First Female MMA Fighter Busted For THC Talks To Cannabis.Net

First and only professional female fighter busted for THC in her blood talks to Cannabis.net!

In my younger years I would daydream about fighting. In the 3rd grade, in my mind I was the Ninja Assassin. Fast forward through a Blackbelt in TaeKwonDo, an abusive relationship and lots of confusion, now it’s my early 20s. By the way I’m puffing on some Loud Mouth sativa to help the creative juices flow.

I got serious about training when my Uncle Jim moved back in town. An amateur boxer with 250+ fights at the time. He had over 300 by the time we stopped training. He said he never went Pro because he didn’t want to hate the sport. At the time I did not understand…I do now, it’s the training. By this time I was enjoying the medicinal benefits of Mary Jane on a daily basis.

Fast forward again through craziness in my early 20s, underground raves, parties and Lots of street fights, bar fights and brawls in the 209. Mostly with men some women, all of them getting either chocked out, knocked out, or the stomping of their life. I’ve had about 15 street fights, 99.9% of loud mouth guys and big ass gangster girls are good at intimidation, so good they usually believe themselves. So they have usually never been tested in battle until they pop off to the wrong person, and are pretty easy to beat up.

I also had to deal with the stigma of being the only female in my area in a male dominated sport, not yet accepted by the public. I got a black eye and the wind knocked out of me on my first day at a real MMA gym, the guy didn’t want me there. It took me two weeks to go back. That gym was out in the country so when it was time to run, I’d go past the vineyard, stop and smoke a bowl, run back and continue training.

I started doing amateur fights, my first one was MMA which I lost. I did not smoke before that fight. The next 20 something amateur boxing fights I won. I did smoke about 3 hours before those fights so I’d be nice and relaxed, my fight nickname wasn’t ‘RoseBud’ for nothing!!! During this time I also found a better MMA gym to train at. This was in the days of knock out sparring at least 3-4 days a week, intense 2.5 hour training sessions 2 times a day, 3 times a day before fights. I needed to smoke to relax and recover for the next session.

I started doing pro MMA and won a Blue Belt at the Gracie Open. I say won because I was a white belt and started entering myself in the Blue Belt division and would win, consistantaly. Ceasar took notice and gave me a belt at the tournament. I never took the BJJ tourneys to seriously so I would smoke about 30 min before matches. The training for a fight is not only physically grueling there’s a mental aspect of it most people don’t talk about. It’s very intense, it’s what drives us to train harder than the next guy. I was scared for months before my first 25 fights. It’s mentally draining and really fucking SCARY. Fighting is not a team sport, if you lose it’s just you. For the fighter it’s not the fear of getting hurt or hit, It’s the fear of Losing. It goes away once you step in the ring, then it’s the JOY OF THE FIGHT!!! Herbs made this easier to deal with.

So I’m still smoking and fighting no big deal, then I hear the commission is going to test fighters. “Oh Shit.” I didn’t smoke for a couple days before that fight, I was so wound up and emotional. I took a masking drink so I had a full stomach at the fight. I like to fight on an empty stomach. The masking drink did not work. I lost the fight, got suspended for 6 months and fined $500. I came back smarter about passing tests and continued to fight while medicating myself and won every MMA fight since then 6-1. I also tried Pro boxing 1-0 and Pro Muay Thai 4-1. I have an overall record of 32-3 not including street fights. I have 5 title belts and a bunch of medals collecting dust in my closet. I don’t have time to train at a professional level anymore. I have a successful business with my sister and 4 awesome boys that need my time. I don’t smoke in front of my kids and sell Cannabis products on the side for fun. I do it because I enjoy cannabis and want to share some of my favorite things with other people.

I consider myself blessed in life. I’ve been able to travel and fight around the world, see so many wonderful places and things. I’m retired now but still think about fighting at least once a day. It’s like riding a bike you never forget. I’m still able to open a can of Whoop Ass if need be, and I still remember how to properly apply a sleeper hold.

Jennifer ‘RoseBud’ Tate

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