Opinions: Banned Substance – Why Weed Can Cause Unfair Advantages in MMA

By Raul Rangel

SAN ANTONIO, TX, February 20, 2012 – When you think of the typical pot smoker Hollywood has created certain types: Cheech and Chong, Jay and Silent Bob, and Slow Poke Rodriguez; not what you would consider modern day athletes… But, what about names like Nick Diaz, Michael Phelps, Ricky Williams, or even Josh Howard; athletes who have to be in top peak physical condition and not the vegetative state that we are used to seeing portrayed in the media. Sure marijuana can have those types of effects on people, but there are certain benefits athletes can get by using marijuana.

Certain types of hydroponics have shown to help athletes in certain areas of their sport. One of the effects of marijuana can cause is peripheral vision, to get a better view of you surroundings. Great for point guards in the NBA who can see all around the court, why you think the Players Union fought with the league to not drug test for marijuana.

In MMA, marijuana has effects that can improve fighter’s abilities in many ways; one way pot can help fighters is by calming down their nerves. When a fighter fights there are certain nerves and anxiety’s that any person can go threw, those nerves can either bring you up or bring you down. It’s all part of the fight game, both fighters should have to deal with their nerves naturally. If one fighter uses a substance to numb his fears and butterflies in the stomach, it is a form of cheating.

Some types of marijuana have what some people call the “freeze time” effect, where time seems to slow down. What an advantage a fighter can have to see opponent’s movements, someone who can see what’s coming towards him can be ready for anything. If this was a steroid that can do this, everyone would be calling for the ban of it.

Weed also acts like a muscle relaxer, to which your body can loosen up and make your body able to move and take shots. When your muscles are relaxed you can sometimes feel nothing, so imagine taking numerous punches to the body and face. To take a fighters best hit and walk through them like a zombie on the Walking Dead is a hell of an advantage.

Now, I am for the legalization of marijuana for medical use, but not when it comes to sports. Is it fair to use in sports is the question, not if it should be legalized. When it comes to an athlete’s performance, they should be held to a higher standard of playing by the rules.

You can follow Raul Rangel on twitter @rrangel81 and you can also listen to his weekly podcast Undefeated Radio on iTunes. LIKE TXMMA on Facebook for more in-depth news and coverage of the MMA & grappling scene along with fan contests to win great prizes courtesy of TXMMA.com and much more. Also feel free to check us out on Twitter and Google+ for even more in the world combat sports!