The Many Uses of Cannabis and CBD for Muscle Recovery

Preparing for the next powerlifting competition is a gruesome workout regimen of maxing out in all 3 lifts with heavy weights and feeling pain all over the body after an intense afternoon at the gym. With any sport that you participate in, there will be pain after your workout. The question remains instead of taking prescription or over the counter pain medication like Advil or Tylenol, should you smoke dried flower, eat edibles, or use THC/CBD infused topicals after you get home from the gym? Many world renowned athletes have been using CBD or THC based products for muscle recovery as a part of their healthy and active lifestyle routine.  

The changing perspective of cannabis and CBD use for athletes is changing as more research backs up marijuana use for muscle recovery and inflammation. Let’s answer the question what is cannabis? Cannabis sativa is a female plant, which consists of a chemical called THC. THC induces the euphoric sensation once the dry cannabis flower is smoked. THC binds into the bloodstream then attach itself to the receptors in the brain called the endocannabinoids.  When the THC binds into the receptors, it relieves many debilitating symptoms affecting athletes after a workout such as pain and inflammation.

Deuvall Dorsey, also known as @Vegas420runner on Instagram, is an Ultra-marathoner, Tri-athlete, Captain of the 420 Cross Country team,Director of the Las Vegas Running Film Festival, and graduate student studying his masters degree in Public Relations/Image Management at UNLV. He describes the impact of using CBD throughout his running career for pain management:

“Some runners I come across are well educated and well informed people, but when I mention CBD to them it’s their first time ever hearing about it. When I tell runners that they can use cannabis in the form of a CBD topical lotion they think I’m joking or they become suspicious.Before the dispensaries (Nevada) opened in my state I never dreamed of smoking CBD flower. Now I’m able to purchase high percentage CBD flower and smoke it by itself or mix it with my other cannabis. Smoking CBD flower is one of my favorite way to manage pain after training and racing.”

As the Vegas 420 Runner, Deuvall Dorsey continues to both inspire and educate runners about the use of CBD for pain management and muscle recovery.

Although cannabis is forbidden from the World Anti-Doping Agency, athletes are more open to using cannabis and CBD products for pain relief, mental focus, and stamina for sports and post workouts as an all natural alternative medicine. There are many benefits of using CBD products without the “high” effect of THC from using bath bombs to salve to rub over your joints. It is super effective to use topical have a relaxing outcome to the muscles after a gruesome workout without the high effects.

High quality Cannabis and CBD products are available for athletes to consume with high quality cannabis and CBD chocolates and drinking a refreshing CBD infused beverages. Without a doubt consuming cannabis and CBD products is another way for users to be able to receive the medical benefits aside from the conventional ways of either vaping or taking cannabis and CBD drops with tinctures. There are endless possibilities of cannabis and CBD infused food and drink products from cannabis and CBD coffee and Hemp seeds for smoothies. There are now CBD post workout too from HiFi Supplements with BCAAs for athletes.

The chemical properties of cannabis have the ability to get individuals off of taking harmful prescription painkillers that lead to harder drug use, because cannabis alleviates chronic pain in its healing properties. Many doctors and proponents of holistic and all-natural medicine trust in the therapeutic component of cannabis as an alternative medicine to alleviate medical conditions, such as nausea, PTSD, anxiety, depression, glaucoma, lack of appetite, cancer, and chronic pain. Alcohol and prescription drug use decreased in medically legalized states. More research needs to be done to understand how cannabis relieves patients suffering from chronic pain. Cannabis is not physically addictive; which doctors should be more open to prescribing medical cannabis as an alternative treatment.

The movement of medical cannabis legalization is spreading quickly as more people are advocating for cannabis as awareness of the movement gains worldwide attention. Cannabis should be removed from the banned list of substances with the Anti-Doping Agency. The list of how medical cannabis assists athletes suffering from unbearable medical conditions continues to grows everyday as scientists slowly receive the funding to conduct these experiments. Our perception of cannabis has been skewed thanks to the government’s implementation of anti drug policies. In the end, in this current age the shift of the conversation about cannabis is beginning to change as more people are accepting the medical benefits of cannabis. In the end, cannabis should be no longer demonized and used to benefit the sports community for pain management as a safer alternative.