HOW CANNABIS CAN HELP THE Weekend Athlete

As our understanding of Cannabis rapidly expands, one arena in which Cannabis is being praised for it’s beneficial uses is in sports medicine. Nicole Foss, President-Elect at American Cannabis Nurses Association, is at the forefront of Cannabis research in nursing and has seen the benefits as applied to Sports Medicine firsthand. Nicole Foss met with us and spoke about her experience with ACNA, and about how Cannabis can help the weekend athlete.

What is your role at ACNA?

My current role at the American Cannabis Nurses Association (ACNA) is President-Elect. This is a four-year term in which I spend one year being mentored by the current President, two years as President, and one year as past-President. I am also the coChair of the Education Committee, which focuses on sharing accurate cannabis research to nurses, patients, and other health care providers.

ACNA Mission: To advance excellence in cannabis nursing practice through advocacy, collaboration, education, research, and policy development.

What has been your focus at ACNA?

In my role as President-Elect, I am working with our Board of Directors to develop a new strategic plan, focused on our efforts to advance cannabis nursing. I am also intimately involved with planning our annual Conference, which will be held in Denver in May 2023. The programming of the conference includes Continuing Education on cannabinoid research, policy development, and the endocannabinoid system. In addition to our events and normal activities, the ACNA is also working on the Scope and Standards of a credentialed cannabis nurse specialty. It’s quite impressive for a volunteer-run non-profit.

How is Cannabis being used to benefit Sports Medicine, or the weekend athlete?

Cannabis has a unique place in Sports Medicine. There is research supporting cannabinoids use to enhance sleep and improve mood or focus. However, there is no research supporting performance enhancement (at least in a traditional sense). Most experts in the area agree there are pros and cons to athletes wanting to use cannabis, either THC products or hemp-based products. There is research supporting that THC dominant cannabis may delay soft tissue injury recovery in athletes.

Other research supports the use of compounds, like Cannabidiolic Acid (CBDA), that may work on the same pathways as traditional Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs). Compounds like CBDA may reduce the use of NSAIDs in athletes and therefore mitigate the risk associated with prolonged use.

What types of products are best to use for athletes?

This depends on the athlete, of course, as each persons’ endocannabinoid system is wired differently. Some athletes prefer THC for a long run, while others prefer a hempbased product that can potentially ease Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) and raise their mood. Using both hemp and THC cannabis products require some self-exploration and experimentation. The best option is to talk with a knowledgeable health care provider who can help you calibrate your cannabis use. There are many products that contain ratios of non-psychoactive compounds (CBDA, CBD, CBGA, CBG) that may work excellent for recovery from prolonged endurance or heavy lifting activities.

Can athletes benefit from CBD or THC? And how?

Research does not clearly unveil the full list of benefits CBD and THC have for athletes. In fact, what one paper may support another may dispute. However, anecdotal feedback from patients’ stories and advocacy within the Sports Medicine and Professional Athlete associations unveil quite a different picture. Benefits clearly exist for this population.

Are there benefits to playing sports after consuming THC / and or CBD?

There may be individual benefits, and as cannabis stigma is dissolving in professional sports such as hockey, athletes are being transparent of their cannabis use and how it aids in their performance and recovery. Athletes have reported better focus during training, reduced anxiety performance before a game, and reduced pain after injury when using non-psychoactive hemp, specifically CBDA, products.

For pain relief, what benefits do CBD and THC have?

There is minimal peer-reviewed research that has determined the actual benefits. However, anecdotal feedback from patients and cannabis consumers overwhelmingly shows that relief from chronic and some forms of acute pain may result from cannabis use.

Pain is a complex experience and may be altered with the use of cannabinoids. Far beyond CBD and THC, the class of acidic cannabinoids (CBDA, CBGA, THCA) are being heavily researched in this area. Most research on the topic supports a ratio of cannabinoids (CBD and THC) depending on the pain relief needed (or the type of injury) alongside the use of other cannabis plant compounds, including terpenes. The key factor researchers cannot seem to determine is the amount of CBD is needed for pain relief. Often for pain and other complex issues the dose of regular CBD far exceeds that which is available in consumer products.

ACNA Website: https://acna.memberclicks.net

FDA Disclosure: www.nextraction.com www.kriva.co

These statement in this article have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This article and its contents are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Please consider consulting a cannabis educated health care provider before using cannabis products for the first time.

Nicole Foss is a founding member of Nextraction Inc, she has over eleven years of combined experience in the cannabis industries - including operations, technology, education, cultivation, healthcare, and extraction. Nicole is determined to advance the cannabis industry by employing clean extraction technology to avoid the pitfalls of traditional cannabis extraction. Nicole is the current Chief Science Officer at NeXtraction Inc. and a technical expert on acidic cannabinoids. She also is the Director of Consumer products and Brands of Kriva, launching two in-house CBDA consumer brands, as well as helping white label partners launch multiple brands in the last four years. She holds masters degrees in business and nursing.

Nicole@nextraction.com

STORY BY GIOVANNI CAVALLINI PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Created in Florida, Trulieve has now become one of the biggest cannabis distributors in the country by expanding into both the recreational and medicinal markets for states like Florida, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Georgia, West Virginia, Connecticut, Arizona, Maryland, and California. Being one of the largest cannabis companies in the United States, their plans do not consist of slowing down their expansion. The Massachusetts Marketing Manager Shelia Fay happily answered some of our questions about the company’s plans in 2023. She reiterated “Trulieve is poised for accelerated growth and expansion… our Framingham, MA location is set to expand from adultuse only sales to include medical cannabis sales.” The company is looking for new ways to innovate products and bring “firsts” to the cannabis industry, like being the first company on the East Coast to exclusively sell Khalifa Kush. A strain created and marketed by Wiz Khalifa, an entrepreneur, and Hip Hop Artist, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Although, their medicinal locations in Florida, Maryland, Arizona, and Pennsylvania will carry that exclusive strain, Fay assured us there are big plans for Massachusetts residents to enjoy in the new year.

In February 2023, Massachusetts residents can purchase two different new lines of products from Trulieve. Their Roll One brand will consist of a “wide variety of good indoor-grown quality cannabis classics… It’s good quality at everyday value.” According to their website, this new lineup of products is for consumers who aren’t buying into the fancy names or percentages of THC. Roll One will come in ready-to-roll pouch packaging with a range of sizes; Pre-rolls, ground flower, and whole cured flowers in 3.5g for $20. Perfect for those looking for simplicity. Delivering flower that is ready for consumption is helpful for consumers because it allows less steps to be taken to enjoy the