The entire world is watching the Tokyo Olympics 2021. Contestants and athletes from several countries put their hearts and soul into the game to pick the medal.
The athletic spirit is commendable. The competition is challenging. The Olympians are fortifying their muscles and mind in the race for awards.
Cannabis has gained prominence and spotlight in the past and present Olympics for bringing a body high.
Several high-profile Olympians have taken to weed over the years. Whether eating pot brownies in childhood or taking bongs and vapes in adulthood, cannabis has both novice users looking up things like "how long do edibles last?" before consuming their first ones and loyal users who know exactly what works best for them.
Several high-profile Olympians have taken to weed over the years. Whether eating pot brownies in childhood or taking bongs and vapes in adulthood, cannabis has novice and loyal users. In the sports field, cannabis use as a performance-based drug has been in the news.
Let's know about the cannabis culture in sports and five such Olympians who have been incorporating CBD in their performance training.
Cannabis In Sports: The Evolution
Cannabis grew in popularity in 2009. It got fame and admiration, just like hip-hop music, movies, and television. Song lyrics refer to breeding, selling, and smoking pot.
Groups like The Kottonmouth Kings have made money by using weed references in their music. Likewise, stoner movies like Half Baked or Pineapple Express have told stories about the good times between friends and marijuana buds.
Smoking a joint has its negatives, but according to research, it can decrease sports-related anxiety, fear, and depression in small doses. This lets athletes perform better under pressure. It also reduces pre- and post-competition stress.
Players who have faced a traumatic experience in their sports career can benefit from cannabis. Since cannabis is illegal in most countries, restricting its consumption for medical benefits is safer.
Here are five Olympians who have smoked cannabis for performance-boosting measures.
Megan Rapinoe
Megan is an Olympic gold medallist. She is also a U.S. Soccer Women’s National Team star. Lingerie giant Victoria’s Secret has signed Rapinoe in June 2021 for brand rebuilding.
Megan takes CBD in her training routine. Her cannabis-infused fitness products like CBD cigarettes sourced from a company, Mendi, are owned by her sister.
What is so special about these hemp-derived CBD products? They impart natural fitness and pain-relieving results to athletes. These wellness solutions deliver faster recovery to athletes in training sessions and the best in-game performance.
It’s the healthiest option for athletes to stay on top in their game for a longer period. Megan religiously takes CBD products such as gummies for pain relief, stress-relieving and mood enhancement, and CBD tinctures at night for better sleep.
Michael Phelps
He is the most successful Olympian swimmer with 28 overall medals, out of which 23 were gold. Phelps, also nicknamed the Flying Fish, has a weed history.
In 2009 after winning eight historic Olympic golds, he got caught smoking a bong on camera. While he apologized for smoking marijuana, he came up with the reverse logic that cannabis never came in his way to excel.
Phelps did face suspensions for marijuana use. The USA Swimming Association banned him for three months. Phelps also lost a brand sponsorship deal with Kellogg’s and other big-ticket brands.
But he is still America's all-time leading medallist.
Usain Bolt
This retired Jamaican sprinter is the greatest sprinter of all time.
Bolt had admitted he occasionally used cannabis when he was young. But he has never used it in any of the sports competitions.
Bolt has grown up in cannabis culture. He has been posting self-pictures with a cannabis attire brand.
Ross Rebagliati
On the sports front, Ross Rebagliati won the Olympic gold for Men’s Snowboarding at the Winter Olympics in 1998.
But after the huge win, his blood sample showed 17.8 Ng/ml of THC. Ross stated the THC content was from passive smoke. Luck was on Ross’s side.
He got back his medal as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had not included cannabis in the list of banned substances then. Shortly after, the Committee voted to include THC in the prohibited substances list.
To clear the distinction between active and passive THC users, the IOC raised the nanograms (Ng) threshold to 150 in blood-THC samples. This explains cannabis’s popularity in the snowboarding future.
Sha'Carri Richardson
American Sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson won the women’s 100-meter final on June 19 at the US Olympic Track and Field Trials ahead of Tokyo Olympics.
It is disheartening to know she will not compete in the Tokyo Olympics after failing the THC marijuana test. Richardson was on the brink of becoming a favorite in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, but she smoked THC on hearing about the death of her biological mother.
This year's Olympics will miss Sha'Carri orange hair, tattoos, nose rings, and long fingernails.
Final Thoughts
Pot use by sports persons has come under the lens before. The World Anti-Doping Agency is pushing a doping-free sporting environment by setting strict rules and prohibitions for players at all levels.
Cannabis shows after-effects on health if taken for a sustained time. Smoking weed may give temporary performance-enhancing effects, but it can cause long-term harm.
Embrace CBD edibles and topical for healing of injuries and ailments after consulting your service provider.
