CSAC passes amendment to exempt TRT, Marijuana

The California State Athletic Commission voted on Monday to approve an amendment that allows therapeutic use exemptions (TUE) for combat sports’ athletes who use drugs currently banned by the state agency for medical purposes, including testosterone and marijuana.

To be adopted into state law, the amendment’s verbiage must now be reviewed and approved by the Department of Consumer Affairs and then the state’s Office of Administrative Law, a process that could take months or even years, if it passes at all.

A DCA representative was present at the Monday hearing to read a letter from its director, stating the agency’s concern that the proposed exemption process wasn’t specific enough and undermined the CSAC’s purpose to ensure fighter safety.

Loosely modeled after the exemption process the World Anti-Doping Agency uses for Olympians, Monday’s CSAC-approved amendment states that the exemption will only apply to “medication needed to maintain health and not obtain an unfair advantage over an opponent during a match.”

Prior to Monday’s vote, the CSAC inserted additional verbiage clarifying that the TUE applicant would be responsible for all costs related to tests and medical evaluations that might be requested for an approval.

The amendment’s origin dates back to late 2010, after UFC middleweight Chael Sonnen tested positive for elevated testosterone levels, then maintained at his suspension appeals hearing that he’d gotten an exemption under the previous commission’s staff for the medical condition hypogonadism. Entering CSAC executive Officer George Dodd was unable to find any documentation to support Sonnen’s claim, and the fighter’s one-year suspension was reduced (only to be reinstated later).

In response, the CSAC began to draft a formal TUE process for future applicants.


On Monday, the CSAC also discussed the validity of its current procedure to allow select medical exemptions under the executive officer’s approval.

“California doesn’t have a therapeutic use exemption and in the absence of one, the executive officer cannot authorize someone to fight with any of the [prohibitive] substances in use,” said CSAC counsel Anita Scurry.

However, Dodd said he has granted exemption approval to select athletes with proper medical documentation.

One of those athletes was UFC middleweight Dan Henderson, who was granted a TUE for testosterone when he fought Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 139 last November in San Jose, Calif.

Dodd told SI.com in December that Henderson’s rigorous approval process served as a test case that the commission used to evaluate its proposed TUE requirements.

Like Henderson, one of three fighters approved for a testosterone TUE in Nevada, Dodd said future TUE candidates would need to provide extensive medical records documenting past use of the drug for medical purposes.

For a testosterone exemption specifically, Dodd said an applicant would be asked to provide blood tests prior to (30 days before) and after a contest to ensure levels were within acceptable margins. Dodd said that all materials submitted would be reviewed by the CSAC’s medical advisory board, which added an endocrinologist to its ranks on Monday for such cases.

Also on Monday, the CSAC voted unanimously to exclude two asthma medications, salbutamol and salmeterol, from its prohibited substance list.

http://mma-boxing.si.com/2012/04/09/csac-passes-amendment-that-would-allow-exemptions-for-testosterone/

Almost everyone uses TRT or some sort of PED anyways so about time. And same goes for weed too, I mean its surprising that Nick Diaz can kick ass even harder because of the weed

somewhere in stockton, nick diaz is changing his mind on retiring.

well this is interesting could any suspensions be reviewed?

I wonder how many fighters will continue smoking weed in the build up to their fights because of this.

smoke-em wrote:well this is interesting could any suspensions be reviewed?

I'm pretty sure Nick's was in Nevada anyway

Nycto Da 6'0 wrote:

smoke-em wrote:well this is interesting could any suspensions be reviewed?

I'm pretty sure Nick's was in Nevada anyway

depends when he took it any info on that?

Edit: Oh wait sorry I just saw it was only California athletic commission

Nick Diaz suspension wouldn't be suspended, he was popped in Nevada in fact, I think almost all of the people who have been caught have been in Nevada. This amendment won't mean much really when most of the UFC's events are held in Nevada. This would be bigger news if it was the NSAC choosing to look past medical use of marijuana and TRT.

Afflicktedtofight09 wrote:Nick Diaz suspension wouldn't be suspended, he was popped in Nevada in fact, I think almost all of the people who have been caught have been in Nevada. This amendment won't mean much really when most of the UFC's events are held in Nevada. This would be bigger news if it was the NSAC choosing to look past medical use of marijuana and TRT.

If it passes, it will mean a lot, in terms of it will set a precedent. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Put all of nick's fights in Cali and Put all of Reem's fights overseas. UFC needs to be smarter with these things. They are only hurting themselves.

Jbruck420 wrote:Put all of nick's fights in Cali and Put all of Reem's fights overseas. UFC needs to be smarter with these things. They are only hurting themselves.

why not just put every fight overseas so everyone can roid all they want

jizzothekid wrote:

Jbruck420 wrote:Put all of nick's fights in Cali and Put all of Reem's fights overseas. UFC needs to be smarter with these things. They are only hurting themselves.

why not just put every fight overseas so everyone can roid all they want

USA is a big market

why mot just stop testing and let everyone fend for themselves.. he says sarcastacly.. I have a hard time seeing anyone get an excemtion for a banned substance. Either everyone can use them or noone can use them. Thats called a level playing feild.