I've been friends with Jensen for about 15 years. I was with him the whole month of March in Albuquerque, helping with his training camp at Greg Jackson's. Ryan has had ADD for as long as I can remember -- to be honest, I'm not too keen on the use of pharmaceuticals for the treatment of ADD/ADHD. I think better/different parenting, teaching, etc, could be very beneficial for kids with ADD, but I've witnessed firsthand how much medication does help, in the case of Jensen.
With that being said, Jensen has disclosed the use of his prescription medication since day one. The Athletic Commissions in California, Ohio, Nebraska, etc. did not have a problem with it, and obviously allowed him to fight. Jensen had his pre-fight physical done in late February, where he disclosed his Adderall prescription. On Wednesday, March 25th, he faxed paperwork for his sponsors, etc, and again disclosed his prescription as well. Nothing was said until he was about to weigh in, on Tuesday, March 31st.
The last time Jensen took the medication was the morning of Monday, March 30th -- and it was only 5 mg, which is a very small dose relative to what others with ADD/ADHD take. It is not uncommon for individuals to take up to 150 mg per day.
When he was about to go on the stage for the weigh-ins, the Tennessee AC stopped him. They said that Adderall was a banned substance, and that he could not fight. Former Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, and current Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for the UFC, Marc Ratner, argued with Tennessee officials on Jensen's behalf. The Tennessee AC said that the prescription medication Ritalin (methylphenidate) was allowed, but not Adderall. Both drugs are FDA approved for the treatment of ADD/ADHD, and act as Central Nervous System stimulants. Their method of action is virtually identical.
The half life of Adderall is 11-13 hours, and given the dose Jensen was taking, he would have in all likelihood passed the post-fight drug test. In fact, Jensen volunteered to take a drug test on Tuesday, March 31st, to prove that the medication was out of his system. The Tennessee AC would not administer a drug test, and told him that he could not fight on Wednesday, April 1st.
Like I stated, numerous state athletic commissions have allowed him to compete, and he has had a legitimate prescription for years. He provided the Tennessee AC documentation from his physician, as well as documentation from other state commissions that had cleared him to fight in the past, while using his prescribed medication.
The Tennessee AC dropped the ball on this. Jensen did everything expected of him as a fighter -- he showed up in shape, and made weight. They're the ones who should be scrutinized...
saw this on mmaplayground.com
