WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam recently opened up about his past experiences with WWE’s marijuana testing policy during his return runs in 2013 and 2014, shedding light on how he navigated the company’s then-standing fine system.
Speaking on his “1 Of A Kind With RVD” podcast, Van Dam explained that during his 2013 return, WWE had a $1,000 fine for any positive marijuana test. At the time, RVD was under a three-month contract, wrestling 66 matches in 90 days, and chose to take a personal break from marijuana before returning.
“When I went to WWE for my return in 2013, it was a $1,000 fine at that time if you got busted for smoking marijuana,” Van Dam said.
“I decided on my own I would take a break from smoking because I hadn’t taken a break in a long time. It seemed like a good idea, so I stopped a month before starting with WWE. When I gave my first piss test, I did fail it—still, a month later—because that’s how dirty my system was. Then I did the 90 days without smoking.”
When RVD re-signed in 2014 for a longer five-month, 88-match deal, he changed course entirely:
“I left and came back the next year… This time I was like, I could quit again, and I was just like, no. I’ll just smoke my way through it and pay the fines, and so I chose to do that. I got fined two or three times.”
Van Dam also recalled a conversation with then-WWE Talent Relations executive Mark Carrano, who addressed his failed drug test upon return:
“In 2013, Mark Carrano said, ‘Dude, you failed the piss test. You were supposed to come in clean.’ I said, ‘That’s because I smoked a month before and it takes 35 days to get out of your system. I haven’t been smoking since I’ve been here.’”
RVD further explained the nuances of marijuana detection:
“It takes 35 days to get out of your system if you’re a heavy smoker. If you just smoke a little bit here and there, you’re not looking at that many days at all—if it even shows up. It all depends on how saturated you are.”
Known for his laid-back persona and outspoken stance on cannabis use, RVD continues to be a vocal advocate for marijuana normalization—especially in professional wrestling.
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(h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription)
