Cannabis In Sports Medicine: Here’s What Doctors Really Think
This article was originally published on Cannabis.net and appears here with permission.
According to a recent survey of 333 medical professionals in sports medicine, there is generally a positive attitude toward CBD and cannabis. The majority of respondents believe that marijuana should no longer be considered a prohibited substance by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The study, published this month, also reveals widespread support among sports medicine physicians for the legalization of marijuana, both for recreational and medical purposes.
However, the survey identifies diverse perspectives on cannabis within the field, with age, practice type, and gender significantly influencing these views. Women, older doctors, and individuals in rural settings were found to be less inclined to support the recreational use of marijuana, as well as more likely to oppose WADA’s removal of cannabis from the list of prohibited substances and the NCAA permitting CBD use among collegiate athletes.
Conversely, men and younger physicians were less prone to view marijuana as having performance-enhancing properties. These findings underscore the nuanced and varied opinions within the sports medicine community regarding CBD, cannabis, and their regulatory status in sports.
CBD Removed, Marijuana’s Status Unchanged
In 2018, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) removed CBD from its list of prohibited substances, but marijuana continues to be banned in competition by WADA and numerous other professional and international sports organizations.
The recent study indicates that 72% of sports medicine physicians support WADA’s decision regarding cannabidiol, with 59 percent advocating for the removal of cannabis itself from the list of prohibited substances. In September, an NCAA panel recommended eliminating marijuana from the banned substances list for college athletes.
A separate study, published this month, reveals that states that legalized marijuana experienced improved recruitment for college basketball but faced adverse outcomes for football teams.
Regarding the recommendation of CBD to patients, the new study found that pediatricians, rural doctors, and academic physicians were less inclined to suggest the use of the cannabinoid compared to their counterparts in the field. Despite this, the study concludes that many sports medicine providers …