By Luke Sumpter

Many governments around the world are adopting more liberal policies when it comes to cannabis. Widespread legalization across the United States, Canada, and segments of Europe has germinated a fresh social acceptance of cannabis. However, users of the herb haven’t completely shaken off the old stereotype of the lazy stoner. Although, cannabis lovers with an affinity for running are helping to change this. Many in society view runners as type-A personalities with a penchant for voluntary adversity. But does blazing the herb help them in their fitness endeavours, or does it compromise their goals? Find out everything you need to know about weed and running below.


Individuals from many different countries use weed before going for a run or as part of their broader lifestyle. However, runners in certain regions have much easier access to the herb. Those in the United States and Canada, for example, have the luxury of entering dispensaries and getting their hands on some of the highest-quality products available anywhere.

Focusing on the United States for a moment, almost 50 million[1] people in the country participate in running. When it comes to weed, just under 50 million people used it at least once[2] in 2019. You better believe there’s some crossover between these two groups! Runners from different bipedal disciplines are starting to embrace cannabis, from elite-level sprinters to those that belong to the more edgy ultramarathon subculture, where it fits in more effortlessly. But does puffing on or eating the herb help these runners reach their full potential? Or does it compromise their pulmonary function?

banner-access-to-weed

"Runner's High" Or When Cannabis and Cardio Have Similar Effects

Interestingly, many runners are drawn to weed because it offers them a similar reward as going for a run. Seriously! Whether using the herb enhances their physical performance or helps them to recover during the aftermath, it certainly results in a similar neurochemical state.

If you’ve ever taken up running, even for a short period of time, you probably encountered what’s known as the “runner’s high” at some point in your training. Despite enduring varying degrees of physical discomfort on a run, many runners eventually break through and experience a pleasant state of bliss and euphoria. It was once thought that endorphins, opioid-like molecules made in the body, are solely responsible for these effects. Today, however, researchers understand that endocannabinoids[3] play a large part in the experience.

Endocannabinoids achieve this by binding to receptors that make up the endocannabinoid system—a large network in the body that regulates everything from mood to pain. One endocannabinoid in particular, called anandamide (which translates to “bliss molecule”), imparts the pleasant effects of the runner’s high. Are you ready for the cool part? It turns out that THC, the primary active constituent in cannabis, shares a similar structure with anandamide. Every time you smoke, you experience a herbal high not so dissimilar to a runner’s high. Both are certainly different experiences, but they share a similar mechanism. It’s no wonder why many runners enjoy cannabis, and why some stoners end up getting hooked on running.

Exploring the Science Behind Cannabis and Running

Untold amounts of money are spent studying ways to enhance athletic performance every year. Reputations, monetary prizes, and even the prestige of entire nations depend on it! However, research into the use of cannabis in athletics remains rather sparse. Currently, it remains unclear[4] if cannabis serves as an ergogenic aid. Early research[5] suggests that THC might negatively impact heart homeostasis, while CBD has the potential to improve sleep quality and physical discomfort.

Do Pro Runners Partake in the Herb?

When considering the benefits of smoking weed and athletics, it helps to look at the best of the best. Consider the swimmer and holder of 28 medals, Michael Phelps. Would this man have continued to blaze if it started to detract from his incredible swimming success? Or what about Sha’Carri Richardson? Although banned from the Tokyo Olympics because of a positive THC test, she’s still an elite-level athlete who used the herb. Many marathon runners are also coming out of the woodwork and proclaiming how weed has a place[6] in their training regimen.

banner-phelps-weed

The Potential Benefits of Running on Weed

Science has barely scratched the surface when it comes to using cannabis for athletic performance. However, many casual weekend warriors and amateur athletes, and even professional runners, use the herb to their apparent advantage. So, let’s cover some of the proposed benefits, before assessing some of the potential downsides.

  • Increased Focus

Combining marijuana and running may help to increase focus. This has an advantage during both races and bouts of training. During an event, improved focus can help a person avoid potential distractions. During training, it helps some individuals adhere to their regimen.

  • Flow State

Many long-distance runners experience a flow state while pounding the road or meandering across trails. This manifests as a deeply immersive experience in which a person remains incredibly focused on the task at hand. Everything outside of the present moment melts away, and the mind becomes locked in on each and every movement and breath. Some runners claim that using cannabis before a run helps them to enter this state more easily.

  • Stress

Stress can impact athletic performance[7] by restricting blood flow to muscles and increasing fatigue. Stress very often sets in before a long training run or a race, but some runners manage to offset it by using strains that help to calm their nerves.

The Downsides of Running on Weed

Running while high does show some promise when it comes to training or performance. However, puffing on blunts before a race also has some downsides that we need to cover.

  • Compromised Motor Control

Research shows that high doses of cannabis can compromise motor control[8]. Various forms of running depend on a coordinated nervous system. The act of sprinting relies on well-timed explosive contraction, and navigating a technical downhill trail covered with exposed roots and rocks demands serious coordination.

  • Cotton Mouth and Hunger

Using cannabis doesn’t necessarily cause dehydration, but it can dry out the mouth. This can lead to discomfort during a run, and can even cause a runner to take in more fluids than they actually need. A strong bout of the munchies during a long trail race will also distract a runner and potentially mess up their nutrition strategy.

  • Lung Health

There are several ways to consume cannabis, including orally and sublingually. However, smoking remains one of the most popular. Research shows that, despite the conventional wisdom and bias of cannabis-loving circles, smoking the herb is associated with airway inflammation[9], airway resistance, and lung hyperinflation. The bottom line: you certainly don’t want to hit a bong or blunt immediately before a race or intense training run.

Blazing and Running: How to Go About Things

If you decide that using cannabis during training or event competition is right for you, then consider the important points below.

last-banner

Before

Before a race or training run, take the following into account when using cannabis:

  1. Start low and slow: Go easy! Start off with just a small dose of oil or a couple of hits from your vape before heading out the door. It’s better to feel less high than you want to, then to get too baked and bail on your training. Slowly build up over time for the best results.
  2. Prepare well: It’s no secret that weed can make people forgetful. Get every single thing you need ready before you hit a vape or take a dose. Pack your bag, make sure you have water and nutrition, and make sure your phone and headphones are charged and securely in your pockets.
  3. Select your strain carefully: Avoid outrageously strong strains as you start to pair cannabis and running. Start out with a moderately potent strain and work up from there. Potency aside, play around with genetics that offer different levels of novel cannabinoids and terpenes to see which effects you like the most.

After

The pairing of weed and running doesn’t have to end when you come to a walking speed and stop your running watch. Find out how you can continue to use marijuana post-run:

  1. Blaze to relax: You’ll feel both mentally amped up and physically tired after a long run. Cannabis is famous for helping people to kick back and relax. So, why not use it exactly for this purpose to soothe your mind and muscles?
  2. Boost your appetite: Cannabis is very effective for increasing appetite. More than anything, you’ll need a good amount of protein after your run. However, this macronutrient is very satiating and sometimes hard to scoff down. Weed can help you here!
  3. Rehydrate and take a shower: We don’t suggest blazing up immediately. Get yourself showered and rehydrated first. That way, you can enjoy some sweat-free and guilt-free downtime afterwards.

Is Using Weed Before a Run Safe?

Not for everybody. Research shows that THC can increase heart rate and blood pressure in some people. If you have any health conditions or are taking any medication, it’s important to discuss pairing cannabis and running, no matter how controversial, with your doctor beforehand.

Cannabis and Running: An Effective Duo?

Because the research remains so early, no concrete evidence states that cannabis enhances running performance. However, many elite athletes frequently put the herb to use. Adding to that, not every casual runner trains to break records. Instead, they use it as a release from the stress of daily life, and adding cannabis into the equation enhances the pleasure they get from the experience. So, will you start to use cannabis before, during, or after running?

External Resources:
  1. Running & Jogging - statistics & Facts | Statista https://www.statista.com
  2. Data and Statistics https://www.cdc.gov
  3. A runner’s high depends on cannabinoid receptors in mice - PMC https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  4. Cannabis and Exercise Performance: Current Evidence https://www.gssiweb.org
  5. Cannabis and Athletic Performance - PMC https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  6. Runner’s high: the athletes who use marijuana to improve their training https://www.theguardian.com
  7. The Effects of Stress on Your Athletic Performance https://www.performanceorthosports.com
  8. High-Potency Marijuana Impairs Executive Function | Neuropsychopharmacology https://www.nature.com
  9. What are marijuana's effects on lung health? | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) https://nida.nih.gov
Disclaimer:
This content is for educational purposes only. The information provided is derived from research gathered from external sources.

Cookies settings

We are requesting your permission to use your data for the reasons stated below:

Functional cookies

Functional cookies help our website to function optimally and allow us to personalise certain features.

Preference cookies

Preference cookies allow us to remember information that influences the way our website looks, including your preferred language based on your region.

Analytical cookies

Analytical cookies give us insights into website traffic and customer behaviour, including how many people visit our site, how long they browse for, and which parts of our site they visit.

What are cookies?

Cookies are small pieces of data from a particular website that get stored on a user’s computer while they’re surfing the internet. Cookies have several different functions. Some of them track browser activity that enables businesses to deliver targeted advertisements. Other cookies serve to remember user login details to different websites to make jumping on social media, or other sites, a more fluid process. Because each cookie has its own unique ID, these pieces of data allow website owners to measure the unique traffic coming into their site.

Why do we use cookies?

Cookies come in handy when you visit our website. They ensure you stay logged in, that you can shop safely, and that the items you add to your cart stay there before you make a purchase. But cookies also help us. The data they provide allow us to improve our website and enable us to present you with targeted advertisements that are compatible with your interests.

What kind of cookies do we use?

Functional cookies

Functional cookies help our website to function optimally and allow us to personalise certain features.

Preference cookies

Preference cookies allow us to remember information that influences the way our website looks, including your preferred language based on your region.

Analytical cookies

Analytical cookies give us insights into website traffic and customer behaviour, including how many people visit our site, how long they browse for, and which parts of our site they visit.

How can I disable or delete cookies?

Not a fan of cookies? No worries. You can disable them (with the exception of necessary cookies) in your browser settings. However, blocking cookies may impact your browsing experience and prevent you from enjoying all of the technical features of our site.

Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: