One of the most controversial topics in Jiu-Jitsu has to be marijuana. It seems to divide the community.

On one side, Eddie Bravo and Joe Rogan are advocates for the legalization of both medicinal and recreational use of marijuana, and on the other prominent members such Rodrigo Comprido are against it.

Comprido expressed his opinion on marijuana use in BJJ in this interview with BJJEE.com. he also been very critical of Eddie Bravo’s support of marijuana:

What do you think about other substances such as marijuana, alcohol or cigarettes?
Those are all substances that we could do perfectly well in life without. I never smoked a cigarette or used marijuana in my life, and I never will. First of all, I do not want to put myself in a position to become addicted to something besides jiu-jitsu, and something that has negative effects on your whole life. Secondly, marijuana is illegal, and I will not break the law just to have a couple of laughs. I have drank alcohol in moderation on a few occasions, but you have to be careful because one person under the affects of alcohol can majorly impact the lives of others.
These are not the kind of people who come to work with me.

Marijuana usage is quite common in sports. According to UFC commentator Joe Rogan, and even UFC president Dana White, marijuana use within UFC fighters is extremely common.

The prevalent use of marijuana is not unique to MMA fighters. Various other professional athletes also use. It is speculated that as much as 60% of NFL players regularly smoke marijuana.  It is used for enjoyment but also as treatment for the aches and bruises caused by professional sports.

BJJ black belt Joe Rogan

So where does this leave the UFC fighters?

On his latest podcast episode #683, Joe Rogan’s guest was Ethan Nadelmann, the founder and executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, a New York City-based non-profit organization working to end the War on Drugs.

Rogan talked about the issue:

“A tremendous amount of UFC fighters smoke pot… I mean, a MASSIVE amount. It’s a huge issue for them involving drug tests, they have to stop smoking weed for the last 4 weeks or so.”

Why would a grappler smoke marijuana and what are the effects both positive and negative on performance and recovery?

In this funny video, Jamie has just joigned 10th planet Jiu-Jitsu and shows how to train Jiu-Jitsu when high as a kite 🙂