Why the cannabis industry needs athletes

Pushing the human body to the absolute extreme sounds crazy, but that’s the job of an athlete. Athletes push their bodies to the limit for peak performance. We see them perform in various sports like baseball, football and soccer all year round and these are only seasonal. The Olympic Games have become a global event for fitness and strength for over 500 years, and we are in awe of their amazing talent. But rest and recovery are essential to the life of an athlete. With cannabis gaining acceptance in health and wellness, many athletes have been drawn to CBD/THC in their recovery. And that could be great for global cannabis legalization. The cannabis industry needs athletes now more than ever.

How do CBD/THC products help athletes during training and recovery?

Because athletes subject their bodies to an overwhelming amount of stress, the body often suffers from muscle fatigue. CBD is an inflammatory agent that helps heal these muscles. “CBD may offer benefits by helping to combat this stress, which may support athletic recovery,” says Andie Scherer, Nutrition Content Specialist at Theralogix. “Some individuals also take CBD to support healthy sleep patterns, which is essential for optimal athletic performance, especially during periods of intense exercise.” Research shows that CBD-inactive people’s use is primarily for anxiety, stress, and sleep .

Why are CBD products for athletes important to the cannabis industry?

Athletes, like celebrities, have fame. Her status in the media has influenced people for generations regarding healthy lifestyle and nutritional supplements. If athletes can provide a great example of how to lead a holistic lifestyle while incorporating CBD into their regime, it will demonstrate the positive and powerful benefits of cannabis.

Although cannabis is known for helping athletes recover, there is still speculation about the acceptance of cannabis in sports. Sports organizations and leagues vary in thresholds and penalties for athletes found to have CBD/THC in their systems. Even Olympic athletes get penalized for weed. Michael Phelps lost sponsorship deals after seeing a photo of him smoking a bong, and more recently the ban Sha’Carri Richardson received from the competition after testing positive for THC.

Cannabis is still not licensed federally as social acceptance grows. Athletes can normalize the use of CBD. “From an industry perspective, this type of representation is critical to the mainstream media and public,” says Ally Hilbert of Elevate Holistics — a telehealth platform focused on medical marijuana cards. “There are still a lot of misconceptions about CBD right now, but seeing how your favorite athlete can help their muscles recover or overcome performance anxiety with a little bit of CBD may change some minds.”

How can athletes encourage more people to use CBD in their wellness regimen?

When it comes to instant messaging, social media is king. Today, more than ever, people are getting their news through apps or social media platforms like Instagram or Twitter, giving athletes an instant platform. The more athletes and celebrities document their everyday life and the products they use; the more companies want to enter this gold mine. Research shows that marketers now know how to effectively plan and implement ads across social media platforms. With more athletes promoting holistic wellness and the use of CBD, more cannabis companies can promote their products. First-person stories from athletes will help normalize cannabis use and help the masses see it for its positive potential, rather than its rocky past.

Athletes and other celebrities can help shape the conversation about cannabis in ways the industry might not have imagined. However, the combination of media and athletes could not only shape the face of wellness, but shape the path of cannabis forever.