In recent years, there has been a tremendous change in the way people view marijuana. Now a lot of science endeavors prove that there are various medicinal and healthy uses for marijuana, which was once considered a dangerous drug.

Recently, endurance athletes are now proving that the long-believed stereotype of lazy marijuana couch potatoes feasting on junk food is totally absurd.

The combination of athletics and marijuana is now a hidden trend in today’s running culture. Athletes use it as a means to boost their run as it makes the longevity of their high last for longer periods.

From time immemorial, people believed that the ‘runner’s high’ was due to the release of endorphins but this is not totally true.

Although the brain releases its own kinds of opioid chemicals during exercises, it also releases some endogenous cannabinoids and our body has embedded an endocannabinoid system of receptors.

Is marijuana truly a booster to the performance of athletes? There is still not a clear answer to that question. But many athletes believe it is.

It is not only runners who can benefit from the use of marijuana. Jiu-Jitsu practitioners and other martial arts athletes along with bodybuilders and those who train by lifting weights have found that marijuana is beneficial for them. They usually prefer sativa dominant strains like Silver haze that boosts their focus and energy before they begin their training. Working out while being high is one of the most underappreciated and least talked about pleasures one can gain from training.

There are some kinds of cannabis that reduces chronic pain, depression and other holdups to exercise thus leading people to a fitter and healthier lifestyle. Now there is greater evidence to prove that some kinds of marijuana can act as analgesic, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective agents which will help athletes recover faster.

It doesn’t matter whether you take cannabis through smoking, edibles or vapes. The cannabinoids are chemical compounds that regulate memory, pain, appetite and emotions when combined with the receptors in the body and the brain. The compound that brings about a calm, peaceful feeling is cannabidiol (CBD) which is non-psychoactive.

Also, it has been proved that marijuana can increase tissue oxygenation, increase concentration and reduce muscle spasms during, before and after an athletic event.

Currently, the World Anti-Doping Association has a ban on competing while being high. The WADA cites some studies that show that marijuana can reduce anxiety and act as a bronchodilator by increasing airflow to the lungs which will make athletes breath better.  This could mean that the WADA is considering marijuana as doping. This is quite exciting to ponder as they think that marijuana improves the performance of athletes.

People are now starting to see that cannabis can become part of the lifestyle of athletes.

There is not much research available to show how marijuana affects performance so it is very difficult for researchers in the field to study its effects.