Cannabis & Concussions: Pro Sports & Personal Experience
by MADELINE FERGUSON
Recently, reports surfaced that the NBA will continue the policy of not testing players for cannabis. This policy is unlike many other pro-sports leagues, but why? It is widely known that cannabis is not a performance enhancer.
In addition, athletes (from any sport) are at a much greater risk for concussion than any other profession and cannabis has been shown, both anecdotally and by research, to help folks recover from head injuries.
Many of the potential issues that come from concussions are not well studied and it seems we learn more and more about the effects every year.
A concussion is inflammation of the brain and fluid surrounding the brain and we know consumption of cannabis helps to reduce inflammation in the body. That is one of the reasons cannabis is so powerful when it comes to pain relief.
“Preliminary research shows that cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) act like antioxidants in the brain, reducing oxidative damage as well as or better than other antioxidants in the body’s chemical system. In addition, CBD and THC protect the brain against glutamate toxicity damage,” reads research from the New York Academy of Science.
Common symptoms of a concussion and post-concussion syndrome include dizziness, being overly emotional, nausea, vomiting, memory impairment and many other awful effects.
Symptoms can last years, even if the severity goes down over time. Concussions have affected people for their entire life causing memory loss and even mental health problems. Currently, there is no real treatment for concussion, it is variable from person to person and mostly revolves around treating specific symptoms.
Speaking from personal experience, recovering from concussions is one of the hardest battles I have faced. I had two concussions within six months of each other and years later I am still struggling with panic and anxiety that doctors assume is related to the head injury and cannabis has helped so much.
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Along with the mental health problems, I also suffer from migraines, a pain that can also be relieved by cannabis. The weeks after a concussion, sleep feels nearly impossible to many people, cannabis can help here too because the most powerful treatment for head injury is rest.
If you try using cannabis to alleviate symptoms of post-concussion syndrome, doctors recommend edibles over smoking because smoking or vaping reduces oxygen levels in the brain and in order to heal your brain, you need adequate levels of oxygen.
This is yet another example of our society needing to catch up and open up to the healing powers of medicinal cannabis, not only for professional athletes but for the general public.
If we can help those suffering from brain injury, why wouldn’t we? We see plenty of former athletes in the news suffering from life-long problems due to head injuries. .
Spending some time on a trip and in (or out) of your own head, whichever you prefer can have powerful effects that can last years.
Microdosing To Manage Burnout
Microdosing is another term that has entered the mainstream vocabulary as of late. The process of microdosing involves taking a very small dose of a psychedelic, such a small dose that you don’t really feel it and don’t end up tripping.
Rick Doblin, founder and executive director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, says it’s enough “to feel a little bit of energy lift, a little bit of insight, but not so much that you’re tripping.”
People who swear by microdosing say it provides a boost in energy, creativity and mood. It seems pretty obvious that this trend could help with burnout by providing some invigoration to your daily routine.
Psychedelics could help the most vulnerable people in our populations like doctors and therapists solve or manage their burnout so that they can continue their work in keeping the rest of us healthy.
And while the research is limited, it is promising and calls for more access and studies to be done.
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