In the heart of Brooklyn, where grit meets grace, Thai Richards is rewriting the rulebook on what it means to be a modern athlete. Once a star on the college football field, Richards has since evolved into a multidimensional creator, visionary, and founder of Rage & Release—a conscious lifestyle brand redefining the intersections of cannabis, fitness, and spirituality. With a disarming blend of poise and purpose, Thai is helping an entire generation unlace their rigid sneakers and lean into a new kind of performance: one that heals the mind, strengthens the body, and uplifts the soul.
Since founding Rage & Release, Richards has led a quiet revolution in wellness culture, seamlessly fusing running, mental health advocacy, food education, and the intentional use of cannabis into a singular, holistic movement. His approach to cannabis use in fitness is not only nuanced but deeply personal—grounded in experience, science, and soulful storytelling. From modelling campaigns to curated wellness events, Thai’s presence spans industries. Still, his mission remains focused: break the stigma, elevate the culture, and show that recovery, performance, and pleasure are not mutually exclusive.
In a one-on-one conversation with Jay of Sports Cannabis Magazine, Richards opened up about his evolution as an athlete, entrepreneur, and cannabis advocate. From tendonitis setbacks to spa rituals and hemp facials, his insights cut through the haze of misconception.
Jay | Sports Cannabis:
Thai Richards in 3 words.
Thai Richards:
“I would have to say evolving, passionate, and involved. Very involved.”
Jay | Sports Cannabis:
What does Runners High mean to you?
Thai Richards:
“I would have to say Runners High means enlightenment. It’s a true blessing to the body. It’s the body’s way of rewarding what you’re doing. It’s a real blessing to have because, honestly, you don’t need cannabis. You don’t need any supplements to acquire Runners High. It’s just something that your body allows you to feel alive.”
Jay | Sports Cannabis:
Thai, you’ve created Rage & Release by combining fitness, food education, and mental health. If you had to describe the core of the movement in one sentence, what would it be?
Thai Richards:
“Rage and Release is the bridge between fitness and spirituality.”
Jay | Sports Cannabis:
You’ve spoken about running offering a “psychedelic moment.” Can you share one of the most profound breakthroughs you’ve had while running?
Thai Richards:
“I’ve been running for 22 years at this point. My life as a race is a breakthrough. I’ve been through a lot of turmoil, and to be where I am now within a running community or just wellness in general in any industry, it’s all been a breakthrough. Running has been a big part of that process because it’s kept me grounded and sane through all the different phases of my life.”
Jay | Sports Cannabis:
How does cannabis play a role in your recovery after a tough run, and how do you ensure it’s more of a tool than a crutch?
Thai Richards:
“At this point in the industry, so many cannabis brands have been creating products that are very specific and very niche to recovery and performance. It’s been easy to not necessarily use cannabis as a crutch or as a vice because everything is so precise these days. It’s been easy to align myself with the right products and get what I need from them and thrive from that.
Cannabis is a flower, and I love it obviously, but it has its time and place, and that’s how you kind of balance it out between it becoming a tool or it becoming a crutch.”
Jay | Sports Cannabis:
Running is about mental fortitude. What’s the most challenging mental barrier you’ve faced during a run, and how did you push through it?
Thai Richards:
“In 2017, I had a situation where I had tendonitis. It took me out for about six to eight months. I would have to say that it pushed me to the limits of my mental brink in a sense. It took me away from something I was confident in and an environment I was comfortable with.
Once that reality set in, I knew there was so much more to physically running. There’s the mental aspect, too, because recovering from an injury or anything that sets you back mentally is the real challenge.
It opened my eyes to the ability to lock in from the spiritual and mental part of running. I have so much gratitude for the sport and just movement overall. For me personally, at this point, my fortitude is built on honouring the gift and also honouring those who wish they could do the things that you and I are so blessed to do on an everyday basis.”
Jay | Sports Cannabis:
You’ve said running strips away the ego. Does cannabis help you reach that stripped-down state, or do you prefer to keep it separate?
Thai Richards:
“I prefer to keep it separate because, much like cannabis or any other substance, it could definitely cloud your judgment and also create some biased thoughts and things like that if you don’t have the right soundboards for what matters. I like to keep it separate because cannabis is a tool on its own used for the right moments in time. Everybody has to know when it is good for them and when it is not suitable for them. It’s all about how you use it. Personally, Cannabis is great and all, but keep it separate…”
Jay | Sports Cannabis:
What’s the biggest misconception in the fitness community about cannabis use, and how would you address it?
Thai Richards:
“We know that fitness in cannabis is taboo. Everybody has their way of addressing it and how they are engaged with it. I think at this point, we need more people to speak out because the whole Cheech and Chong kind of gaze on cannabis, we need to dispel that as much as possible. We need more people to showcase that cannabis is way more than just a social gathering tool where you’re just getting high. We need people showcasing that there’s a positive influence within cannabis culture. If we can show people how to use it for the right reasons and use the right products, that’s what it’s all about.”
Jay | Sports Cannabis:
When you’re not running, how do you incorporate cannabis into your self-care routine for mental wellness?
Thai Richards:
“Funny enough, I’m somewhat of a spa snob, and cannabis has been a big part of that, believe it or not. There are so many cannabis potions, lotions, tinctures and different products now. I love hemp facials because I use them within my wellness routine. There are so many hemp oils and things like that. I use hemp products to care for my skin, hair, and overall physical body.“
Jay | Sports Cannabis:
Who’s your biggest athletic inspiration, and what aspect of their approach to fitness do you admire most?
Thai Richards:
“I’m inspired by people like Bo Jackson, Magic Johnson, Jerry Rice, Michael Jordan, and the Kyrie Irvings of the world. I like the underdog story and the grit. We thrive off of those other stories. They remind us of, again, what we’re capable of. I think that cannabis is a great tool for that. Once you make up your mind or do something, you meditate on it, and again, you focus on it, you smoke, and remind yourself of it.”
Jay | Sports Cannabis:
To wrap things up: If you could run any race with any athlete or figure, who would it be, and why?
Thai Richards:
“If I’m running anybody, I want to run a marathon or half marathon with Snoop Dogg or Wiz Khalifa just for the culture. I mean, running with either of those individuals would completely shift the landscape of cannabis. I would run a 10k or half marathon with either of those guys; it would be a game-changer and break that stigma.“
Sports Cannabis
Toronto, Ontario
Canada
Break The Stigma
SPORTS CANNABIS 