Why marijuana should not be banned for athletes

The USA Track & Field (USATF) confirmed on Tuesday that the Olympic hopeful Sha’Carri Richardson will not compete in Tokyo after testing positive for THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. Since the 30-day suspension of the Breakout Sprinter was announced on Friday, celebrities and lawmakers, including US Congressman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, have come to her defense to give the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) a stance of designating marijuana. Calling for reassessment as a banned substance, and for USATF to compete with Richardson.

WADA, which sets anti-doping guidelines for sports organizations around the world, bans substances that can improve performance, pose risks to athletes, or “violate the spirit of sports.”

CU Boulder Today asked Angela Bryan, a professor of psychology and neuroscience who studies the risks and benefits of cannabis, what science says about the relationship between weeds and sports.

There is little research on this topic, many of which date back to the 70’s. Available data suggests The cannabis does not improve performance in terms of speed, power, or strength. In one study, researchers asked cyclists whether to use cannabis and evaluated their bike performance. They saw both speed and power, and both diminished in cannabis. Others show little or no difference in performance.

Note: These studies were conducted using less potent products provided for research by the National Institute of Substance Abuse (NIDA) and reflect what athletes are actually using these days. Further research is needed as it may not have been done. There is no evidence that using it a few days before the competition will affect performance after a few days.

A significant number of people use cannabis before and after exercise. why?

In one study we 8 out of 10 marijuana users In states where cannabis is legally used, cannabis is used immediately before or after exercise. What we know is that it can help recovery as well as Advil and Tylenol. People report using it to help with post-exercise pain, muscle aches and inflammation. Also, some endurance athletes, including Ultra Runner, use cannabis just before physical activity to make their 3-hour run or 4-hour bike ride more comfortable and comfortable.

To learn more about this, next month we’ll start a study that takes people to the lab and runs them on a treadmill. Once under the influence of cannabis, once not under the influence. We evaluate their pain experience, their perception of the passage of time, and their emotions during exercise, or how good they feel.

WADA also bans substances that are a “health risk for athletes.” Is THC a health risk?

To some extent at this point, it is certain that powerful THC products are not suitable for the developing brain of young adolescents, or for people with a family or personal history of psychosis.To Use of cannabis.. Oral recall also has some acute effects, but they are not persistent.

Other than that, there is little convincing evidence of acute or long-term Health risk There is certainly no close risk of using cannabis and alcohol that is not on the banned list. Many people die from alcoholism each year, but that doesn’t happen with cannabis.

Does Richardson say he was using it to deal with his mother’s death? Does THC help with mental health issues?

Depression, anxiety, sleep, and pain are four major reasons adults self-report cannabis for medicinal purposes. Many report that cannabis helps address mental health crises. We are still learning about this and some research is underway in our lab. What I know of this: We wouldn’t have had this conversation if she had a few glasses of beer or wine to deal with her mother’s death.

In your opinion, based on science, does THC need to remain banned against elite athletes?

Given that THC has no compelling evidence to improve performance and is legal across the country, including the majority of US states and Canada, it should not be included as an elite athlete or other type of banned substance. think. athlete so. That said, I never support Olympic athletes taking cannabis just before the competition. My view is that athletes who use cannabis during downtime, either as entertainment or as an aid to recovery, should not oppose them from a competitive perspective.