« Defending Steve Cofield | Home | K-1 World MAX 10/1 Nippon Budokan card line-up »
Marijuana isn’t just a problem in Japanese MMA or pro-wrestling
By Zach Arnold | September 7, 2008
The usage of the wacky weed in North America doesn’t exactly carry the same kind of negative connotation as it does in Japan. (Go ahead, try and bring some grass through customs at Narita Airport and enjoy your stay in jail.) As we’ve seen in both Japanese MMA and pro-wrestling circles, those who get caught with weed face a lot of scrutiny.
With this in mind, the big story of the month in the Japanese fight game revolves around Sumo and a big marijuana scandal that has erupted. According to published reports, the head of the Japanese Sumo Association has resigned from his post after three Russian sumo fighters allegedly failed drug tests.
How big of a scandal is this right now in Japan? It’s the headline story in every single major media outlet over there as we speak. Dana White is glad that he doesn’t have to deal with this kind of reaction every time an MMA fighter fails a drug test.
Remember when the California SAC said that Kazuhiro Nakamura failed a drug test due to marijuana usage and J-ROCK (his management team) tried their hardest to deny it? Now you know why.
Topics: Japan, Media, Zach Arnold | 9 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Nakamura is back in Japan fighting @ Sengoku, seems like he didn’t get too much heat, as you did not report it here (but this is my only exposure to the Japanese MMA scene)…
Thanks in advance for a response Zach.
If the failure had taken place in Japan, he would have had a lot more heat. Because it was in California, it only got a little bit of Japanese media coverage.
Why does they hate so much marijuana in japan?
When I used to live there, mushrooms were still legal until a local Tokyo man took mushrooms and climbed power lines and sung childrens songs to the neighborhood. They were legal for some time because they induced more of a trance, which would not make you sleepy. Mary Jane might be considered a “dopey” drug by the Japanese, and anything that makes you dopey is not fit to hang in that society. I can’t recommend doing any drugs in Japan — just being their sober is enough to induce fantastic illusions of future hallucinations. Plus — no sumo should ever be smoking weed — that is just lame.
>Plus — no sumo should ever be smoking >weed
And how do you think they pack on those pounds?
They do like every obese NFL linemen: spark the J and eat cheetos and lard smothered in butter.
Basic training.
ZACH. in your opinion, how does japan feel about steroids in their combat sports. hendo said they never tested for roids when he was in pride, but wandi has said they did. whats the lowdown?
Come on Leo — the sumo have a very rigid lifestyle – they get that fat by eating lots of stew and rice.
Indeed, using drugs, even Mary Jane, in Japan is a big no no. That’s not to say that there aren’t some top fighters who smoke it though.
[…] Comment on Marijuana isn’t just a problem in Japanese MMA or pro … […]