5 Olympians who use Cannabis

Even though Cannabis is removed from the banned list, athletes are still not permitted to use the it on the day of competition, though there are some troubles in physically proving this, the requirements to “pop” for cannabis are very low. WADA decided to have a change of heart after discovering that Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) & Cannabidiol (CBD), have a tremendous amount of healing properties, including a deepening of concentration, an increase in tissue oxygenation and a decrease in muscle spasms before and after an high energy activity.

Michael Phelps

First to speak of the healing potential of marijuana is the greatest swimmer of our time in Michael Phelps. He is the most decorated Olympian of all time, with a total of 28 medals and also holds the all-time record for Olympic gold medals.

In 2009, Phelps was caught on film smoking from a bong. That was just three months after his historic eight gold medal wins in Beijing. Phelps was suspended for six whole months as a result of the scandal. After succumbing to pressure from his sponsor & the government, he publicly apologized, saying his behavior was inappropriate, but he admitted that he uses marijuana to treat his aches and pains, as it is far better than painkillers.

Usain Bolt

The next famous Olympian who has admitted to using cannabis is the Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. He has nine Olympic gold medals to his name. In fact, Bolt is the first man to hold both the 100 metres and 200 metres world records. He also holds the world record as a part of the 4 × 100 metres relay. Due to his unprecedented dominance in the athletic field, he is widely considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time.

Bolt has openly admitted that as a youngster growing up in Jamaica, he occasionally used marijuana. He did not abuse the plant, but used it to nurture his health and fitness, which has helped him to stay healthy when engaged in heavy training.

Jamie Anderson

Jamie Anderson is an American professional snowboarder. Anderson won Olympic gold in the Women’s Slopestyle at the 2014 Sochi Games in Russia and though Anderson did not fail a drug test like Ross nor was caught publicly like Phelps, she has openly admitted that she is a marijuana user. She makes sure to enhance her life with the intention of  responsibly taking care of health challenges created through her line of work.

Ross Rebagliati

Then there’s our Canadian Olympic Snowboarder Ross Rebagliati. In 1998, Rebagliati was awarded a gold medal for snowboarding, but not before testing positive for THC. Fortunately for him, the International Olympic Committee hadn’t placed marijuana on the banned substances list at the time, so they couldn’t take his medal from him. Rebagliati has not hid his love for marijuana. He has eulogized the healing potential of marijuana, calling for a complete legalization of the plant and now runs his own dispensaries in Ross’ Gold.

Nicholas Delpopolo

Nicholas Delpopolo is an American Judo competitor. Although he has never won an Olympic medal before, he is an instrumental competitor in Judo competitions. At the 2012 London Games, Delpopolo tested positive for THC and was subsequently banned from the games. He claimed that he was unknowingly given an edible that was laced with THC. But, of course, this is highly debatable. He might have used marijuana due to the plant’s healing potential.

It’s clear that not only are many athletes using cannabis, but that all athletes should be using it. Whether it be sativa flowers for daytime use, indica shatter for night time relaxation, or cbd concentrates for the recovery without the high, there are many options available for athletic cannabis recovery and with Olympic Commitee loosening its stance on pot, we should expect more athletes to openly endorse full legalization.