The view of cannabis in sports has changed significantly over the last several years. It has been widely discussed at the Tokyo Olympics this summer. Athletes, especially professional athletes, put a lot of strain on their bodies, typically over extended periods. This type of strain leads to pain and often injuries. Many athletes are looking for a safe, healthy, and natural solution for pain management. As a result, many have turned to CBD.
Cannabis and Professional Sports – Is It Legal?
The government of Canada legalized cannabis for recreational use in 2018, but what does that mean for professional sports? Those engaged in professional sports must adhere to particular rules when it comes to ‘doping’ as set by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
So, while WADA removed CBD from their list of prohibited substances in 2018, THC remains on the list.
What is the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)?
Established in 1999, WADA is at the forefront of scientific research, education, anti-doping capacities, and expertise in drugs in sport. They’ve developed an extensive manual called the World Anti-Doping Code based on this expertise.
In Canada, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) ensures that The Code is adhered to. However, most North American professional sports leagues do not explicitly follow The Code. Instead, they often choose to stand by a “we can police ourselves” mentality. This makes it difficult to know precisely how each sporting body perceives cannabis and the possible repercussions of using cannabis.
Why is THC prohibited in Professional Sports?
According to Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) website, all prohibited substances are added to the Prohibited List because they meet two of the three following criteria:
● Use of the substance has the potential to enhance performance;
● Use of the substance can cause harm to the health of the athlete; and
● The use of the substance violates the spirit of sport.
While the CCES doesn’t necessarily view cannabis as performance-enhancing, they believe athletes use it therapeutically with the intent to improve performance or recovery by managing pain, stress, or anxiety. Additionally, they state that “while cannabis has therapeutic uses, habitual use or abuse presents the potential for harm, especially for younger athletes. Impairment during competition presents a liability to the safety of the athlete and their competitors.”
However, it’s interesting that professional athletes who use cannabis for medicinal purposes can apply for medical exemption with the CCES.
Should THC Be Prohibited in Professional Sports – Are Attitudes Changing?
By definition, doping is using a substance that is prohibited from increasing athletic performance directly. The most common example of this is anabolic steroids, which increase muscle mass and hormone levels and allow faster recovery, increasing strength, power, speed, and endurance.
Cannabis doesn’t boost athletic performance, at least not in the way they suggest is related to doping. Cannabis doesn’t increase energy production, make a person stronger or more explosive, or increase endurance.
What cannabis does is support post-workout recovery, similar to other post-work remedies intend to manage pain, inflammation, and sports-related injuries.
Many athletes are pushing for the declassification of THC as a prohibited substance. They feel it’s safer and more effective for their needs without the problematic side effects of other treatments such as opioids.
Support for Cannabis Use in Sport is Increasing – Even Among Professional Organizations
As mentioned previously, many organizations are not closely following The Code set out by the CCES and are choosing to ‘police themselves’ regarding drug use. So, let’s look at how some of the professional sports organizations in North America are currently treating cannabis use in the sport.
Canadian Football League (CFL)
The Canadian Football League (CFL) has never tested for cannabis. CFL commissioner Randy Ambroise made a statement about cannabis around the time of legalization: “Our drug-testing policy for players has never included testing for marijuana or other recreational drugs. It focuses on performance-enhancing drugs. That will continue to be the case.”
National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Football League (NFL)
As of 2020, these two organizations are having conversations about cannabis that indicate they’re looking toward changing their policies but want to do so thoughtfully and appropriately.
As part of an effort to study “a variety of pain-management issues and strategies for players,” the National Football League and the NFL Player’s Association have agreed to form two new joint medical committees, with a particular focus on cannabis as a pain-management tool.
This move could represent a potential shift in the NFL’s long-held taboo around cannabis, reports Mark Maske of The Washington Post.
While Silver (NBA Commissioner) did acknowledge that the NBA still testing for cannabis was seen as “uncool,” he personally wanted more research available before making any conclusive decision. Like the NFL, the NBA is studying how athletes could use cannabis for pain management.
Major League Baseball (MLB)
In December 2019, Major League Baseball (MLB) announced they’re removing cannabis from the list of banned substances and begin to treat its consumption in the way they do alcohol. What does this look like for baseball players?
“Going forward, marijuana-related conduct will be treated the same as alcohol-related conduct under the Parties’ Joint Treatment Program for Alcohol-Related and Off-Field Violent Conduct, which provides for the mandatory evaluation, voluntary treatment and the possibility of discipline by a player’s club or the Commissioner’s Office in response to certain conduct involving natural cannabinoids,” MLB said in a press release.
This new policy means players will only face discipline due to unsanctioned conduct while under the influence rather than simply testing positive for THC. Previously, a positive test resulted in mandatory treatment, and failure to comply was punishable by a fine of up to $35,000.
It sounds as though other professional sports organizations may soon follow suit regarding how they manage cannabis use by players.
Using Cannabis for Workout Recovery
Athletes use both THC and CBD for post-workout recovery. However, those professional athletes limited by sporting body regulations mostly stick with CBD to avoid potential repercussions. Many are turning to cannabis as an alternative to traditional recovery methods, such as regular anti-inflammatory or pain medication.
Cannabis can help with post-workout recovery through various means, including, but not limited to, managing pain, reducing inflammation, improving sleep, and helping to heal injuries.
Cannabis is well-established for use associated with pain, and research supports that pain reduction is due, in part, to a simultaneous decrease in inflammation.
Improving sleep is also a significant factor when it comes to workout recovery and managing sports-related injuries. Sleep is when the body has time to heal. One study found that cannabis shortens the time it takes to fall asleep, whether or not the subjects usually had trouble sleeping.
Final Thoughts
The attitudes surrounding the use of cannabis in professional sports are rapidly changing as research uncovers more evidence favouring its healthy use for post-workout recovery. Athletes use cannabis regularly both for maintenance and specific post-workout treatment. CBD capsules and tinctures are the most common options for ongoing maintenance as they’re easy to add to your health routine. Topicals, vapes, and tinctures are used post-work specifically for pain management.
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