Recognized as one of the most popular fighters in UFC history, Nate Diaz has delved into the origins of his love affair with the ‘Ganja’. It’s common knowledge that Nate’s older brother and UFC legend Nick had been suspended for 5 years by the Nevada State Athletic Commission in 2015 due to testing positive for marijuana.
Of course, at the time, the grass was considered more of a taboo than a lifestyle choice. Regardless, one would assume that given how close the brothers are to each other, Nick would have been the one to introduce Nate to weed.
Often spotted in arenas and press events sparking up a joint, the ‘Stockton Slugger’ has, however, vehemently denied the claims.
“My homie… me and my homie, Albert were smoking,” Diaz told Full Violence of smoking debut. “Nick (Diaz) was smoking already. I didn’t really smoke with him. He’d be like, ‘Smoke, p*ssy.’, Nate joked, reminiscing about his younger years.
Explaining that his mother was the reason he couldn’t smoke up with his brother, Nate confessed, “We’d all get some ‘whoop’ when we had weed and get together. My brother smoked weed, and she [his mother] didn’t want us smoking weed. So I hid it from her, bro. She’s cool with Nick, because she didn’t have a choice. Nick was like, ‘I don’t give a f*ck.'”
Of course, now, Nate is often seen with a joint in his hands, a little high in his eyes even at public events… even with the UFC brass looking from above.
Nate lit up during numerous UFC events
Nate and Nick’s association with marijuana has much deeper roots than some would know. Getting into the business side of things with California Finest, the Diaz brothers launched their own pre-rolled marijuana products.
While Nick saw a gogoplata win over Takanori Gomi unfairly overturned in 2007 after testing positive for marijuana metabolites, Nate has come under fire for his use, too.
Famously lighting a joint during an open workout ahead of his fight with Anthony Pettis in 2019, he was embroiled in another weed-gate incident after his loss to Conor McGregor.
Definitely the first time that this happened at a UFC open workout
Nate Diaz sparks a joint and shows off his lung capacity. pic.twitter.com/KuiKYSAJnh
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) August 15, 2019
Appearing at a post-fight press conference after UFC 202, the Californian hit a CBD vape pen just minutes after his loss to the Dubliner. This ultimately violated the laid-out rule.
Diaz would go unpunished for this indiscretion, however.
Years later, in 2021, Dana White’s promotion would confirm that the Arizona State Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts Commission would be adopting the rules set by the UFC’s anti-doping agency. The only condition being fighters not being allowed to show up high or otherwise impaired on the night of their fights.
