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Sports and Marijuana: Are They Compatible?

Sports are an essential part of the world today. According to Investopedia, Fifa generated as a non-profit organization, 4.6 billion dollars in a single year. Naturally, this says something. Most gambling websites have a place to gamble on sports and so on. 

Marijuana is also a big topic in our world today, the benefits of which are widely touted as being helpful for all. Yet, marijuana use in sports is still banned as it is considered an ergolytic, which means it impairs performance. 

This article will be discussing whether this is a legal classification and what are the pros and cons of marijuana. Also, it will explore the cultural shift in the use and understanding of cannabis before finally, deciphering the difference between Cannabinoids and Marijuana, CBD, and THC.

Pros and Cons 

Research on this topic shows a clear division of opinions. One of the main problems is marijuana isn’t the only Cannabinoid and is pretty apparent not to be the best one available. 

Many articles blatantly contradict each other and studies as well, find differing results. It is hard to pin down what specific type of cannabis they are testing and using. Also, opinions aren’t a vast place to start to understand this highly volatile issue. 

One universal benefit  that everyone can agree upon is that cannabis helps you rest better and repair. The quality of your sleep is improved by lowering your anxiety and boosting your body’s anandamide as this online blog article states. 

This leads to the other ‘pro’ of using cannabis in sports, it helps you deal with the pressures involved with a life in games. The effect of the drug numbs your senses and produces dopamine as most prescriptions do. However, it is not as addictive as other drugs because the THC (the addictive substance) isn’t active enough. So, some sportspersons may have an occasional pot-smoking habit or other ways of consuming cannabis.

Hailed as a stress reliever by scores of people around the world, a toke here and there should not necessarily be a bad thing for an athlete. However, most professional athletes are required to take frequent drug tests (which may also detect THC) that have the potential to stop them from participating in matches or even to put a stop to their career. For this reason, some sportspeople might choose to follow guides on how to pass a hair drug test if this becomes the case for them.

Now we move to the disadvantages of using marijuana. Health Europa points out that marijuana lowers the threshold people have for proper exercise. The maximum limit of your endurance will go down because of the downer effects the drug has on brain function. 

Another con is that the substance will lower your reaction speed. Basically, any athletes that participate in a sport that requires speedy reflexes should avoid marijuana. It will damage any sports career performance.

Cultural Shift

Now, the issue within cultural opinion has shifted, and smoking weed is typical. Furthermore, people are beginning to understand the medicinal purposes of cannabis and recognize, in some instances, the difference between medical cannabis and ‘smoking pot.’. Yes, it is obvious that there is still some way to go in cultural acceptance through the generations, but closing that gap could have a tremendous impact on the quality of life for our elderly. 

ADAI points out most athletes consider marijuana to be an ergolytic drug. What this means is that they believe it to be similar to alcohol and caffeine, not overly dangerous. At the same time, it is not something they would choose to put into their bodies before a big event, just like drinking the night before or starting the day with a coffee. 

Again, culture dictates many things. With people hearing about the benefits of Cannabinoids in medicine, they have jumped to the conclusion marijuana is perfectly okay and beneficial in the sporting field. As shown, it can be helpful, but it also has its risks, especially for younger people and athletes, where it is most popular.

Cannabinoids 

CBD and THC are two different chemicals that exist in cannabis, which can be isolated. THC is the one that generally is addictive and causes adverse effects. CBD, on the other hand, can be beneficial and is popular in the form of CBD Oils. 

There are also ten subclass forms of the plant cannabis, each with differing effects, which provides the basis for medical cannabinoids. With the ability to derive multiple chemicals from all of them, there are many open doors for exploitation in the medical field.

Final Thoughts

By merely smoking pot, athletes are not positively ingesting marijuana into their bodies. In fact, this is extremely frowned upon because of the adverse effects it has on your performance.

Further research needs to be done in order to produce cannabis-based products that can be safely used in the professional sporting field. However, if you enjoy sports and don’t compete professionally, then using cannabis for relaxing after a busy work out or assisting your sleep when you can’t switch off may be an option for you. 

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