Marijuana Use Might Boost Physical Activity, Finds Study

A study has found a positive association between weed consumption and the motivation to exercise.

Marijuana: The common stereotype was that cannabis use makes people lazy and inactive. 

(Photo: iStockphoto)

Amidst growing debate over the legalization of weed across the globe, a recent study has found a positive association between marijuana consumption and the motivation to exercise.

The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, stated that that ‘the majority of participants who endorsed using cannabis shortly before/after exercise reported that doing so enhances their enjoyment of and recovery from exercise, and approximately half reported that it increases their motivation to exercise’.

The researchers studied 620 participants from places where cannabis consumption is legal. While only 28 percent of them said that the drug helped with their actual performance, the authors explained that their is evidence to suggest that the drug could dampen pain and trigger a ‘runner’s high’.

According to Adrielle Gillman, co-author of the study, said,

There is evidence to suggest that certain cannabinoids dampen pain perception, and we also know that the receptors cannabis binds to in the brain are very similar to the receptors that are activated naturally during the runners high.

The results help debunk the stereotype that cannabis use leads to people being lazy and physically inactive. Therefore, while concrete evidence for marijuana boosting exercise might not be available yet, the study does show that it’s not harmful.

Angela Bryan, senior author of the study from Boulder’s Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, said,

"The evidence is not there yet," Bryan said. "But I am also not convinced it is harmful."

Notably, the authors are not promoting the use of the drug, but only exploring the public health implications of marijuana use.