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Why Some Athletes Swear By Getting High for a Workout
Going for a run while high on weed might seem counterintuitive, but some athletes are all for it
Before a long run, Flavie Dokken likes to ingest a capsule or gummy with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the molecule from the cannabis plant most famous for its psychoactive effects. “It works really well for me. I get an energy boost,” says the U.S. Army veteran and former bodybuilder who’s now a competitive ultramarathoner based in Boulder. During a five-hour run, she might take half a gummy before the workout and then consume the other half a few hours in to give herself a second wind. What she gets from THC isn’t just overall energy but also a feeling of “being tuned in and present during the workout,” she says.
As marijuana legalization has spread across the country, it’s not just couch-dwelling stoners who are reaching for THC. Dokken is one of many athletes who are finding ways to incorporate the drug into their training programs, and she’s one of several athletes sponsored by cannabis edibles company Wana Brands. And although cannabidiol (CBD) has received a lot of attention for its potential to reduce pain and inflammation without the psychoactive effects of THC, some athletes find that THC can also be a useful component of…
