Marijuana and Athletic Performance: Help or Hindrance? The CJSM Podcast

In our newest CJSM podcast we tackle the controversial issue of marijuana in sports.

The September 2018 thematic issue, on the management of pain in athletes, includes many unique contributions to this important body of literature.  Indeed, it almost goes without saying that almost all patients I see in my clinic on a daily basis have, as part of their presenting condition, a complaint of pain.  I suspect this is true for you, too. Pain management is one of the most common issues we deal with as sports medicine clinicians.

One of those newly published studies is Cannabis and the health and performance of the elite athlete — it is an excellent discussion about many dimensions of this drug and its varied uses among elite athletes.  Among the conclusions the authors make: “The potential beneficial effects of cannabis as part of a pain management protocol, including reducing concussion-related symptoms, deserve further attention.”

A logical question, when considering use of this drug in the athlete, might be:  what are the potential negative side effects?  Or, for that matter, are there ergogenic effects with which we must be concerned?

In our July 2018 journal, a group of authors tackled these issues in a systematic review on marijuana and its effects on athletic performance.

Mr. Dion Diep, McMaster University

The corresponding author of the study, Dion Diep, is a medical student at McMaster University in Hamilton University.  He was able to join us for a podcast discussion of what his team found.  Mr. Diep is our first medical student guest on the podcast, and based on his erudite performance I would say he has a stellar career ahead, as a clinician and a researcher.

We cover a lot of ground in a short time in this podcast.  Can marijuana enhance athletic performance?  What negative effects does it have?  May it show promise as a targeted treatment of various athletic maladies, such as anxiety?  What is the rational for having marijuana on the WADA banned substances list?

As ever you can find this podcast, and all our podcasts, on our journal website as well as iTunes, where you are invited to subscribe to the podcast and ensure you get direct delivery of every new edition of this growing audio library.

When you’re done listening to the podcast and reading the studies, take the time to take the poll and consider leaving a comment here on the blog or on the iTunes link. We’re always looking to hear from you — your contribution to the global conversation on clinical sports medicine is invaluable, and your feedback will help us continuously improve what we share with you.

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Marijuana and Its Effects on Athletic Performance: A Systematic Review

Cannabis and the Health and Performance of the Elite Athlete