Cannabis in the World of Professional Sports

Cannabis https://westcoastbud.io/ has made significant inroads into professional sports. Although whole marijuana and most psychoactive cannabinoids remain banned from athletes' competitions, CBD was removed from WADA's prohibited list in 2018 and MLB recently became the first major US league to permit CBD sponsorship at an national level.

Though former NFL players like Marshawn Lynch run blunt lines and Hall-of-Famer Rob Gronkowski has their own cannabis business, studies show that recreational use does not improve strength or exercise performance.

Legality
As the marijuana movement gains steam across the US, college athletes are witnessing significant shifts in their autonomy and freedom. With marijuana legalized in more states, more athletes are turning to it for pain relief, stress reduction, sleep aids, or PTSD management.

Though some delegates contend that cannabis consumption does not have any negative repercussions for athletic performance, others believe that because cannabis can negatively impact athlete mental health it should remain banned during and out-of-competition competitions.

The NCAA has been slow to adopt modern marijuana policies, yet has made progress by raising the threshold of THC needed for positive drug tests in urine samples. Both the NFL and NHL have also relaxed their marijuana regulations; former NFL players like Marshawn Lynch's Dodi Blunts blunt line, tight end Rob Gronkowski's company Abacus and Hall-of-Famer Calvin Johnson's investment firm Primitiv have invested in marijuana-related businesses.

Doping
Sha'Carri Richardson's disqualification from track and field Olympic trials for testing positive for marijuana reopened the discussion about whether cannabis assists athletes. Unfortunately, there's limited data supporting that claim.

According to the World Anti-Doping Agency, cannabis remains banned from sport for three primary reasons: it may enhance performance in certain sports disciplines; endanger athletes by slowing reaction times or impairing executive function; and violate an athlete's responsibility as role models.

Zeiger claims that since 2004, her agency has seen a substantial decrease in reported cannabinoid-related in-competition violations and that many factors contribute to an athlete's decision to use cannabis, including availability of alternative therapies and cultural norms of their sport.

Health
As more states legalize marijuana, professional athletes have begun embracing its therapeutic qualities. Athletes such as NBA star and former professional boxer Mike Tyson have developed their own CBD and cannabis products, while companies are signing endorsement deals with some of the biggest names in sport.

Though cannabis remains on the World Anti-Doping Agency's Prohibited List, many elite athletes reportedly use cannabis to enhance performance. Unfortunately, its effects remain uncertain in humans due to various factors including method of consumption and cannabinoid composition.

Cannabis use can pose unique difficulties for athletes, since urine tests cannot distinguish new in-competition cannabis consumption from prior out-of-competition use. Furthermore, due to many athletes using cannabis to alleviate pain relief strategies they must carefully balance these pain management plans so as to remain compliant with their sports federation's anti-doping regulations.

Safety
As an athlete, you're often faced with making decisions that affect your health, wellness and performance. Even seemingly minor decisions can have significant effects.

One such decision involves your consumption of cannabis, which remains on the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) prohibited substances list and could potentially trigger positive drug test results. WADA employs threshold testing; meaning a certain threshold level of cannabinoid must be present in order to activate an adverse analytical finding.

Under WADA rules, athletes are regularly tested and should be aware of these regulations and potential consequences of their choices. Athletes considering cannabis should consult a physician first before seeking therapeutic use exemption (TUE) so as to avoid sanction. This is especially important if competing internationally where any trace of prohibited substance in urine could disqualify them from competition.