Cannabis can be beneficial to one’s physical and mental health. Its calming and healing properties are responsible for this. As previously mentioned, there are benefits of incorporating cannabis into your exercise routine. In recent news, American athlete Sha’Carri Richardson tested positive for marijuana. Due to regulations, this caused her to receive a suspension and disqualified her results from the Olympic trials. Richardson had won the women’s 100 meters in 10.86 seconds at the U.S. Olympic track and field in Oregon. Her suspension will cause her to miss the Tokyo Olympics this year. There are many athletes who advocate for cannabis and new regulations. Additionally, any of them are professionals who strongly believe cannabis should not be banned. Here are a few of them.
Liz Carmouche
Liz Carmouche, aka “Girl-illa”, is an American mixed martial arts fighter. She currently competes in Bellator MMA. Carmouche competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship in the Women’s Flyweight and Women’s Bantamweight divisions. Additionally, she is credited to be the first openly gay female to compete inside the cage. Carmouche uses CBD to recover and heal. She shared with “Cannabis Aficionado” that CBD oil is her saving grace during intense practices. She applies topicals and salves immediately after working out to relieve pain and inflammation. She’s currently partnered with the hemp oil company, HempMeds.
Ricky Williams
Ricky Williams is an American former football running back. He played 11 seasons in the NFL and 1 season in the Canadian football league. Additionally, he played four years of minor league baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies. Williams suffered suspension multiple times during his NFL career for his use of cannabis. He has always spoken up about the benefits and effects of the plant. After leaving the NFL, Williams studied herbalism and holistic therapies. Eventually, he founded Real Wellness by Ricky Williams. It’s a new line of cannabis-based products that also feature herbal extracts like lavender and turmeric.
Amy Van Dyken
Amy Van Dyken is an American former competitive swimmer. Additionally, she’s a six-time swimming Olympic swimmer and former world record holder. This amazing athlete suffered an ATV accident in 2014, which left her paralyzed from the waist down. During her recovery, Van Dyke used CBD. She credits hemp for being able to manage neuropathic pain and live a normal life. Additionally, the Olympic gold medalist partnered with Kannaway, a hemp lifestyle network. This athlete advocates for cannabis and spreads awareness of the benefits of CBD.
Nick Diaz
Nick Diaz is an American mixed martial artist. Since the beginning of his career in 2001, Diaz has competed in UFC, PRIDE, Strikeforce, EliteXC, World Extreme Cagefighting, DREAM, and Shooto. He is a former welterweight champion in Strikeforce, WEC, and IFC. Diaz was never shy about his fondness of cannabis and eventually tested positive. This caused the Nevada Athletic Commission to give Diaz a 5-year suspension. There was a public outcry. Especially since Diaz’s opponent, Anderson Silva, was only suspended for one year for a positive steroid test. Eventually, the NAC reduced Diaz’s suspension to 18 months. Regardless, Diaz continued to advocate for cannabis.
Ronda Rousey
Ronda Rousey is an American professional wrestler and retired martial artist. She is best known for her time in UFC and short period as a WWE wrestler. It’s not known whether Rousey is a cannabis user herself. Regardless, she holds strong opinions on whether cannabis should be banned. Immediately after the suspension of Nick Diaz, she weighed in on the matter in a conference press. She stated that it was not right for Diaz to receive a suspension. Rousey also explained that she was against testing for weed because it was not a performance enhancer.
Kyle Kingsbury
Diaz and Rousey aren’t the only MMA fighter athletes who advocate for weed. Kyle Kingsbury has also spoken out about the benefits of using marijuana. Kingsbury explains that using it helps him sleep. Additionally, it helps with reducing muscle pain. He also has partnered with 420 games.
Eugene Monroe
Eugene Monroe is a former American football offensive tackle. He played 7 seasons in the National Football League. In March 2016, Monroe became the first active NFL player to openly advocate for cannabis. In a New York Times piece, Monroe called on the NFL and its commissioner Roger Goodell. He requested they stop the testing of marijuana on players. Monroe advised the use of cannabis instead of opioids. Prescription of opioids is common if an athlete becomes injured. He believes cannabis is much safer. Eventually, Monroe retired in June 2016 to focus on his family and health. He continues to raise awareness about the medicinal benefits of cannabis.
