Cannabis As The New Sports Medicine

The world of sports is never-ending, even though athletic seasons come and go. Each day, around the globe, there is a basketball team practicing their three-pointers. Football prospects work tirelessly in the weight room. Friends meet up to play soccer or train for their first marathon. It doesn't matter if you are a professional athlete or a die-hard sports fan looking for a championship season. There is something that speaks to everyone: physical excellence, team dynamics, and the thrill of competing.

Another Universal truth in the world of athletics and sports is injuries.

It doesn't matter if you will experience an injury. It's about when. A good plan of recovery is essential in the event of an injury. Professional and amateur athletes need to be able to get back on their feet as quickly and effectively as possible. There is a greater awareness about the dangers of competition and the long-term effects of concussions and damaged nervous systems, bone injury, arthritis, and torn muscles tissues. Cannabis has emerged as new sports medicine, offering an alternative for athletes at all levels of competition.

Cannabis has been a new sports medicine that has offered an alternative for athletes at all levels of competition. A timeless medicine for modern professionals

In July 2017, the National Football League (NFL) made headlines when they showed their interest in studying marijuana and exercise--and in particular, the potential use of cannabis as a pain management treatment for its players. After the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) had completed its own independent research on cannabis-related issues, the announcement was made.

Former players are calling for the NFL to revise their marijuana policy. This is the reason that cannabis has been taken seriously as a sports medicine. These former NFL players have turned to cannabis for the relief of long-lasting pain caused by injuries sustained playing professional collision sports. Ricky Williams is a former NFL running back who has been a cannabis advocate. He is one of the most vocal members of the pro-cannabis NFL retirees. "I knew and felt the ways that cannabis was helping me and improving my well-being in so many ways - physically, emotionally, psychologically, spiritually, and creatively," Williams has said.

For athletes suffering from pain that hasn't subsided, the alternative to cannabis treatment is an option. Prescription opioids are the most popular treatment option for pain management in athletic sports. Opioid-based pain medications are not effective for chronic, long-lasting pain. They also carry long-term risks such as addiction, withdrawal, worsening of pain, and death. In a study commissioned by ESPN, one of the key findings revealed that 52% of retired players used prescription pain medications during their careers, with 71% of those players admitting they had misused the drugs during their playing days.

Opioid-based medicines have been ineffective for chronic, long-lasting pain. They also carry long-term risks such as withdrawal, addiction, worsening pain, and death. "This pain is not going away." My body is damaged," said Eugene Monroe, formerly of the Baltimore Ravens. Monroe has found relief from his pain using cannabis. "I must manage it somehow. I was slowly dying from it by taking pills. I am now able to function and work extremely efficiently because I have learned how to use various cannabis formulations.

Commissioners of some of the most prominent professional sports leagues are considering cannabis as a long-term option for their players' well-being.

What Does Marijuana Do To Athletes?

Professional athletes are not the only ones looking for more efficient and safer recovery methods. These types of treatments are available to anyone who is an athlete or has an active lifestyle. No matter what type of activity you are involved in, cannabis can help you recover from and protect yourself against a wide range of injuries.

There are many injuries that can be treated using cannabis. They range in severity depending on the sport and athlete. The most common are:

• Muscles that are swollen or sore
• Fractures
• Dislocated joints
• Headaches
• Anxiety
• Repetitive head trauma

The compounds found in cannabis are called "phytocannabinoids," which are very similar to the compounds that the human body produces. These receptors help to establish and maintain balance. When stimulated by cannabinoids in cannabis, these same receptors can be used to treat a variety of ailments and injuries. These are the most popular medicinal benefits of cannabis:

• Inflammation is reduced
• Pain relief
• Brain trauma/neuroprotection
• Wound and bone healing
• Anxiety management
• Rehabilitation and recovery

THC, a toxic phytocannabinoid that is intoxicating, has been shown to be an effective anti-inflammatory. It has been proven to have 20x the anti-inflammatory power of aspirin, and twice the effect of the steroid Hydrocortisone.

Williams' personal history of replacing pharmaceuticals with cannabis is backed by research that finds Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), an intoxicating phytocannabinoid, to be a potent anti-inflammatory, documented to have 20 times the anti-inflammatory power of aspirin and twice that of the steroid hydrocortisone. These anti-inflammatory properties may have serious consequences for muscle recovery. Cannabidiol, the second most important cannabinoid found in cannabis flowers, is not intoxicating. It has many medicinal benefits including neuroprotective, anticonvulsant, antioxidant, and anti-anxiety. Combining CBD and THC can provide greater benefits.

Are Athletes At Risk From Smoking Marijuana?

Although there are many benefits of marijuana for athletes, it is not clear if smoking marijuana is the best choice for your health. Some athletes find that smoking weed and exercising works well. Although more research is needed to determine the link between marijuana and athletic performance and performance, many athletes believe that smoking marijuana before and after exercising can improve their performance. Other athletes also claim that they smoke weed to recover from training. But smoking weed and playing sports isn't the right fit for every athlete--particularly if they have breathing issues or an adverse reaction to smoking. If you don't want to smoke weed as a professional, there are other options.

While it may take some time to implement policy changes that allow cannabis treatment in professional leagues, amateur athletes who live in legal cannabis states can still make use of cannabis therapies today. Active adults and athletes can incorporate cannabis products into their training routines and recovery therapies to improve their long-term health. Many products use both THC or CBD in different forms. CBD-based products have opened the doors to athletes who wish to avoid the psychoactive effects of THC. These are the most popular CBD-only products:

• CBD water
• Topicals
• Tinctures
• Capsules
• Transdermal patches
• Sublingual sprays

These products make it easy to use the various compounds in cannabis for a non-invasive, effective recovery. Cannabis helps you to heal faster, last longer, and relieve sore muscles after a long-running. Visit our website today to expiernace some of your own!