Cannabis is now accepted by more people and authorities in the United States. This has led to increased research on marijuana and a blossoming medical marijuana industry in the United States. Marijuana can now be obtained in various forms. You can get it in drops, pills, lotions, vapor or joints, chocolates and mints and also in transdermal patches. If you don’t want to get high, you can use CBD without THC.
There has been an increase in the number of athletes that combine Cannabis with their training. Cannabis has become recently a trend among runners, cyclists, swimmers, triathletes and jumpers. Some athletes revealed that they are sure of fact that cannabis can boost the performance of athletes, but it has not been scientifically proven.
Athletes face strenuous activities and they usually endure a lot of muscle stiffness. Marijuana is gradually proving to be a better option that painkillers that the athletes use. The athletes that choose to use marijuana as opposed to painkillers are gradually reducing the stereotype that marijuana users face.
It has long been proven that marijuana can:
- Improve mood
- Reduce pain
- Stabilize stomach conditions
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that more athletes are turning to the use of cannabis. These athletes who face long, tedious workouts and training sections prefer the types of marijuana that do not damage the lungs. These include edibles and the use of topical creams that are blended with cannabis. Scientists have found that the endocannabinoid system of our body contains special receptors for cannabinoids. Cannabis is a much more natural pain reliever than opiates. This works well by healing an injury rather than tricking the body into not feeling pain.
After a long training session or workout, it is natural to feel nauseous and tired. A lot of people take painkillers to stop the pain. But painkillers are very dangerous especially if they are used regularly. Check out the risk of taking conventional pain killers regularly — the-dangers-of-painkillers/index.htm.
As far as those who use Cannabis to increase their concentration to their training, there are specific cannabis strains that can be beneficial. Sativa dominant strains boost the human focus and provide the body with much-needed energy needed for training. Training could be much more enjoyable for athletes if they are under the effects of marijuana.
Cannabidiol or CBD is the chemical compound of marijuana that is tilting the scales towards the side that favors the use of cannabis as a medicine. CBD is popular because it has great medical rewards and it doesn’t make people stoned. It can also reduce the High caused by the psychoactivity of THC.
The basic health benefits that Cannabis offers to Sportsmen is the following:
- Helps with Pain: Marijuana is an effective analgesic that can reduce pain caused by exercise. Athletes can use it after their workouts to manage the pain caused by sore muscles after a workout.
- Relaxation and Sleep: Cannabinoids have a sedative effect on users. It can help athletes relax well. It is very important that athletes get a good night’s rest after the rigors of the day. At night, muscles grow and recover especially during deep sleep. Any damage that was done on the body will also be repaired. Sleep is also necessary for boosting the immune system.
- Inflammation: THC and CBD are very efficient for managing inflammation after exercise. Cannabinoids are effective anti-inflammatory agents. They do this by stopping the proliferation of cells, suppressing the production of cytokine, stopping the induction of Tregs or T-regulatory cells and by inducting apoptosis.
Moreover many people say that marijuana is a vegetable and they take marijuana raw by drinking its juice. They feel it is a double bonus as raw marijuana has no psychoactive effect so it doesn’t make them high and it makes them healthy.
Marijuana can also help with:
- Boosting the immune system
- Improving the metabolism of the bone
- Stopping inflammation
- Boosting neural function
Marijuana leaves also have a lot of added nutritional benefits as it contains:
- Iron
- Calcium
- Fatty acids
- Fiber
Before the 2016 Summer Olympics started in Brazil, WADA or the World Anti-Doping Agency loosened its strict regulations on the use of marijuana by athletes. This came as a huge source of joy to many athletes. Due to the way different laws and notions on marijuana are changing, WADA decided that marijuana is not a drug that can enhance the performance of athletes and it does not develop greater skills in athletes. The restrictions on the amount of THC that can be found in the body of an athlete was reduced so it isn’t as much of an issue as it was before.
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Last November, 71 percent of Florida voters supported an amendment to legalize medical marijuana. The State has been dragging its feet on implementing this and many local communities will be restricting the sale (as allowed by wording in the law.) It looks like it will be a few more months before Florida voters get what we voted for, and then there are multiple issues. I wasn’t familiar with the usage by athletes, but it will be a long time before that will happen in Florida.
Hi Nancy,
I live in Pennsylvania and they passed the Medical Marijuana law in April of 2016, but it only for Medical purposes and certain conditions. It takes a while to get every thing set up & dispensaries, green houses and all going. Plus the government red tape is the usual government bureaucracy. Medical Marijuana is so much safer than other drugs that doctors prescribe like candy. It doesn’t have the dangerous side effects and has so many healing abilities to the body and mind. Thank you for stopping by and commenting. Have a healthy, happy & blessed day.
Marijuana saved my son’s life…..pain became manageable…..stress and suicide attempts stopped!
HI Alaya,
I sure do believe you. I am so glad your son found something like MJ that was able to help him. Marijuana has many healing benefits both physically and mentally. It needs to be available to all that needs it. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.