Michigan’s marijuana laws and boxing regulations are at odds, as seen in the recent suspension of Claressa Shields, a renowned boxer. Shields tested positive for a trace amount of marijuana, but claims she has never used the drug. The state’s regulations are outdated and stricter than those of the NCAA and the Olympics.
Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was suspended by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs on behalf of the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission. The suspension was based on a mouth swab drug test that showed 3.4 nanograms per milliliter of marijuana metabolite in her system. However, Shields has presented clean results of a urine test taken six days after the fight, which she claims shows she was not using marijuana.
The conflict between Michigan’s marijuana laws and boxing regulations is an embarrassing oversight that has left the state lagging behind the times. Changing this ought to be an easy fix for the Michigan Legislature. Many sports organizations have changed their rules around testing in recent years to keep up with changing perceptions of the drug.
The World Anti-Doping Agency allows a threshold of 150 ng/ml of marijuana metabolite, which is about 44 times the amount Shields says she’s accused of having in her system. Boxing commissions across the country have also evolved with the times, said Michael Mazzuli, Connecticut-based president of the Association of Boxing Commissions.
Michigan’s law that governs unarmed combat simply bars competitors and officials in boxing and mixed martial arts from having any presence of a controlled substance in their systems during a bout. Any positive test results, regardless of the amount, result in an automatic suspension processed by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs on behalf of the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission.
Shields is scheduled for a Thursday meeting with an assistant attorney general, where she’ll seek to have her suspension revoked. A hearing with an administrative law judge could follow. The commission’s next meeting is March 13, but Shields’ case is not on the agenda.
Michigan boxing fans can only hope that as Shields’ fame continues to grow around the world, she’ll keep going out of her way to fight in her home state, rather than opting for more lucrative paydays elsewhere. In the meantime, there’s got to be a boxing fan somewhere in the state Capitol who can advocate for change.
