As the world celebrates another unofficial holiday for April 20th, thousands of people turn to weed to relax and disengage with the stress that happens in their daily lives. The day has become known to encourage smoking weed over the years to the point where it’s basically a national marijuana day in the United States. As pot legalization becomes more and more widespread in the country, so is combining smoking weed and playing sports. In fact some professional athletes are predicting that at least eighty-five percent of their industry is dabbling with weed for their own personal reasons.

For many athletes who are serious about their sport, smoking weed provides a range of recovery and mental focus benefits. College sportsmen to professional superstars are turning to the drug and are either touting its benefits to the press or are doing it under the radar. Many sports administrations still strictly prohibit the use of any kinds of performance enhancing drugs, mind altering drugs, and supplements that interfere with the ethics code. Let’s look at what benefits make smoking weed and playing sports worth the risk to take. Not everyone knows what pros and cons weed brings to our mind and bodies!

Smoking weed comes with pros and cons.

Benefits Of Smoking Weed

Athletes who are smoking weed and playing sports are benefiting from a multitude of mental and physical benefits. For example, smoking weed helps athletes heal their hurting joints and inflamed areas of the body. During each practice that includes intense cardio or weight lifting circuits, athlete’s muscles are literally broken down and need a day or two to rebuild. Without ample rest, athletes won’t see as much muscle regeneration and will experience slower progress. With weed, athletes can get past the usual “day after” soreness and get back to practice feeling better than before.

Athletes who are born with autoimmune conditions like Crohn’s disease, lupus, or experience mental disorders like PTSD or depression benefit from smoking weed. In controlled amounts, weed helps athletes to calm their mind and cage their “monkey brain” so they feel at peace. It also helps them deal with physical symptoms of pain, headaches, and muscle spasms that come with their health issues. Some people have even found that their muscles spasms decreased during important games and practices after implementing the drug. Spasms are very common among athletes who are exerting force on their hands and arms during daily practices. Since it’s a bold statement to claim that cannabis cures these disorders, thousands of patients are showing tested signs of improved symptoms and a healthier well-being after safely incorporating cannabis. These benefits make a few weeks to a few months of consistent to arise, but the evidence speaks for itself!

Cons Of Smoking Weed And Playing Sports

Cannabis has its own range of cons along with its benefits. People may react differently to doses of THC, so there’s always a risk of oversleeping, unproductivity, and increased hunger after smoking it. Smoking weed induces intense sleep in most people, so if an athlete has an important game or practice early the next day doing so may not be a smart idea. There’s always cases of individuals accidentally sleeping in or showing up late to an important event, which leads to potential drug testing and raise eyebrows at least. And while controlled amounts of smoking weed provide a mental clarity for athletes, too much could cause the opposite effect. We’ve all seen the classic look of “stoners” who are stuck on the couch and can’t seem to do anything after smoking enough of the drug. Someone who is new to smoking weed or takes too much for their body will feel symptoms of lethargy, insomnia, extreme hunger, and heightened senses that make time completely fly by.

Additionally, there’s still many limitations to smoking weed that users need to be aware of to prevent legal trouble. Even in states like Colorado where weed is legal, the penalty for being cited or arrested for a marijuana law includes monetary fines to even jail time. It all depends what rules were broken and how severe the situation was regarding smoking weed. People are also still barred from smoking weed in public and must do so within their private residences. Anyone who is caught smoking weed on public property is at risk to complaints filed by their peers, nearby police catching on, and a damaged reputation by the community law enforcement overall.

Smoking Weed In The Future

The dynamic for smoking weed and playing sports is completely different today than even a few years ago. With marijuana now legalized for recreational use in nine states in the country and legalized in over twenty-nine states for medicinal needs, there’s no doubt that more athletes will be allowed to smoke it without penalty in the near future. With the mental and physical benefits that the drug brings for athletic performance, there’s no doubt that more players will tap into using it for themselves. Increasing the general discussion of smoking weed in sports is a must to make this effect happen.

If you are an athlete or someone who lives an active lifestyle, you may want to look into the effects of THC or CBD yourself. CBD is a derivative of the cannabis plant that contains no THC, but still provides the same mental clarity and improvements for physical. Above all, make sure you’re aware of the risks that come with the substance abuse regard weed and the health risks associated with pre-existing disorders. If you’re someone who has a heart issue, asthma, or another history of disease that poses a risk, consult a doctor before smoking weed on a consistent basis. It’s better to be safe than sorry!