Sports and weed, there is not too many things on this earth better than both of those. Put them together, and we have one hell of a time. Now, that’s just the fan side of things, but marijuana has become increasingly more popular amongst athletes. The medicinal benefits have been debated over and over again that it becomes nauseating when someone automatically shoots down the notion that weed can really help people in need.
Athletes are continually looking for ways to better recover and deal with the daily stressors of their sport. Many athletes have come out in support of marijuana and its usefulness. Recently former NFL running back Ricky Williams announced the launch of his own cannabis-based wellness company called Real Wellness. He is just one of many former and current athletes to bring this subject to light.
So, let’s take a look at how athletes and marijuana intermingle together to create high times.
1. Dealing with stress/anxiety
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Athletes live in a highly stressful world with all sorts of outside pressures on them to succeed, not to mention the pressure they put on themselves to be great. Especially in the professional sports world, this type of high-intensity pressure is magnified by the media, fans, and teammates. When living in a bubble so to say, like many of these athletes do, the anxiety build-up can become too much to handle, and they need a little something to wind down. The natural remedy many athletes turn to is cannabis. The drug can ease and calm the mind and fight off the anxiety an athlete has before or after a big game.
2. Recovery from a workout
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This is one of the most common arguments heard amongst athletes when the marijuana topic is brought up. Some fans forget all the work that an athlete puts in when no one is watching. The endless late nights in the gym, extra reps after practice, and just the purely physical nature of their sport can cause the body to feel a bit broken down. Cannabis can provide these athletes with an outlet that soothes their physical pain. There is plenty of medical evidence out there that suggests CBD helps fight inflammation. So, not only can the athlete get their mind right but also their body right at the same time.
3. During a workout
I just mentioned the benefits cannabis could have on the body post-workout, but it can also be extremely beneficial during the workout. Marijuana activates the endocannabinoid system in our brain. What happens when you are working out, and this system is heightened, it acts as a protective shield that helps the body cope with the physical stress. Also, the best part of working out high is it can actually increase your “high” by sending the THC back into your system as you are burning fat. Sounds like a win-win to me.
4. Bonding/celebrating with teammates
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Most of my experience with the beautiful God-given plant has been one of a social aspect. It is one of the best ways to get to know people and form relationships. I mean one of the best ways to meet people in college is smoking weed. Someone brings up smoking, and you’re like “hey, I get high,” and they are all “oh shit, do you wanna get high together” and bam a beautiful bond between two people is born. The same effect can happen for athletes on a team. For the most part, the most successful teams are the ones with the best chemistry, and if that chemistry can be given an injection through the use of smoking a joint, I say damn well go right ahead. It could be after a tough practice or a big win; smoking weed has been bringing people together since that first puff was inhaled into the lungs.
5. Get you in the zone
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All of these vary athlete to athlete, and this might be the one category that varies the most. But, for some, the use of marijuana can put them in the proverbial zone. The cannabis can have an effect on the mind that puts the athlete in a razor-sharp focus mode. It can cause the athlete to have more confidence in their given sport and provide an edge that can put them over the top. Obviously, you can’t rip five GB’s in a row and expect to be lasered in, but if that right amount of high is found it can put you in the “zone.”