Cannabis contains over 500 compounds and can be consumed in various ways, such as inhalation or ingestion. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the most popular and well-known compounds. THC is known for its psychoactive effects, while CBD is known for its ability to help soothe pain and inflammation. In recent years, there has been an increase in the amount of THC:CBD concentration ratio, raising a concern that users are at higher risk for developing cannabis use disorder. This literature review identifies studies exploring the relationship between cannabis use and young athletes to help clinicians gain a better understanding of how to take care of young athletes using cannabis.
Roughly 25% of athletes, regardless of age, are estimated to have used cannabis in the past year. Recently, the NCAA reported that 24% of their college student-athletes had used cannabis in the past year. One of the studies identified consisted of female athletes aged 18 to 26 and showed no differences between those who used CBD and those who didn’t regarding plasma levels of inflammatory markers. Another study examined in this literature review showed that students who were currently using marijuana were much more likely to consider suicide. At the same time, another found that there was a positive correlation between cannabis use and elevated anxiety, depression, and poor sleep.
It did appear that Division I and II NCAA athletes were more likely to report using cannabis than Division III. The study suggests this could be due to the greater frequency of drug testing and fear of losing athletic scholarship. Current evidence supports that the use of cannabis worsens athletic performance. This literature review concluded that it is unlikely sport participation is the sole determining factor in protecting against cannabis use but that there are many factors.
Takeaway: Cannabis use among adolescent and young adult athletes is suggested to worsen athletic performance, mental health outcomes and sleep. Cannabis use and rate of use is influenced by many different factors.