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Weed Report: Sports and smoke
Athletes align with cannabis
For years, cannabis use has been a controversial topic in the sports world. But lately, more and more athletes are stepping forward to admit its prevalence and argue for its benefits. The Kansas City Chiefs' superstar tight end Travis Kelce — whose romance with Taylor Swift has taken him to a new level of fame — told Vanity Fair in 2021 that he estimated between 50 to 80 percent of NFL players use cannabis. It was a bold declaration, given the fact that his college career at Cincinnati was put on hold for an entire season after testing positive for marijuana in 2010.
Former San Diego State football star and NFL All-Pro Kyle Turley has been trying to flip the green script for a while now. After years in the league, his body was battered, and by his second season, he reportedly turned to weed to manage pain and sleep — while also taking prescription drugs handed out by team doctors. “I was on Zoloft, Defeco, and heavy psych drugs,” he told the San Diego Reader in 2023. “They just made me think of killing myself and other people.” Fortunately, he juked the meds and embraced cannabis instead, which he says lifted the mental fog and ended his suicidal thoughts.
Turley credits cannabis for saving his life, and has since become one of its most vocal athlete-advocates. He has invested as a minority shareholder in Shango, a Ramona-based cannabis company, and in the multi-state brand Revenant. Thanks to pressure from Turley and others, the NFL has relaxed its drug-testing policies, making it easier for players to consume without facing severe penalties. We owe that shift to people like our SDSU alum, who we proudly proclaim our Most Valuable Pothead.
In 2022, the NFL allocated $1 million to research the potential benefits of cannabis for elite athletes, with half of the funding directed to researchers at the University of California San Diego. Their study examined how cannabinoids like THC and CBD can assist in pain management and recovery from sports-related injuries. Given San Diego’s strong connections to both professional sports and cannabis innovation, our region could rewrite the playbook on the way athletes approach performance recovery and pain relief.
Fighters in the UFC are also embracing weed as part of their training and recovery. One of the newest UFC fighters leading the green charge is Gilbert Urbina. He's been extremely open about his cannabis use, and recently linked up with San Diego-based cannabis company Gelato Canna Co. He proudly displays the Gelato logo on his trunks and fight gear and shares their flower with his loyal social media followers, Urbina has been shown incorporating cannabis into his training regimen, and credits part of his success in the UFC to its benefits.
Several other high-profile athletes have stepped out of the "green closet" to advocate for cannabis. Former NBA star Al Harrington, who played for teams like the Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers, now owns Viola, a popular cannabis brand. Even heavyweight boxing champ Mike Tyson, known for his ferocity in the ring, now runs Tyson 2.0, a cannabis company that boasts some of the most potent strains in the game. And if there’s one athlete who knows about longevity, it’s pro wrestling legend Ric Flair. The 16-time world champion and WWE Hall of Famer has also stepped into the squared circle of cannabis with Ric Flair Drip, a brand of cannabis products that he promotes as a natural alternative for pain management and recovery — because at 75 years old, The Nature Boy is still stylin’ and profilin’.
San Diego's amateur athletes also rely on weed for recovery. Jerry V., a local hoops and racquetball player, told The Weed Report that he smokes to "help alleviate my arthritis pain." He prefers to stay anonymous because of his employer’s government contract, but says, "I smoke weed in blunt format, and for me, this works. A quick toke also keeps me in the zone when shooting or paddling against my buddies."
Some of our Weed Report writers have interviewed Olympic champions who have smoked weed, and it's a topic we’ll be revisiting soon. But right now, we want to hear from you. Drop a comment below and tell us how the magic plant has played a role in your athletic performance and/or recovery.
Here's something you might be interested in.
Weed Report: Sports and smoke
Athletes align with cannabis
Weed Report: Sports and smoke
Athletes align with cannabis
For years, cannabis use has been a controversial topic in the sports world. But lately, more and more athletes are stepping forward to admit its prevalence and argue for its benefits. The Kansas City Chiefs' superstar tight end Travis Kelce — whose romance with Taylor Swift has taken him to a new level of fame — told Vanity Fair in 2021 that he estimated between 50 to 80 percent of NFL players use cannabis. It was a bold declaration, given the fact that his college career at Cincinnati was put on hold for an entire season after testing positive for marijuana in 2010.
Former San Diego State football star and NFL All-Pro Kyle Turley has been trying to flip the green script for a while now. After years in the league, his body was battered, and by his second season, he reportedly turned to weed to manage pain and sleep — while also taking prescription drugs handed out by team doctors. “I was on Zoloft, Defeco, and heavy psych drugs,” he told the San Diego Reader in 2023. “They just made me think of killing myself and other people.” Fortunately, he juked the meds and embraced cannabis instead, which he says lifted the mental fog and ended his suicidal thoughts.
Turley credits cannabis for saving his life, and has since become one of its most vocal athlete-advocates. He has invested as a minority shareholder in Shango, a Ramona-based cannabis company, and in the multi-state brand Revenant. Thanks to pressure from Turley and others, the NFL has relaxed its drug-testing policies, making it easier for players to consume without facing severe penalties. We owe that shift to people like our SDSU alum, who we proudly proclaim our Most Valuable Pothead.
In 2022, the NFL allocated $1 million to research the potential benefits of cannabis for elite athletes, with half of the funding directed to researchers at the University of California San Diego. Their study examined how cannabinoids like THC and CBD can assist in pain management and recovery from sports-related injuries. Given San Diego’s strong connections to both professional sports and cannabis innovation, our region could rewrite the playbook on the way athletes approach performance recovery and pain relief.
Fighters in the UFC are also embracing weed as part of their training and recovery. One of the newest UFC fighters leading the green charge is Gilbert Urbina. He's been extremely open about his cannabis use, and recently linked up with San Diego-based cannabis company Gelato Canna Co. He proudly displays the Gelato logo on his trunks and fight gear and shares their flower with his loyal social media followers, Urbina has been shown incorporating cannabis into his training regimen, and credits part of his success in the UFC to its benefits.
Several other high-profile athletes have stepped out of the "green closet" to advocate for cannabis. Former NBA star Al Harrington, who played for teams like the Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers, now owns Viola, a popular cannabis brand. Even heavyweight boxing champ Mike Tyson, known for his ferocity in the ring, now runs Tyson 2.0, a cannabis company that boasts some of the most potent strains in the game. And if there’s one athlete who knows about longevity, it’s pro wrestling legend Ric Flair. The 16-time world champion and WWE Hall of Famer has also stepped into the squared circle of cannabis with Ric Flair Drip, a brand of cannabis products that he promotes as a natural alternative for pain management and recovery — because at 75 years old, The Nature Boy is still stylin’ and profilin’.
San Diego's amateur athletes also rely on weed for recovery. Jerry V., a local hoops and racquetball player, told The Weed Report that he smokes to "help alleviate my arthritis pain." He prefers to stay anonymous because of his employer’s government contract, but says, "I smoke weed in blunt format, and for me, this works. A quick toke also keeps me in the zone when shooting or paddling against my buddies."
Some of our Weed Report writers have interviewed Olympic champions who have smoked weed, and it's a topic we’ll be revisiting soon. But right now, we want to hear from you. Drop a comment below and tell us how the magic plant has played a role in your athletic performance and/or recovery.
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