Understanding Cannabis-Based Therapeutics in Sports Medicine

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Pharmacology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Increasing public use of cannabis-based products for medical and recreational purposes.
• Need for sports medicine clinicians to understand the historical context, legal status, and evidence regarding cannabis in athletics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the existing evidence on the efficacy, safety, and risks of cannabis-based products for athletes.
• To inform sports medicine clinicians about the current state of cannabinoid therapeutics.

Main Methods:

• Clinical review of literature from 2015 to present.
• Searches included terms like cannabis, cannabinoids, THC, CBD, pain management, and marijuana.
• Extrapolation of findings to the athletic population due to a lack of sport-specific trials.

Main Results:

• Limited high-quality studies exist for cannabinoids in acute pain or concussion among athletes.
• Moderate efficacy demonstrated for chronic pain conditions, with pain reduction and improved quality of life.
• Preclinical data suggests potential neuroprotective effects for concussion, but clinical evidence is lacking.

Conclusions:

• Clinician recommendations for cannabinoid therapy in athletes are currently extrapolated from non-athletic populations.
• Lack of robust clinical evidence, legal inconsistencies, and product purity issues hinder widespread recommendation.
• Future research with standardized products is needed to guide clinical decisions for athletes, particularly for chronic pain.