Women’s undisputed heavyweight (175+ lbs) champion Claressa Shields (16-0, 3 KO’s) has been suspended by the Michigan’s boxing commission after reportedly failing a mouth swab test for marijuana following her February 2nd win over Danielle Perkins (5-1, 2 KO’s). This is after reportedly already passing a blood and urine test conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA).

This was claimed by SNAC owner Victor Conte who sought to substantiate on what actually occurred when a report by boxing journalist Rick Glaser suggested Shields might have used performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs).

As Conte explained, Michigan’s boxing commission, also known as the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission (UCC) had conducted a mouth swab test that resulted in Shields failing a test for marijuana, though he argued that this could have easily been administered in her body through physical contact or “contact high”. Additionally, VADA conducted both a blood and urine test that Shields passed cleanly after testing negative for any illegal or banned substance, including marijuana.

It had also been claimed by the SNAC owner that the traces of marijuana found through the Michigan boxing commission’s oral test was not enough to suggest she used marijuana as only 3.4 ng/ml of marijuana was discovered. However, Conte had also argued a trace amount of an anabolic steroid in the case of Ryan Garcia (24-1, 21 KO’s) who tested positive for ostarine, indicated clear use of the banned substance―though it should be noted Garcia’s failed test exceeded the acceptable threshold of what would be considered as an anti-doping violation.

While marijuana is considered a banned substance by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), it is considered banned because of its potential to affect an athlete’s mental state, not because it provides an advantage in terms of strength or endurance

Despite the test having been administered roughly two weeks ago on February 2nd following Shields’ undisputed win over Perkins, the UCC has now decided to suspend Claressa Shields for her failed test pending an investigation according to Sky Sports and is barred from fighting in the state of Michigan.

While the decision to suspend her appears justifiable given marijuana is considered a banned substance according to WADA, the basis for it is rooted in what appears to be a highly biased and stigmatized setting given marijuana’s non-performance enhancing attributes, the VADA tests that Shields passed and other instances of fighters such as Ryan Garcia having tested positive for actual PED’s but having only been suspended after weeks of the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) waiting on Garcia’s “B” sample to confirm the use of marijuana.

This was illustrated through the case of Devin Haney (31-0, 15 KO’s) being suspended by the NYSAC [for his safety and health reasons] due to the damage he incurred during his fight against Ryan Garcia, while Garcia himself had faced no such suspension―despite a positive VADA test implicating the use of ostarine.

At the time, NYSAC argued that while the initial sample of Garcia’s drug test, his “A” sample, had shown the use of ostarine, a “B” sample would first need to be tested in order to fully indicate his use of the banned substance.

The UCC seems to use a different standard for drug tests as evident by their use of oral tests which fails to take instances such as “contact high” into account. Simply put, marijuana contains THC which can be transferred to another person through physical contact or the air, which Conte has argued is the likely means by which Claressa Shields could have ingested the substance.

While the oral test could suffice when it comes to detecting marijuana-use, VADA tests would have determined prior use of marijuana. Given Shields’ VADA tests―which are administered both before and after a fight―reportedly did not test positive for marijuana, it is reasonable to assume that Claressa Shields had not used marijuana prior to the fight and supports the theory that the substance could have been ingested by the American champion through physical contact or contact high.

While each state athletic commissions works differently, there appears to be a clear disconnect between fighters who test positive for PEDs as opposed to those that test positive for non-PEDs. The use of PEDs appears to be heavily downplayed in this regard depending through which state athletic commission a failed test occurs but on at least two occasions, the use of non-PEDs has been handled rather strictly.

A prior case involving an athlete being quite heavily punished for use of marijuana pertained to Keyshawn Davis (13-0, 9 KO’s) who had his win over fellow American Nahir Albright (16-2, 7 KO’s) overturned by Texas’ boxing commission. Oddly enough, this same commission has made several questionable decisions over the past year, primarily the exoneration of a foreign boxer in British heavyweight Dillian Whyte due to the fighter supposedly proving his innocence in using PED’s.

This case is still regarded with suspicion given Whyte was somehow registered under Texas’ boxing commission despite his British nationality and cleared without any transparency into how exactly he had proved his innocence.

Texas’ commission was also responsible for approving of allowing a 57-year old Mike Tyson to face an almost three-decade younger Jake Paul last November in a professional contest, despite concerns regarding Tyson’s health following an ulcer health scare.

Following the news of her suspension, Claressa Shields has responded to claims that she was stripped of her titles:

“On my soul can’t nobody tarnish my image,” Shields stated on social media.

“It’s a temporary suspension til I go to trial for this very small amount of marijuana. I’m not SUSPENDED from Boxing, I’m not stripped of my titles. I’m just waiting. Also I can’t defend a lie! Do your research!“