of time before it obtains the same legal usage status as Washington and Colorado. Other states will follow.

And so, in a time when marijuana is becoming more accepted as part of everyday culture, the Nevada commission doubled down. Instead of softening the punishments for pot usage, it made them even more harsh. The public went one direction and the commission went the other.

It is a shame, too, because this is a day that should be celebrated. The rules change regarding anabolic steroids is a major moment in combat sports history, and it will forever affect mixed martial arts and boxing for the positive.

But the NAC's unfortunate, antiquated views on marijuana—views that are totally out of sync with popular culture, mind you—will cast a large shadow over any good vibes that come out of its new stance on steroids.