Weed workouts and cannabis-enhanced recovery products have come into vogue among pro football players, bodybuilders, Major League Baseball players, mixed martial artists, and endurance athletes-as well as some of their coaches, many of whom are helping promote the efficacy of cannabis through word of mouth. Overturning decades of stigmatization of pot as a gateway drug that ineluctably leads to the abuse of more dangerous Schedule I substances like methamphetamine and heroin, this new wave of sports-world acceptance puts cannabis forward as a “biohack.” That is, a plant-based alternative to opioid pain-relief drugs such as codeine or Ox圜ontin that has the added benefit of unlocking the mind’s potential to boost physical output.įurthermore, so-called canna-athletics is no longer the exclusive domain of chill bros like surfers and ski bums. In an era when 28 states and the District of Columbia have adopted laws making marijuana medically or recreationally legal, and a recent Gallup poll indicates 60% of Americans support pot legalization, an increasing number of elite athletes are stepping forward to proclaim their cannabis advocacy in ways that would have been unthinkable just a generation ago.
These days Collins is hardly the only athlete decimating the stereotype of cannabis users as lazy, chip-chomping stoners.
They calm down your legs and, because they’re anti-inflammatory, let them recover faster.” Legions of budding weed and sports fans “That’s when the CBD compounds help tremendously. “After a 30- to 40-mile run, I’ll sit down, and my legs will keep throbbing and pounding it’s like they think they’re still supposed to be going,” says the Steamboat Springs, CO–based runner, who’s sponsored by Roll-uh-Bowl bongs, Mary’s Medicinals, and Incredibles, a line of pot-infused chocolates. But like a growing number of long-distance runners who’ve started using cannabis in their pursuit of mental stamina, increased focus, and pain relief, Collins is upfront about the benefits of weed workouts–particularly when it comes to the pot extract cannabidiol (CBD), which he uses via transdermal patches and Ben Gay-like gels to bounce back from sports-sustained wear and tear. The 24-year-old upstart, who set course records at the Colorado 200 Mile Endurance Run & Relay and the Cloudsplitter 100 and who’s won or placed at similar events across North America, is quick to point out that he avoids consuming pot during competitions-cannabinoids are, after all, banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Typically, I prefer it on a shorter run-10 to 15 miles-because it’s going to wear off a lot faster.” “As far as smoking goes, it’s a clearer high. “Edibles, for me, provide a much deeper high-everything is much more natural and flowing-and it makes the run much more spiritual,” says Collins. Pounding along Rocky Mountain trails for 10 to 45 miles daily in preparation for such grueling, high-altitude, multi-day events as the Ouray 100 Mile Endurance Run and Fat Dog 120, pro ultramarathoner Avery Collins faces certain practical decisions before lacing up his sneakers, like: Should he smoke marijuana through his vape pen or consume a cannabis-infused chocolate bar?