This week, news broke that the IBJJF has suspended 2024 Pan Champion Uanderson Ferreira de Oliveira for three months. This suspension was given after a USADA tested positive for THC metabolites after his Pan Championship win.
What did the Test Show Exactly?
What the USADA test revealed was that Ferreira showed levels of 11-nor-9-carboxy-tetrahydrocannabinol (Carboxy-THC), a metabolite of THC, above the acceptable limit. While the IBJJF is not a signatory of the WADA code, they still brought in USADA to test the event’s champions.
Under the WADA code, THC is considered a “specified substance.” In 2021, a new WADA code for cannabis was implemented, which puts THC into a special category.
Under this 2021 code, a positive THC can have a “reduced sanction.” The athlete must prove that he took the substance out of competition to get a reduced sanction.
Uanderson’s Suspension
Luckily, Uanderson Ferreira proved that he took the substance outside of competition. His one-year suspension was reduced to just three months. However, all the tournaments he won and the points he earned since March have been taken away from him.
Was This Suspension Deserving?
To be perfectly frank, this was a garbage decision by the IBJJF and USADA. Let’s take away the fact that a large majority of the BJJ community uses cannabis, and it’s legal in many places.
USADA has been harshly criticized for years about its tests and sanctions for cannabis use. In the UFC, Nick Diaz lost the prime of his career due to these ridiculous rules.
We also need to point out that USADA themselves have been vocal about their need to reassess cannabis under their regulations. Yet, the IBJJF still suspended this young athlete when over half the high-level black belts are performance enhancers.
We’re not talking about cannabis, but actual performance-enhancing drugs, which improve an athlete’s performance. It’s disappointing to see a good athlete like Uanderson Ferreira get forced out of competition for basically nothing.
It felt like the IBJJF had been making positive progress, but this decision was ten steps back.
Words of Support For Ferreira
Uanderson Ferreira is one of the most exciting young Gi athletes in Jiu-Jitsu. It was the wrong decision to punish him for something that USADA itself said they were going to change.
The suspension really isn’t fair to him, but we’re still fans of his. We encourage him to keep training hard, do some AJP tournaments, and be back in IBJJF competitions in three months.
Bobby is martial artist for almost 20 years with a BJJ black belt under Professor Sergio Miranda. He is also a karate black and former combat sports athlete, who loves all things grappling.
