The Florida State Boxing Commission has announced that it will no longer test boxers and mixed martial arts fighters for marijuana. The decision was made this week after the Association of Boxing Commissions recommended that the commission do so.
“We’re not testing for it,” Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation spokesperson Patrick Fargason told ESPN.
“We’re not doing anything with it — period.”
Prior to this announcement, any trace of cannabis found during a drug test could result in a fine, disqualification, or cancellation of the victory. In the future, the fighters will be subject to disciplinary action only if they arrive at the event clearly drunk and can not perform correctly.
“It would probably require visual signs if the athlete shows up at an event stumbling, smelling like marijuana, eyes bloodshot, things like that,” Jeff Novitzky of the UFC explained to ESPN.
“And that’s … something you rarely, if ever, see. I certainly haven’t in my six years with the UFC.”
This decision followed UFC 261 in Jacksonville and is just in time for a series of high-profile boxing matches. June 6 Floyd Mayweather Jr. prepares for a fight with Logan Paul. In addition, Badou Jack, Jean Pascal, and Jarrett Hurd will also fight that night. Not to mention that Teofilo Lopez is set to defend his lightweight titles against George Kambosos in Florida on June 19.