Athletes in cannabis: How cannabis can lead the recovery revolution in sports

Cannabis has had a historically bad rep. This is weird, considering that 126.5 million people in the United States have used marijuana at least once in their lifetime.

Society has always pictured the average cannabis user as a doped-up, lazy vagrant who’s no good. The Federal government’s strict anti-drug stance on the substance hasn’t helped either. For instance, Richard Nixon’s Controlled Substances Act of 1970 has cannabis listed as a Schedule 1 drug with no medical use and a high potential of abuse—alongside LSD, heroin, and ecstasy!

These stereotypes detract from the medicinal capabilities of the plant and its non-psychoactive constituents (like CBD), especially for sporting activities.

Studies have shown that cannabis consumption has vast potential in managing athlete pain and improving recovery. However, these findings are few and remain largely incomplete since cannabis remains a federally banned drug.

In this article, we will discuss the benefits of cannabis for athletes in recovery, how the ban on cannabis affects sports, and the future of cannabis in athletics.

How does cannabis help athletes?

If asked to describe a cannabis user, many would imagine a lazy, slow, perpetually hungry couch potato. No one would picture an accountant, a CEO, or an engineer. Not with the way anti-drug campaigns paint cannabis as a “gateway drug” to harder substances.

But anyone can enjoy cannabis, including your favorite athletes.

Most sports require intense training, exposing athletes to many sports-related injuries and health conditions such as asthma, deep vein thrombosis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and anxiety. These conditions, though seen as regular risks in sports, can lead to chronic pain and adversely impact athletes’ lives.

And although cannabis is not a cure, proper use of the plant and its compounds can help manage pain, reduce performance anxiety and improve healing. Cannabis interacts with the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) by binding to CB1 or CB2 receptors and preventing endocannabinoids from breaking down quickly. The ECS is a complex cell-signaling system that is linked with body processes such as:

• Sleep
• Immune system response
• Cardiovascular health
• Energy balance
• Pain
• Liver function
• Motor control, and
• Stress

Also, unlike opioids and alcohol, cannabis doesn’t damage the liver when used correctly. It is also less addictive and may reduce the rate of opioid dependence, according to a recent Medicaid analysis.

So, it’s no wonder that more athletes are using the “hippie lettuce” to cope with sports’ physical and mental pressure.

In fact, former Philadelphia Flyers enforcer Riley Cote told Josiah Hesse, a journalist at Men’s Health and author of “Runner’s High,” that about 50% of the National Hockey League players are using cannabis, and up to 90% are ardent CBD users. It’s the same with the Football League too. Former Dallas Cowboys tight end Martellus Bennett also claims that almost 90% of pro football players use cannabis as an alternative to opioids.

Is cannabis a steroid?

In 2011, The World Anti-Doping Agency disclosed, in a published paper, its reasons for the cannabis ban. The second reason cited cannabis as a performance-enhancing drug that could make athletes forget previous injuries or trauma and push themselves farther than usual. They also claimed the muscle-relaxing and tension-reducing properties of the substance might create an unfair advantage for athletes who use cannabis. Similarly, they cited slow reaction times and loss of executive function as potential dangers for cannabis use in athletes.

This position seems contradictory. If cannabis causes “slow reaction times,” how is it a performance enhancer? Also, there are drugs (Ibuprofen and Diclofenac) that perform the same anti-inflammatory functions as cannabis, and they are classified as non-steroidal.

Steroids typically increase testosterone levels and muscle mass, effects that are yet to be seen amongst cannabis users. Instead, cannabis rejuvenates your depleted endocannabinoids and promotes balance—like eating bananas after a long run.

However, WADA has turned a deaf ear and a blind eye to contradictory studies and continues to ban the plant. In 2021, 100 m sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson was suspended by the United States Anti-Doping Agency for a month and banned from competing in the 2020 Olympics after THC was found in her system before the U. S. Olympic trials.

Athletes that have led the cannabis campaign

It is not unusual to find an athlete speaking on the advantages of cannabis in sports. For years, athletes have been vocal about their marijuana use, and the numbers are increasing daily. Olympic gold medalist and U.S. Soccer Women’s National Team star Megan Rapinoe recently gave a Forbes interview about incorporating CBD into her training routine for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

In the 1970s, Cardinals Linebacker and NFL star Dave Meggyesy founded “Jocks for Joynts,” which lobbied to change the marijuana stigma in sports. Other athletes that have lent their voice to the cause include Ricky Williams, football star and founder of Real Wellness; Greta Gaines, Cliff Robinson; and the Diaz Brothers.

The future of cannabis in athletics

It is not all doom and gloom on the journey to cannabis legalization. Despite the federal cannabis ban, CBD (cannabis’ non-psychoactive compound) is legally sold in the 50 states of the U.S.

In May 2013, WADA raised the limit for cannabis in an athlete’s system from 15 nanograms to 150 nanograms, allowing athletes to use the plant during training. And in 2018, they removed CBD from the list of prohibited substances, making it safe to use during competition.

In 2019, Major League Baseball removed cannabis from its list of prohibited substances (although players are banned from using it during a game or accepting sponsorship from cannabis companies). The NBA also halted random cannabis testing in players.

The NFL is not left behind. They’ve raised their THC threshold from 35 nanograms to 150 and will no longer suspend players for a positive cannabis test. Also, in June 2021, they announced their decision to donate up to $1 million in grants for cannabis research.

The WADA and the government remain firm in their prohibition of cannabis. But, hopefully, with more athletes using cannabis products openly and more research on the beneficial effects of the plant, we are edging closer to the legalization of not just specific components but every part of the cannabis plant.