Could it all be wrong?

“Each life is made up of mistakes and learning…” Billy Graham

“Live a full life of the mind, exhilarated by new ideas…” - Earnest Hemingway

Could it all be wrong? All the mythology and negative imagery of the lazy stoner sprawled on the couch? What if cannabis did not make people lethargic and unproductive, but rather it could actually get users more energetic and engaged in physical activity? The false imagery that permeates our culture is easy enough to understand. As discussed in our Cannabis for “Grown-Ups” Section, anti-marijuana crusaders have used this fake propaganda for decades to spread fear and misunderstanding of the effects of cannabis. As cannabis legalization has spread, so has a clearer picture of what the every-day user looks like, and it is VERY different than the old stereotype.

New academic studies are being done and the data coming back shows that cannabis users actually have much lower rates of obesity and lower BMI’s (body mass index) compared to the average U.S. adult. The most prominent or these studies, Conducted in 2019 by the University of Colorado (www.colorado.edu/psych-neuro/) and published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health (www.frontiersin.org), the study looked at self-reported data from more than 6,000 marijuana users in states where the drug has been legalized. The average age of users was 37 years old and was split almost 50/50 for males and females. The research found that cannabis users, on average, took part in 43 more minutes of aerobic exercise per week and 30 more minutes of anaerobic exercise per week than their contemporaries that did not use cannabis.

According to Dr. Angela Bryan PhD, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Colorado and one of the study’s authors, “The average cannabis user in our study was exercising a lot more than your average American. It seemed that not only were cannabis users in general exercising quite a bit, but they were combining cannabis and exercise behavior at pretty high rates,” she said. More than 80% of the subjects endorsed using cannabis in some form directly before exercise, for a multitude of reasons. For those adults that consumed a small dose of cannabis prior to a training or exercise sessions, users frequently cited marijuana as increasing the enjoyment of exercise and aiding in workout recovery. Less frequently, the users reported they cannabis also helped with motivation and physical performance during exercise.” The data is out now there, and more academic studies are underway to further study this link. Certainly, anytime that established mythology is shown to be untrue, there is skepticism and pushback. It will take more studies and more controlled research to continue studying these trends and experiences of using cannabis before exercise, but the data shows that it can help improve the enjoyment and experience of physical activity. As always, The Healthy Swap Team wants to promote your own safe personal discovery. Make sure to be cautious and careful, as you always would with any physical activity. Start with small doses and see how it affects your mood and performance during your exercise. If you are trying an edible, perhaps try it 60 minutes prior to exercise and with a vape or tincture maybe start much closer to the start of your activity. Please send us your feedback and any success stories about how cannabis improved your desire to exercise or improved the experience of physical activity. Until Next Time, Your Healthy Swap Team Make The Swap … Change your Life!