Nate Diaz is in trouble with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). That’s because of violating the UFC anti-doping policy by vaping cannabis immediately after a fight. Diaz was spotted vaping at the UFC press conference after the Saturday night fight. The star was spotted vaping while insisting that he deserved victory for the full five-round distance fight.
Diaz said that it was cannabidiol oil or CBD when asked about the content of the vape pen. He lost to Conor McGregor after a majority decision. Diaz added that CBD helps with inflammation and the healing process. As such, he always wants to get CBD during training and before and even after a fight. Diaz added that CBD makes life better.
What is Cannabidiol?
For those who don’t know much about it, cannabidiol is one of the 113 cannabinoids that are naturally found in cannabis. Its popularity has increased rapidly after researchers touted it for many therapeutic benefits. Today, celebrities from different parts of the world are seen with the e-cig vaping CBD.
But, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code has banned cannabinoid’s use in competitions. Essentially, competitors are not allowed to use CBD to certain thresholds. And, USADA uses the list of the substances that have been prohibited by WADA.
When it comes to competition, the threshold is 6 hours before and 6 hours after participating in a fight. As such, Diaz appeared vaping after a fight within this timeframe.
USADA is Already Aware of Diaz Situation
According to Ryan Madden, the USADA spokesperson, USADA knows about Diaz’s situation and is collecting the necessary information to determine the most appropriate steps to take.
According to the UFC anti-doping policy, cannabis is a specified substance. That means it’s not a hormonal or anabolic agent. However, the agency still prohibits it in some cases. And this includes during competitions.
Article 10.2.2 of this policy stipulates that if an athlete violates it, they can be suspended for up to a year. For instance, Diego Brandao was suspended by USADA for 9 months after he tested positive for cannabis metabolites during a fight-night test for drugs.
However, USADA can give marijuana users an in-competition test anywhere, depending on the circumstances. Competitors can get public-warning or even a suspension of up to a year depending on their circumstances.
Diaz Could Be Sanctioned
A positive drug test has at least150 ng/ml of cannabis metabolites. For Diaz, results for the fight-in tests are yet to be returned. As such, it’s not known whether he tested positive. The drug tests were done before Diaz went to a press conference.
However, USADA can conclude that Diaz confirmed that he has been vaping because he admitted that he has been using CBD during the conference. This can get him a sanction of the same length with testing positive. But, if he was using the best e cig, the test results can return negative.
Diaz is also under the jurisdiction of the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC). That’s because this situation can be associated with Diaz’s fight with Connor McGregor at UFC that was held in Las Vegas. But, Bob Bennet, the executive director at NAC is yet to comment about it.
No Failed Drug Test
Nick Diaz’s drug tests have always turned negative during his MMA career. However, his brother Nick Diaz is facing three cannabis offenses in Las Vegas. These include a suspension of 18 months and a fine of $100,000 that he was slapped with last year. Currently, Nick is under NAC suspension since he owes $75,000 of this fine.
Despite its inclusion in the UFC anti-doping policy, more athletes are using CBD. Several have been spotted using the best e cigarettes to vaporize CBD oil before, during, and after training. But, the primary concern for most athletes is whether CBD can make them fail drug tests.
Luckily, preliminary studies have shown that CBD won’t show in drug tests if it’s pure. That’s because cannabidiol does not react with the commercially available drug tests for cannabis use. However, some marijuana compounds like THC and CBD can react with the commercial tests that are used to screen athletes for cannabis use.
Research indicates that drug tests are carried out using urine target alcohol, opiates, cannabis, cocaine, opiates, benzodiazepines, and amphetamines. This is the most common test that is used to diagnose cannabis use by athletes.
This is an immunoassay test that uses antibodies that latch on specific drugs or metabolites. For the cannabis test, these antibodies latch on to THC or its metabolites. The test is considered positive if the drug is identified by the antibodies and a signal is produced.
But, though this test screens for THC, an athlete can test positive for the drug after vaping CBD even if they use the best e cigarette. That’s because some of the CBD products in the current market have THC in low quantities. And this can make an athlete fail the drug test after vaping CBD.
Why Athletes Use CBD
As hinted by Diaz during the press conference, CBD helps with inflammation and the healing process. As such, some athletes use CBD for pain relief. It helps them with musculoskeletal pain after exercise or competition. It also helps with stiff joints.
Excessive inflammation can hurt performance and hinder recovery. CBD has an anti-inflammatory effect. That’s because it reduces the production of cytokine or cell messengers. In simple terms, CBD can help with inflammation reduction during training or competition. This combined with its pain reduction property can reduce distress and discomfort during training.
CBD can also improve sleep. Thus, an athlete can sleep and rest better in readiness for training or competition.
Parting Shot
It’s still not clear whether Nate Diaz will be suspended or fined for vaping after a fight in Las Vegas. However, he confirmed his use of CBD during the after-fight press conference. It’s unlikely that an athlete will test positive after using the best electronic cigarette to vaporize pure CBD. The results of his drug test are yet to be made public. However, his statement can be used against him. Nevertheless, only time will tell how this will turn out.
