MMA Worldwide

California Supreme Court denies licensing...

Posted by Deshalen Barber on the 1 December 2009 | View Comments

Extra! Extra! California does not stand behind the use of marijuana “pursuant to Rule 303” and any athlete that test positive for banned substance(s) will be subject for discipline under CSAC.

The decision to not license fighters that use marijuana for any purpose has been finalized by the California Supreme Court; the distinguished group of leadership’s base argument is if an employer under California state law can penalize an employee who indulges in “Medical Marijuana” during their recreational time, then fighters can and should fall under the same scrutiny.

Although many ganja users may feel their rights are being stripped naked from them since they should be covered under the Compassionate Use Act. Unfortunately, their volatile memory has failed them once again because the “Act did not legalize marijuana use per se, but merely provided a criminal defense under particular circumstances,” which was made evident in the Supreme Courts decision in Ross v. RagingWire Telcomm.

 So how does all this legal jargon connect with licensing MMA fighters in California? Well, a vast majority of the court systems rationale applies “because the Compassionate Use Act only” loosely “provides a defense to criminal charges” and does not justify the actual use of marijuana. Another legitimate interests the CSAC and Californian Supreme Court takes in this matter is the Safety of the fighters. “Marijuana could slow a fighter’s reflexes and endanger his or her health and safety in the ring or the cage.”