Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the flagship journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, recently released a study looking at cannabis habits and how it relates to physical activity. Surprise, they go together. Respondents stated using cannabis in conjunction with physical activity at least 1-time per week. Those polled reported using cannabis in 28 different physical activities, most commonly: hiking, running, resistance training, yoga, and cycling. Half of participants (51%) reported using cannabis within 1-hour of beginning PA, and 45% reported using most often within 1-hour after finishing PA. Only 4% of respondents reported using cannabis most often during PA. Almost half (47%) of participants that reported using cannabis products before PA were using the Cannabis Sativa strain, while 39% of respondents that reported using cannabis after PA used the Cannabis Indica strain. Common perceptions of the effects of cannabis use if used before PA included improved focus, “getting into the zone,” pain prevention, and increased pleasure. The most frequent reasons for using cannabis products after PA were to relax, aid in recovery, and stimulate appetite. The majority of participants (69%) reported feeling that cannabis products had a positive effect on their performance. Fewer respondents (29%) felt like there was no effect of cannabis on their performance and only 2% of respondents felt that cannabis use had a negative effect on their PA performance.
CONCLUSION: Findings from this study showed that cannabis is used before, during and after a wide variety of activities. Participants most often used Cannabis Sativa before PA and Cannabis Indica after PA. Almost all respondents felt that using cannabis products did not negatively affect their performance.