Research Finds Use Of Marijuana Gaining Growing Acceptance In Sports

The use of marijuana has gained growing acceptance in sports but more needs to be done to fully understand its effects for athletes, according to new research reported by Marijuana Moment.

The study was funded in part by a grant from the National Football League’s Pain Management Committee.  It was conducted by authors at the University of Saskatchewan and University of Regina, in Canada and was published recently in the journal Sports Medicine.

It comes as major sports leagues and governing bodies have been relaxing their cannabis policies, including the National Basketball Association removing marijuana from its banned substances list and allowing players to invest in cannabis companies.

Major League Baseball took marijuana off its banned substances list in 2019 and some baseball teams have since partnered with CBD companies. The National Collegiate Athletic Association has voted to remove marijuana from its banned substances list for Division I players.

The authors of the study note the need for further information on the impact of therapeutic cannabis for athletes interested in using it.

“Due to prohibition, we currently have a generation of healthcare providers with minimal understanding of a substance that is increasingly available for both therapeutic and recreational purposes,” the 27-report says. “This knowledge gap needs to be addressed. Restrictive policies and over-regulation have hampered an opportunity for Canada and the USA to be global leaders in cannabinoid research.”    The authors added, ““Education is a proven harm reduction strategy. While efforts are made to provide information to the public on potential harms of cannabinoid products, equal efforts should be made to research and understand their potential benefits.”

The NFL has funded a separate study into how cannabinoids might be used for pain management and concussion protection as well as a clinical trial to determine whether cannabinoids could be an alternative to opioids in post-concussion syndrome athletes.  Under current NFL rules, players are required to undergo an annual marijuana test at the start of training camp.

The newest study notes that the potential therapeutic value of cannabis for athletes should be balanced by understanding of the potential risks.

“Misinformation, stigma, and barriers to research continue to perpetuate the confusion of the public regarding the potential therapeutic use of cannabinoids,” the report says, while adding, “A focus primarily on negative messaging does not align with the anecdotal positive experiences of a growing number of people using cannabis products and contributes to a lack of trust in health policymakers.”

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