Professional Trail Running Legend, Thought Leader and Cannabis Advocate, Avery Collins has been a pioneer for cannabis athletes around the world and leading the charge since 2014. Constantly defying limits, Collins was one of the first cannabis-sponsored athletes, blazing a trail for athletes around the world.
Today, the cannabis and sports worlds have collided, disrupting outdated mentalities and providing athletes a clean alternative to traditional modalities. Cannabidiol, widely referred to as CBD, has been shown to have therapeutic properties that can help athletes with recovery, inflammation, anxiety, sleep, and even provide an added boost during the long run.
With an opportunity to shift the discussion and put cannabis front stage, Avery is moving the conversation forward on multiple levels, pushing for transparency, education and using his platform to share the pivotal role cannabis has played in his life for training, recovery and relief;
“When I use edibles it’s typically for long easy runs to help slow me down. I am the type of runner that likes to go out and run hard every single time. Unfortunately, running hard every single run is not a safe or plausible way to train. That would eventually lead to injury. I find that edibles slow me down and allow me to really take in and enjoy my run in the mountains without feeling antsy to run fast and focus on my mile splits…” adding “I do use CBD for recovery but I’ve found ultimately that THC seems to be the most effective for me. During the bulk of my training in the summer, most of my runs range from 5-8 hours and THC is incredibly helpful in mitigating pain and inflammation. There’s a throbbing feeling that comes post-run which can make you feel like you are still running after a 5-8 hour run. Consuming edibles alongside CBD oil is a highly effective way to calm down the legs and shut down the systems for the day and allow the body to jump-start its recovery process.”
-A Collins
Looking forward, Avery talks about the changes professional trail runners are seeing with the emergence of Cannabis;
“I’ve absolutely seen changes in the sport that I believe were a result of my activism. For example, after qualifying for big race events, official drug testing protocols were quickly implemented by the event. They may have been considering it for years but I seem to have given them the final push that they needed. Drug testing is actually something I condone and advocate for because it’s needed in our sport to keep things on a level playing field. I have been drug tested post-race three times and have had negative results all three times. The rules with cannabis consumption in the sport of ultra running and as WADA rules state are quite clear and are also fair. It’s simple, you can use cannabis in training but not in competition so they specifically test for amounts in the blood that would only show if you used cannabis within the past 24 hours, or “in competition.” …”
-A Collins
SPORTS CANNABIS
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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SPORTS CANNABIS 