Quote of the Day: Dr Johnny Benjamin on Marijuana in MMA
by Kid Nate on Dec 7, 2009 5:00 PM EST
in MMA News
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In my research, I could not find any credible, peer-reviewed medical literature that concludes that marijuana use in sporting activities provides significant performance enhancement or is potentially dangerous to the user or competitor. There are articles that discuss the affects of prolonged smoking of marijuana on the lungs, but these issues do not appear to have any relationship to sports.
I do not condone the use of marijuana in athletes - or anyone else, for that matter. I do not smoke tobacco, marijuana, take recreational drugs or drink alcohol. But these are all personal decisions and should not influence anyone other than members of my immediate family.
With that said, I find it inconsistent that sports regulatory bodies have chosen to test for and place marijuana on the banned substances list and not alcohol. I believe that the ban on marijuana use in combat sports is an attempt at legislating morality and not a safety or competitive integrity issue.
Dr Johnny Benjamin writing at MMA Junkie.
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Anything that alters perception or clouds judgement is potentially dangerous during a fight.
Of course that is only true if you smoke near fight time.
the test doesn't do anything to measure impairment
since its a piss test and only tells if the fighter has smoked in the last ~ month. Pretty useless info as far as protecting fighters.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
Bill Hicks:
Have you ever seen two potheads get into a fight? “Hey buddy!” “What?” That’s it – that’s the end of the fight. They probably don’t even remember what they wanted to fight about in the first place!
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
by Scott C. Broussard on Dec 7, 2009 5:11 PM EST reply actions
It should be banned if it is illegal to use.. When it becomes legal then it shouldnt be banned if it truly doesnt affect performance.
it's legal in California with a prescription
which is what Diaz has
http://mixedmartialartsblogger.wordpress.com/
by Cory Braiterman on Dec 7, 2009 5:12 PM EST up reply actions
and so are steroids, methadone, add pills, and various other things that are on the banned substance list.
All of those you could develop STRONG cases for staying on the banned list.
"You guys are jerking eachother off with some pseudo deep bullshit." - Kid Nate
by Kaleb Kelchner on Dec 7, 2009 5:15 PM EST up reply actions
I don’t know enough to care either way on weed. What the doctor here says in interesting, but it doesn’t change the fact that, “it’s legal with a prescription” is a useless argument. It’s meaningless.
Phildo, if its legal & has no impact on performance, what then is the basis for banning it?
"an excellent example of why most MMA "journalism" is a joke. Pseudonyms like "toxic" and shitty writing like that dopey article"--- Joe Rogan.
“It should be banned if it is illegal to use..When it becomes legal then it shouldn’t be banned if it truly dosent affect performance.”
That was the original statement, because you seem to have bypassed the latter part of it.
"You guys are jerking eachother off with some pseudo deep bullshit." - Kid Nate
by Kaleb Kelchner on Dec 7, 2009 5:29 PM EST up reply actions
it’s a privacy concern, are they going to start checking fighters vehicles for guns and their personal info to ensure they arent gambling? Just because they can test for it doesnt mean they should and being that I believe it’s of no effect on fighter safety it disgusts me to think that a fighters freedom be inhibited by moral politics. Keep in mind UFC fighters showing up to the ring promoting Neo Nazi garb is far worse from a role model than smoking weed privately in your basement. The question isnt wether or not it’s illegal, it’s wether or not it’s anyones business.
by Beyondadrenalin on Dec 7, 2009 8:07 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Especially from Johnny Benjamin…the same guy who thought women shouldn’t compete in MMA.
"You guys are jerking eachother off with some pseudo deep bullshit." - Kid Nate
by Kaleb Kelchner on Dec 7, 2009 5:12 PM EST up reply actions
Lol, the dude is fried.
(speaking of gina carano and the espn cover)
The Maxim magazine spread that she also did offered little in the way of support for the concept of women fighters as true athletes and not merely participants in three 3-minute rounds of sexual fantasy; girls fighting in underwear sells like hotcakes.
from is blog.
The guy watch an mma fight, and all he sees are panties, asses and sexual content. I know some of these girls are hot, but if you can’t get over it at some point you’re a sad pervert.
10/24
As if other women athletes haven’t done sexy pictures before…yeah, he dosen’t always have a popular opinion, but I think he’s nailing the Marijuana thing on the head.
"You guys are jerking eachother off with some pseudo deep bullshit." - Kid Nate
by Kaleb Kelchner on Dec 7, 2009 5:27 PM EST up reply actions
I do not smoke tobacco, marijuana, take recreational drugs or drink alcohol.
I can’t trust a man who doesn’t enjoy a good glass of Bourbon or a six-pack of beer.
Follow me on Twitter @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Dec 7, 2009 5:16 PM EST reply actions 4 recs
"if you dont drink you need to go away because all your stories suck and you're a boring c*nt"
i <3 jim jeffries
"he's the best punchy face man in the buisness"
by blubber_guard on Dec 7, 2009 5:23 PM EST up reply actions
The issue here, as Dr. Benjamin suggests, is the inconsistency between different substances. Commissions are going out of their way to test fighters for something that has an effect that is trivial compared to something like alcohol. Why isn’t Drew Fickett being tested in advance of his bouts when he clearly has an alcoholic history? Because alcohol use it socially exceptable. The media and biased professionals demonize it because they are unable to shed the presumptions of their forefathers, who had no qualms going against the libertarian aims that these state and federal governments were designed to uphold.
I have no problem with marijuana being illegal for fighters. But it should be even across the board for alcohol as well, especially considering the significantly more detrimental effects of the latter.
by Ahhhoki on Dec 7, 2009 5:16 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
While we’re at it, we should ban fighters from being allowed to ingest horse meat. That clearly gives a fighter way too big of an advantage. Also, we should ban ice cream. Maybe Vera would have dropped to LHW far sooner in his career if he was prevented from taking such a physically dangerous substance. Ice cream = flab = slowed reflexees.
Yaa, look what ice cream did to Fedor. In the black markets its called I.C.E.C’s, prolonged use could be fatal. The benefits of taking I.C.E.C’s are tremendous when it comes to a sporting events. Its gives you the power to crush any opposition that lays in front of you, while stealing there souls.
Kimbo wants to take your caterpiller and do bad things to it.
And when Ice cream is banned
Roy Nelson should be tested every month…the man is an ABUSER
Also, we should ban ice cream.
Fedor will fucking kill you.
http://mixedmartialartsblogger.wordpress.com/
by Cory Braiterman on Dec 7, 2009 6:56 PM EST up reply actions
The herb is a plant mon!
Its like testing for antibiotics, its silly.
Yes, yes we all know its illegal. So was anal sex with your wife in some states till 2003.
I know. Thank goodness it was legal with someone else’s wife though.
by Dooda on Dec 7, 2009 5:34 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
What he says isn’t controversial, medical experts rank alcohol and tobacco as more harmful than the vast majority of illegal drugs like LSD, marijuana, ecstacy etc.
It’s from this page.
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
by Scott C. Broussard on Dec 7, 2009 6:13 PM EST up reply actions
Actually from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_and_soft_drugs lol.
But most government advisors always bang on about how their policies don’t reflect reality. Just take the UK for example where the chief scientific advisor on drugs to the government Professor David Nutt was sacked after criticising their policies and then a whole host of other advisors then subsequently resigned over the issue.
I did RtClick>View Image & got the URL, which led me to that page. It’s also on the wiki for drug addiction. The important part is that it gets traced back to the original, peer-reviewed journal article that’s the source for the data.
I read about Nutt. Damn shame. He has facts on his side, yet is forced to resign because he trounces popular opinion.
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
by Scott C. Broussard on Dec 7, 2009 6:30 PM EST up reply actions
But if you want the study itself then look here
The authors:
*Prof David Nutt – Psychopharmacology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
*Prof Colin Blakemore – Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Oxford, UK; Medical Research Council, London
*Dr Leslie A King – Forensic Science Service, London, UK
*William Saulsbury – Police Foundation, London
Won’t somebody think of the children?
Keep firing Assholes!
Fedor has accomplished nothing until he fights Kimbo.
Don't worry
I traded the kids a dime bag for some candy. They were not forgotten.
by mictlantechutli on Dec 7, 2009 6:16 PM EST up reply actions
Don’t worry the children have ridalin, adderal, and child antidepressants to hold them over until they get old enough to smoke weed
I'll go on record right now:
Adderol is WAY fucking worse than weed. If my children needed one or the other to treat a condition, they’d get the reefer. No question.
PS: Not a scientologist.
by pdl on Dec 7, 2009 7:54 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Not so much in fighting, but a lot of X Games guys have to smoke before they do a lot of what they do. It pretty well known that to do something like go off the mega ramp you pretty much have to be high. It gets them “in The Zone” as has been said in interviews.
I think a major difference is that it gives a distinct advantage and that we’re talking about combat sports. A tennis player doesn’t put himself or his opponent in any serious risk by not feeling pain,since the worst thing that can happen is rolling an ankle or getting hit with a serve (not that either of those are pleasant or safe). A fighter might think a sub isn’t locked in and try to fight through it, forcing a break. He might be able to wade through punches that should floor him and have an advantage in the standup. Obviously there’s other possibilities, but I totally understand banning any state-of-mind-altering substance during a fight with minimal exceptions*.
*If Junie is on a mood stabilizer, fuck, let him stay on it. Have the AC consult the prescribing doctor, but that’s the most significant thing that should be allowed.
by pdl on Dec 7, 2009 6:34 PM EST up reply actions
The problem is that you can test positive for drugs several days after using them. A joint smoked the day before a fight confers no advantage, but still shows up when tested for.
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
by Scott C. Broussard on Dec 7, 2009 6:36 PM EST up reply actions
I replied to your other above.
Wanna keep the whole conversation up there for organizations sake?
by pdl on Dec 7, 2009 6:39 PM EST up reply actions
Damn, I didn’t realize I was responding to the same person. Will post above.
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
by Scott C. Broussard on Dec 7, 2009 6:40 PM EST up reply actions
Here Here Doc!
I can’t believe weed is illegal and for a commission official to suggest that it has “performance enhancing abilities” is laughable. He must have been high when he made that comment.
This is so upsetting!!!!
For years I have noticed that fighters who smoke weed always seem to ………… when training for uh………….the fight before fight night uh…………..having gotten used to the feeling of uh………..you know when it turns out that……..uh…….WTF was talking about?
"Stop smiling you are about to be punched in the face !"
What is it with people making it out like smoking weed turns you into a superman who feels no pain? especially PDL " A fighter might think a sub isn’t locked in and try to fight through it, forcing a break. He might be able to wade through punches that should floor him and have an advantage in the standup." PDL ………"If you can’t feel pain, you put yourself in danger and also have an unfair advantage in a combat sport. "……I dont know what weed you are talking about but I have never had weed that would allow me to wade through punches and give me an advantage in stand up….and in my day I had some good stuff. If anything it makes you lazy, your reaction time slower, your cardio worse, and slows your thought process therefore making it so you are at a disadvantage. The problem is that people who have never done it think its so much worse than it is. I am not saying its good for you, and I haven’t touched the stuff in quite some time, but regardless its weed not f-ing angel dust we are talking about.
Dude, really?
If i recall correctly, a majority of Americans have at least tried smoking weed once. That statistic makes me assume that whoever I’m talking to most likely knows what it’s like. What I know is that people react to substances different ways. Some people tweak, some giggle, some eat funyuns, some get carjacked by Neil Patrick Harris and ride a cheetah. You can argue the semantics of me accidentally speaking in absolutes (won’t feel vs. won’t feel as much), ignore the qualifiers I used (can, might), and the other issues (impaired mental faculties and judgement), but at the end of the day… you’re making a bunch of generalizations that don’t lead to any point.
by pdl on Dec 7, 2009 7:19 PM EST up reply actions
and you are making generalizations based on an obviously superlative recount of experiences. Weed, although making some people paranoid, others giggly, and most people hungry doesnt even come close to making you self unaware, I have a chronic pain disorder (hence why I smoke so much weed) and I’ll be the first to tell you that the Marijuana is only beneficial in helping my sleep and relax, as far as the pain’s concerned, I won’t use prescription pain killers (which can permanently inhibit your bodies ability to comprehend pain…) so Im stuck with it. You wont wade through the punches, but once your opponent is done finishing you because you were too slow, you might lay on the floor of the ring for a little longer thinking, oh well, the future isnt so bad.
by Beyondadrenalin on Dec 7, 2009 8:15 PM EST up reply actions
Best way to beat a piss test? Ask Lyoto.
by some schmuck in texas on Dec 7, 2009 8:20 PM EST reply actions
I think everyone knows the purpose of this
Give Nick Diaz his win over Gomi dammit
by IRodC on Dec 8, 2009 12:24 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
Nick Diaz
Nick Diaz rocks! And we know all extreme sports are related in some sort of way to cannabis sativa! Go nick Diaz!
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