Boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. tested positive for marijuana after losing his WBC middleweight title to Sergio Martinez in Las Vegas on September 15, 2012, and on February 28, 2013, the Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended him for nine months and fined him $900,000. It was one of the largest marijuana penalties in combat sports, and its unraveling over the next decade tracks how athletic regulators came to stop punishing cannabis use.
What Happened
Chavez, the son of Mexican boxing great Julio Cesar Chavez, lost a unanimous decision to Martinez at the Thomas & Mack Center, with scores of 117-110, 118-109 and 118-109. His post-fight drug test came back positive for marijuana metabolites. His promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, argued publicly at the time that marijuana does not enhance performance and asked the commission for leniency.
At the February 2013 hearing, Chavez told commissioners he had used marijuana to ease stress eight or nine days before the fight. “I know I committed a big error. It was a mistake,” he said, according to the Associated Press. His lawyer, Donald Campbell, argued that cannabis is not performance-enhancing and that Chavez deserved credit for admitting it.
The commission split. Commissioner Skip Avansino suggested a fine of 10 to 15 percent of the purse; Commissioner Pat Lundvall pushed for 30 to 40 percent so the commission would take a firm stand on marijuana. The final vote was 3-2 for a nine-month suspension dated from the fight and a $900,000 fine, about 30 percent of his $3 million purse. The commission could have suspended him for a year and taken his whole purse. The World Boxing Council separately fined him $20,000.
Why It Mattered
It was not Chavez’s first failed test. In 2009 a win over Troy Rowland was changed to a no contest after he tested positive for the diuretic furosemide. But the 2012 case drew attention because the drug was marijuana, which most experts and many fans did not view as an aid to fighting. Nevada voters had approved medical marijuana in 2000, yet its commission was taking nearly $1 million from a fighter over cannabis.
What Happened Next
The fine did not stand. The commission later reduced it from $900,000 to $100,000 in a settlement, with chairman Bill Brady citing the World Anti-Doping Agency’s decision to ease its marijuana threshold, according to The Ring magazine. WADA had raised the level that counts as a positive test tenfold in 2013.
The bigger shift came after Nevada legalized adult-use cannabis in 2016. In 2021 the Nevada Athletic Commission said it would no longer punish fighters for marijuana use. It still tests and can keep an impaired fighter out of the ring, but a positive cannabis result alone no longer brings a suspension or fine, BoxingScene reported when the policy was made official.
In July 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested him in Los Angeles, and he was deported to Mexico in August 2025 to face charges tied to an arrest warrant there, USA Today reported.
Where It Stands in 2026
Adult-use cannabis is legal in Nevada; current possession and purchase rules are in our Nevada marijuana laws guide. Sports drug policy has moved in the same direction elsewhere, from college athletics, covered in our piece on NCAA marijuana rules, to professional leagues. Federal law still treats non-medical marijuana as Schedule I, as explained on our federal laws page.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Marijuana FAQ
Why was Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. suspended in 2013?
He tested positive for marijuana after his September 15, 2012, loss to Sergio Martinez. Nevada suspended him for nine months and fined him $900,000.
Was the $900,000 fine reduced?
Yes. The Nevada commission later cut it to $100,000 in a settlement, citing WADA’s relaxed marijuana threshold.
Does Nevada still punish fighters for marijuana?
No. Since 2021 the Nevada Athletic Commission has not penalized fighters for cannabis use alone, though it still tests and can bar impaired fighters.
Why did Chavez Jr. say he used marijuana?
He told the commission he used it to relieve stress about a week before the fight.
Originally reported by The Weed Street Journal; rewritten and updated in October 2026 with what happened next.
