Cannabis And Sport Performance: There's Need For More Data As Legalizations Continue

As the world slowly adapts to the new normal, cannabis remains one of the hottest topics from a macroeconomic perspective, thanks to the sweeping wave of legalization across states. However, as a Schedule 1 restricted drug for most of its history, it has been extremely difficult for scientists to conduct any cannabis research, let alone collect enough data points to produce any meaningful data. 

Though there was some bit of legal leeway in the name of science and medicine in the 1990s, studies into the effects of cannabis in recreational and performance applications have remained scarce.

And even as the wave of legalization continues, data is still limited on many areas around the use of cannabis.

Cannabis has been illegal at the federal level since the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, thanks to President Nixon’s war on drugs during that era. However, California began the era of legalization by approving the medical use of cannabis in 1998, with several other states decriminalizing certain aspects of the drug from 2001.

In 2012, Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Since then, 17 states, Washington D.C., and several US territories have passed bills to legalize marijuana.

While still pending review in the US Senate, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act passed the US House of Representatives in December 2020.  This act was the first step to removing marijuana from the Schedule 1 list of the Controlled Substances Act and clearing any related history of criminal convictions.

Performance sports and a glaring lack of cannabis analytics

Athletic performance has offered researchers a wide range of topics for study. The vast number of ways that athletes mold their performance gives scientists a way to test one hypothesis in any number of different ways. 

From baseball to bodybuilding, athletes are constantly hoping for conclusive studies into the benefits of regular substances, including anything related to cannabis.  We have plenty of data on how certain activities stimulate muscles and the various systems of the human body, but few studies can provide conclusive evidence when it comes to cannabis and related supplements.

Part of this can be attributed to the fact that most studies involving supplements are unable to include large numbers of subjects due to cost. This analysis on creatine, for instance, found the supplement to be quite effective for strength-building, but without enough data, its use is often limited to enthusiasts. Market research costs money.  According to IBISWorld, the total estimated size of the market research industry is over $23 billion as of 2021, and a single study can cost up to $100,000, depending on a few factors.

The proprietary nature of many supplements would mean that studies would have to be funded by one product manufacturer, and findings would only apply to that single product.  This hardly makes commercial sense.

The same restriction applies to the realm of cannabis.  There are many different types of strains of cannabis with varying levels of THC.  While scientists have had access to supplements for many years, the gates of cannabis studies have only just opened.

Another restriction to athletic performance studies with cannabis is that most athletic leagues have banned marijuana use in any form, and some have even banned CBD.  This ban comes from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which bans marijuana for several reasons.  The primary reason given is that marijuana may endanger the athlete or those around them due to increased risk-taking, slower reaction times, and/or poor decision-making. 

For studies to be considered for funding, there would need to be coordination with governing athletic bodies, such as WADA, so that any results would allow for the reconsideration of the blanket ban on cannabis.

Not only is that a complicated endeavor but other basic questions would need answers before researchers can get to the complicated ones. Additional data points are still required to understand the various strains of cannabis in existence and which ones should be the focus of performance-based studies. 

Picking up the pieces

Marijuana has only been legal in several states for 9 years at most. Scientists who hoped to obtain cannabis for study have only had one source – the University of Mississippi – to obtain samples for study for over 60 years, and the number of approved studies was limited. Additionally, Science Magazine reported that, between 2000 and 2018, most research money, about $1.56 billion, was put towards researching cannabis misuse and its negative effects.  This skews findings towards purely negative results.

With legalization well underway, there will be, “…a decade or more of explosive cannabis research and potential new therapies.”  This will have huge implications when it comes to advancing our understanding of the substance, especially with recreational users experimenting with different combinations of marijuana and other substances. 

With the need for data now mounting, it’s worth pointing out that the DEA has announced it is working on approving more companies in America to produce cannabis for medical and scientific uses.

Conclusion

With more states getting on the legalization bandwagon, the next few years should be focused on the most important areas to increase research within the realm of cannabis. There are many benefits to the use of marijuana, though the full picture is far from clear, especially regarding athletic performance. Comprehensive studies into the effects of cannabis and related supplements on athletic performance would require cooperation with governing bodies like WADA, though the US is still just beginning to give the green light for such research areas.