The UFC and the United States Anti-Doping Agency have announced a significant change to the UFC’s anti-doping program.
The updated rules effective as of Jan. 1 will no longer punish athletes who test positive for marijuana, specifically THC (11-nor-9-carboxy-tetrahydrocannabinol), which is the main psychoactive ingredient in the drug.
Previously, athletes were only tested for marijuana in-competition around a fight but there were threshold levels in place and a positive test above that limit resulted in a doping violation. Now under the new rules, fighters will no longer be punished for testing positive for marijuana unless “further evidence demonstrates the substance was taken for performance-enhancing purposes.