Martial Artist Guide to Using Cannabis, PART 1: How can cannabis help benefit the MMA Community?
In the wake of recent headlines in the MMA community, there has been controversy pertaining to Nate Diaz’s post-fight cannabis use. After a 25-minute war with Conor McGregor at UFC 202, a visibly damaged Diaz was seen puffing a vape pen containing what he said was CBD oil, a non-psychoactive compound found in the hemp and marijuana plants. When asked about it, he clearly stated that it was CBD oil, and that it helps with the healing process and inflammation.
This brings up a valid and important topic of discussion: Can medicinal cannabis help combat athletes, and should it be allowed? To answer that question, we must acknowledge that combat athletes and martial arts practitioners often are prone to sustaining bodily harm due to training and combat. These injuries can range from simple bruising and inflammation to moderate to severe muscle tears, bone breaks, and more often than not, brain trauma.
I’d like to gear the focus of this blog post towards the issue of cannabinoids being beneficial for combat athletes and why that is, what role can cannabis play in preventing, treating, and recovering from injury.
What exactly is happening when cannabis is used prior to or after training and fighting, and how does it actually interact with the body to cause such effects? Cannabinoids (compounds found in the body and in cannabis) act upon the body system known as the endocannabinoid system. This system is a network of receptors known as the CB1 and CB2 receptors, which are respectively found in the brain and body. The system’s main function is creating and maintaining regularity and homeostasis of other body systems, functions, and levels. The main two cannabinoids known in marijuana are THC and CBD, and the list of beneficial effects that these compounds are known to possess is quite extensive. But what effects do these compounds have that could aid a combat athlete?
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the most psychoactive compound in marijuana, and is known to express effects for pain relief, antispasmodic and anti-seizure, to name a few. These effects can be very helpful to someone that trains in martial arts and is often susceptible to painful injuries and muscle spasms. It is a safer pain relieving alternative to commonly prescribed opiates, but is tested for by many employers and athletic commissions. Many athletes fail drug test due to this compound and it is most associated with getting high.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is the non-psychoactive compound most commonly found in hemp and marijuana. It has been hailed as the single most medicinally versatile cannabinoid in the cannabis plant. CBD is legal in all 50 states as a derivative from hemp, and is not commonly tested for by employers and athletic commissions. The effects it is known to express are neuroprotection, pain relief, anti-inflammation, nausea suppression, bone growth promotion, and and muscle spasm suppression. These effects speak for themselves.
As it stands, cannabis is as still federally illegal in the United State. It is also classified as a Schedule 1 narcotic, meaning it is “highly addictive and has no medicinal value”, grouping it in with other drugs such as heroin and LSD. Historically, the federal government has treated patients using marijuana via their Compassionate IND program. They also hold a patent on cannabinoids, claiming them as antioxidants and neuroprotectants (brain structure and function), ironically supporting their medicinal value.
On the state level, cannabis is legal in 25 states and Washington D.C. This includes medical and recreational in some cases, with accompanying decriminalization laws with transition patterns. Regardless of what the laws say, it is still prohibited for use in competition, and tested for before and after competition in professional MMA, and fighters who violate these rules and regulations are subject to penalties including suspensions, termination and fines.
In the case of Nate Diaz, he knowingly and openly vaped a CBD-rich oil after competition, during interviews, and during the press conference. The media speculated with headlines that he was using cannabis as if it were THC, painting a picture that he was breaking competition rules, and possibly the law. In his own specific case, USADA (United States Anti Doping Agency) is reviewing his use of the vape, and the current regulation for CBD and cannabinoids limits intake to 6 hours before or 6 hours after competition. Whether or not he will be punished remains to be seen. It’s interesting to note that while he holds a valid medical marijuana license in the state of California, the fight took place in Las Vegas, Nevada, which does not uphold his state issued license.
Though he is one of the most recent and notable cases of cannabis use in MMA/UFC, he certainly isn’t the first or last. Many fighters have been caught using cannabis in the past, and there have been many who have avoided getting caught. Fighters use cannabis outside of competition to aid them during training and help them to recover during the training camp. Joe Rogan spoke openly on his podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience”, stating that the majority of fighters and martial artists use cannabis regularly.
“A tremendous amount of UFC fighters smoke pot. I mean, a massive amount where it’s a huge issue with them passing drug tests, you know, where they have to stop smoking weed for the last four weeks or so in order to pass drug tests. More UFC fighters smoke pot than don’t smoke pot.”
This was also backed up by the UFC president Dana White in an interview with 5thround.com, stating himself that more than 80 percent of the UFC was using cannabis at that time, a figure that has been consistently accurate throughout the history of the modern promotion of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. During the interview, he stated:
“Everybody thinks that if you did this random testing, you’d catch so many guys on PEDs. No, you’d catch more of the guys on marijuana. That’s where you’d really bust a lot of guys. So [we’ve got] 475 guys under contract and 400 of them would be out with marijuana [suspensions]. Forget about PEDs. If we get into this random testing you guys are talking about, you know how many guys would probably test positive for marijuana? It would probably be off the charts.”
Notable martial artists in support of marijuana, and who have spoken out about cannabis in the past include Jon Jones, Nick Diaz, Nate Diaz, Ronda Rousey, Joe Rogan, Brendan Schaub, Jon Fitch, Joe Warren, Eddie Bravo, Matt Riddle and Brandon Vera. Many others have spoken in favor of cannabis legalization in other venues, and voiced support of athletic commission regulation reform.
As athletes in a variety of sports rally in favor of more relaxed cannabis regulations in athletic commissions, football players also are coming together to form unions to challenge the current rules on cannabis in football leagues. This has created discussion about the use of cannabis for head injuries sustained during NFL players’ careers. It is estimated that nearly 50–70% of the players in the NFL are currently using or have previously used cannabis during their careers. Others have fallen into painkiller addiction, which are legally obtained. During another interview with ibttimes.com, Jamal Anderson told an interviewer that when he played for the Atlanta Falcons from 1994–2001, almost 50 percent of the league used cannabis:
“When I played, 40 to 50 percent of the league used it. It’s at least 60 percent now,” Anderson said. “That’s bare minimum. That’s because players today don’t believe in the stigma that older people associate with smoking it. To the younger guys in the league now, smoking weed is a normal thing, like having a beer. Plus, they know that smoking helps them with the concussions.”
Ricky Williams, a running back starring on multiple teams during his NFL run from 1999–2011, noted similar statistics in another interview with ibttimes.com. “Between 60% and 70% of NFL players smoke marijuana, including quarterbacks I played with, and some coaches,” Williams stated.
A recent episode of “Weediquette” on the VICE TV channel documented NFL players affected by brain trauma, and their use of cannabis to alleviate their symptoms. This has had me thinking heavily about the effects of cannabis for brain trauma and concussions. If anyone hasn’t yet seen this episode properly titled “Gridiron Ganja”, I highly recommend watching it, as it shows how much CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), a chronic neurological disorder caused by repeated trauma to the head, damages the brain, documented by the football players themselves.
What happens during a high velocity impact to the head? First, we need to examine the effects of a concussion, and assess the role cannabis may play in protecting and healing the brain. A concussion results from blunt force trauma to the head, causing the brain to quickly accelerate and slam into the cranial walls. The result can range from unconsciousness, loss of memory, brain bruising, hemorrhaging, or bleeding in severe cases. Additionally, symptoms of post-concussion syndrome include headaches, nausea, vomiting and, in extreme cases, seizures and death. People who suffer from these symptoms are far more likely to struggle with mental illness and behavioral issues, including depression, opiate pill addiction and suicidal ideations. If damage is suspected, an athlete can proceed with MRI and CT scans for imaging and brain mapping.
Boxers and MMA fighters, like other athletes, are highly susceptible to this type of trauma, both in training and in competition. With NFL football players increasingly advocating for safe cannabis use, it’s time that martial artists from all disciplines come together, recognizing that education is the prerequisite to regulation shifts.
This is a deeply important topic to me, because it deals with both of my passions on a personal level: cannabis and martial arts. This is why I am working to educate the combat sport community on the topic of cannabis. We need to show our communities how cannabis can be a beneficial tool for health and vitality, playing a key role in preventative healthcare. Cannabis has been found to aid in athlete recovery and CTE/brain trauma, otherwise known as becoming “punch drunk”.
To begin understanding just how vital a role cannabinoids can play in treating CTE, I began to look into the work of world-renowned chemist, godfather of cannabis science, and the man who found the THC molecule. Honorary Dr. Raphael Mechoulam has been long regarded as the man who brought the endocannabinoid system into the modern world.
Published in the Journal of Neuroscience on November 15, 2001, Mechoulam and his team conducted research on rats to see if the endocannabinoid system had any activity on the brain during trauma and impact. The study concluded that a natural endocannabinoid produced by the body, anandamide, appeared to protect the brain against acute neuronal injury. In simple terms, this means your body responds to the less severe brain trauma by releasing the chemical compound anandamide, creating a healing response within the brain upon trauma. Though research with human subjects has not yet been conducted, the study on rats is an important first step, and further suggests the effect of cannabinoids as neuroprotectants in humans.
With data and studies like this pointing to our bodies’ natural way of using cannabinoids, whether indigenous to the body like anandamide, or plant compounds like THC and CBD found in marijuana and hemp, the evidence is accumulating in favor of the beneficiary effects of cannabinoids for combat and contact sport athletes.
These vital natural components of cannabis plant family can greatly help to alleviate symptoms of concussions and brain trauma, as well as help with many other physical and mental aspects of the game itself, from training to fighting across the board. It’s safe to say that cannabis, in one way or another, could help these athletes to prolong symptom onset, and help manage the effects of brain trauma long after they stop getting their brains rattled in these high impact scenarios.
Incorporating cannabis into your supplement regimen could help you recover from bodily injury more quickly, as well as enhance your state of mind while training or competing. As always, you should follow the laws and regulations that apply to your state and local government. Be smart about using cannabis, and do your research before trying to self-medicate. If you do get a serious concussion of any kind, or have the symptoms of a serious injury, always seek the opinion of a trained medical professional before trying to treat it with cannabis alone.
Cannabis may not be a cure for everything, but it can greatly alleviate the symptoms of certain ailments. On many occasions, patients improve. If you are at no risk of repercussions from failed drug tests or prohibitory state laws, I highly suggest looking more into cannabis and how it could be right for you and your combat sport career/hobby.
