Posted by Jake Rossen/Sherdog.com
Japan: Land of opportunity for men who don't get along with athletic commissions. Sherdog reports that Nick Diaz, ousted from Saturday's Strikeforce card because of his failure to appear for a drug test, is considering an October Dream date, possibly against Hayato Sakurai.
That's swell, but the real news is the California State Athletic Commission's investigation into something called a "Therapeutic Usage Exemption Program," which might allow athletes with valid reasons for using banned substances to compete. Nevada has followed similar lines; Dan Henderson was allowed to compete back in 2007 despite being on testosterone therapy because it was doctor-ordered. (The state presumably would have fingered him had his levels come back suspiciously elevated; that it didn't supports the idea that the treatment was intended to get him back to baseline, not above it.)
Where marijuana differs is that it still could be construed as a performance-altering compound even if, as Diaz trainer Cesar Gracie alleges, his fighter needs it to treat his ADHD. Diaz's levels still would need to be considered ineffectual during the time in which he's tested. (In his overturned win against Takanori Gomi in 2007, Diaz's levels were measured at four times the maximum allowed by the state of Nevada. At one point in the fight, you could actually see the man levitate.)
As for his Japanese vacation, Diaz should think carefully before bringing anything overseas. The penalty for marijuana possession in Japan is substantially stiffer than it is in the U.S. Although most first-time offenders skate, a five-year jail sentence isn't out of the question.
ESPN.com Mixed Martial Arts blog
