CANNABIS AS A PERFORMANCE ENHANCER?
Cannabis & CBD Oil in Sports: Performance, Recovery, and Doping Risks
In September 2022, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) decided that THC will remain a banned substance and that athletes will be sanctioned if urine levels indicate frequent use outside of competition.
Around the same time as the WADA decision, an article appeared in the September issue of the Internal Medicine Journal, concluding that THC does not improve aerobic performance or strength. Naturally, there is plenty of evidence that THC and other plant cannabinoids alleviate pain and inflammation, promote neurogenesis, support sleep, stimulate appetite, and reduce stress—factors that aid recovery, which is crucial for athletes.
However, using cannabis high in THC results in a positive drug test and can lead to suspensions of at least one month—even if it’s confirmed that THC use happened outside of competition.
The WADA Decision
Last year, WADA launched an official review to reassess the status of THC. However, at the session held in Sydney, the agency’s 14-member executive committee decided that THC will remain on the list of prohibited substances for the time being.
For a substance to be added to the prohibited list, it must meet at least two of the following criteria:
1) It can enhance sports performance;
2) It poses a health risk to the athlete; and
3) It violates the spirit of sport.
In the announcement explaining the decision, WADA noted that its ethical advisory group "still considers cannabis use to be contrary to the spirit of sport in many respects,” which is essentially an unscientific stance. However, a 2011 article in the journal Sports Medicine suggests the agency views cannabis as potentially dangerous due to “increased risk-taking behavior, slower reaction times, and impaired executive function or decision-making.”
Where It’s Allowed
The combined benefits of THC and CBD in reducing inflammation, managing pain, relieving stress, supporting sleep, stimulating appetite, and even aiding recovery from traumatic brain injury are increasingly well recognized. Surprisingly, some sports organizations allow their athletes to use full-spectrum CBD products—that is, those containing THC as well. These organizations, of course, do not fall under WADA’s jurisdiction, but who are they? The big players allowing THC use include the United States’ National Football League (NFL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA).
A Green Path for CBD
Fortunately, athletes who want to reap the therapeutic benefits of cannabis without fear of punishment have another option. This is where CBD comes in, as it was exempted by WADA in 2019 from the ban on other cannabinoid compounds and synthetic cannabinoids. The use of THC-free CBD Oil is allowed in WADA-monitored sports disciplines. However, as is often the case, the devil is in the details: while broad-spectrum CBD products do not contain THC, they do contain several other cannabinoids! It’s important to know that according to WADA’s decision, only CBD is permitted; for instance, isolates of CBG, CBN, CBC—whether plant-derived or synthetic—are not allowed!
How Long Does THC Stay in the System?
The reporting threshold for THC is 150 ng/ml, meaning that if accredited WADA laboratories detect THC below this level in urine, it is not considered a positive test. All other cannabinoids are banned at any detectable level, with no threshold. Any presence of these substances during competition is prohibited.
If an athlete receives a CBD oil low in THC and other cannabinoids or stops using the product early enough to ensure that THC or other cannabinoids are flushed from their body, they can relatively safely use CBD products and avoid doping violations.
So, how long before competition should one stop using a substance that is only prohibited in-competition? In reality, no one can precisely determine how long a substance will be detectable in the body, and no official body provides athletes with reliable estimates.
The time it takes for a drug to metabolize (break down completely) and clear from the body varies greatly between individuals and depends on the specific medication and method of administration.
For example, cannabis contains compounds whose elimination can take from days to weeks depending on usage method, the specific plant part used, and frequency of use. In contrast, pseudoephedrine—a common stimulant found in over-the-counter cold and cough medicines—is cleared from athletes’ systems within 24 hours or a few days.
Can Your Doctor or Pharmacist Tell You How Long a Specific Drug Will Remain in Your System?
Your doctor or pharmacist can provide some guidance based on the drug’s half-life (the time it takes for half of the active substance to break down into metabolites). However, they might not be able to predict how long the drug and its metabolites will be detectable in doping tests.
While the half-life offers an estimate of how long the drug exerts its therapeutic effect, doping tests look for both the active ingredient (or parent compound) and metabolites in blood and urine. Metabolites often linger longer in the system than the active drug itself, which means half-life calculations often underestimate detection windows.
Another reason why half-life isn’t always a good predictor is that it is measured in serum or plasma. Some doping tests analyze blood, but most rely on urine samples, and there isn’t always a clear correlation between substance levels in serum and urine.
Unfortunately, there is no perfect method to accurately predict how long a substance will remain detectable in an athlete’s sample.
Cannabis use can still derail an athlete’s career in WADA-affiliated organizations, as in the case of track star Sha’Carri Richardson, who was banned from the Olympics after testing positive for THC. 
Despite WADA's recent decisions, the organization is not entirely closing the door on this issue. WADA’s Director General, Olivier Niggli, recently stated: “The agency plans to continue research in this area regarding the potential performance-enhancing effects of THC.”
It’s important to remember that CBD Oil is not a miracle cure! The cornerstones of maintaining good health are regular exercise, a balanced diet, and a stress-free lifestyle. CBD does not replace any of these! In Hungary and most EU countries, CBD is classified as a "novel food" since it was not widely used before 1997. Therefore, no promises or claims about disease prevention or treatment can be made about CBD-containing products.
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