Former lightweight champion Jens Pulver has a bone to pick with North American athletic commissions testing fighters like Nick Diaz for marijuana.
Given his understanding of the substance, he believes it does not retain any performance-enhancing qualities. So why are commissions so keen to test for it?
“What are we talking about when people get mad about steroids, growth hormones, and things like that?” Pulver told Submission Radio. “What are we pissed about when we’re testing for that? Because they’re performance enhancing, correct? I’m just saying, weed is supposed to make you stupid, slow, clumsy, fumbling, forgetful, okay? At what point are any of those attributes – if you could even call them attributes – performance enhancing?”
The idea that a fighter who gets caught for marijuana could possibly get a similar suspension and fine as someone who tests positive for anabolic steroids baffles him.
“What I’m talking about is when I throw a penalty on you, the same way I’m going to throw it on this guy who failed for Dianabol and every other performance enhancing drug. You failed for weed, which to my knowledge makes you sleepy, hungry and basically clumsy. Doesn’t sound very performance enhancing. So I have to go through the same thing?
“I just mean, so are we calling marijuana a performance enhancing drug? Because if so, then by all means slap on the same kind of fine, fees and penalties that you were going to bust someone for doing Dianabol, anabolic this, growth this, and performance enhancing drugs. And I’m going to give you the same thing for doing what actually is supposed to be – what I’ve always been taught – to do the opposite, make you fat, tired, and sleepy. That’s my point. That makes no sense to me. I don’t understand why you would do that.”
Given their contrasting effects, Pulver is certain that marijuana testing in states such as Nevada is a politically driven decision. However, it is a topic of discussion that he finds to be unfair and quite ridiculous.
“All I’m asking and all my only question is, is aren’t they too separate things? Performance enhancing drugs, which seems to be just running rampant with steroids and the growth hormones and things like that, that are supposed to take your performance. All the classes that I’ve ever learned or taught since we were little kids and people were on the video tapes about how weed makes you dumb. It’s about eating munchies and whatever it is that makes you clumsy. It doesn’t sound performance enhancing.”
Transcription taken from Submission Radio
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