UFC middleweight Alen Amedovski has accepted a six-month suspension for the active drug in marijuana. But by cooperating with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, his time was cut in half.
The UFC’s anti-doping partner on Thursday announced a three-month suspension for Amedovski, who came in over the 150 ng/mL limit for Carboxy-THC following a drug test for his octagon debut at UFC on ESPN+ 7. The event took place April 20 in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Cannabis, marijuana and hashish aren’t prohibited out of competition, and the World Anti-Doping Agency has relaxed the threshold for a positive test. But in competition, they are prohibited in the class of specified substances and carry a one-year suspension for first-time offenders.
Amedovski (8-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) received a reduced sentence after he completed “a USADA approved drug awareness and management program.”
“Athletes are advised that the use of a substance or medication out of competition, that is prohibited only in competition, may result in an anti-doping rule violation if the prohibited substance is still present in their body when tested at a competition,” USADA said in a statement. “USADA cannot predict the clearance time for any substance for any particular individual. If an athlete needs to therapeutically use a substance prohibited in competition and they are nearing a competition, they are strongly encouraged to contact USADA to learn if they need a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE).”
Of course, no athlete to date has been able to reiceive a TUE for marijuana. Now-former UFC middleweight Elias Theodorou campaigned hard to receive one for neuropathic pain diagnosed by his doctor, but was unable to get clearance to use it in competition.
Still, the UFC has taken a relaxed stance toward the out-of-competition use of marijuana and specifically cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive component in marijuana. The promotion recently convinced the Florida State Athletic Commission to shift a zero-tolerance policy to allow marijuana or CBD use out of competition.
Recently, the UFC also struck a sponsorship deal with Aurora Cannabis to advance research into CBD.
Amedovski’s suspension kicked in on April 20 and runs until July 20. The 31-year-old fighter from Macedonia is scheduled to face John Phillips (21-9 MMA, 0-3 UFC) at UFC on ESPN+ 18, which takes place Sept. 28 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
For more on UFC on ESPN+ 18, check out the UFC schedule.
