What Sports Medicine Says About Cannabis and Muscle Repair
For professional athletes whose livelihoods depend on staying healthy, any tool that might reduce inflammation and speed muscle recovery gets close attention—and cannabis is now firmly in that conversation. Scientists are still piecing together the full picture, but early evidence suggests cannabinoids, especially CBD, may influence inflammation and exercise recovery in ways that matter to high-performance bodies. At the same time, the data are far from conclusive and the anti-doping landscape remains tricky.
At the core of this discussion is the endocannabinoid system (ECS), a network of receptors (notably CB1 and CB2), enzymes, and signaling molecules that help regulate pain, immune activity, and inflammation. CB2 receptors are highly expressed on immune cells, and studies show that activating CB2 can dampen inflammatory responses and modulate immune function. This is one reason cannabinoids are being explored as potential anti-inflammatory agents: by interacting with CB2 and related pathways, they may help “dial down” excessive inflammation after intense training or injury.
For muscle recovery, researchers are particularly interested in how cannabinoids might affect exercise-induced muscle damage and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). A small but growing body of work suggests CBD could reduce perceived soreness and improve recovery markers after strenuous exercise. One study reported that CBD taken after exercise significantly reduced muscle soreness compared with control conditions. A 2023 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in athletes noted that cannabinoid-containing products are heavily marketed for recovery, though robust data on performance and safety are still limited, underlining how early the science remains. A broader 2023 review on CBD in sports concluded that CBD appears to have anti-inflammatory, analgesic, neuroprotective, and potentially recovery-mediating properties—but emphasized the need for more high-quality clinical trials in athlete populations.
Beyond lab settings, survey data show why professionals are paying attention. Among elite and recreational athletes, many report using cannabis or CBD for pain relief, sleep, and recovery. A Johns Hopkins survey of adult athletes found that 61% of those who used cannabis did so for pain, and about two-thirds reported that it helped. More recently, a 2025 study of elite Canadian athletes found that 38% had used CBD as a supplement, with users commonly reporting improved sleep, reduced training pain, and enhanced physical and mental recovery—yet many also worried about accidental anti-doping violations from contaminated products.
Regulation is a crucial part of the picture for professionals. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) removed pure cannabidiol (CBD) from its Prohibited List in 2018, meaning CBD itself is no longer banned in or out of competition. However, all other natural and synthetic cannabinoids—especially THC—remain prohibited in-competition above strict thresholds, so any product with trace THC can still trigger a positive test. This drives demand for rigorously tested, third-party certified products, yet studies and regulators warn that many CBD products are inaccurately labeled.
Major sports organizations are also putting money into understanding cannabis more clearly. For example, the NFL partnered with researchers in 2022, funding clinical trials on cannabinoids and recovery from sports-related injuries in elite athletes, reflecting a broader willingness in pro sports to explore cannabis-based pain management as an alternative or complement to opioids and NSAIDs.
Right now, the evidence suggests that cannabinoids—especially CBD—may help some athletes manage inflammation, pain, and sleep, all of which feed into recovery. However, dosing, timing, long-term effects, and individual variability are still poorly defined, and THC-containing products remain risky for drug testing. For professional athletes, that means cannabis is best approached as a cautiously promising tool: something to explore only with medical guidance, careful attention to product quality, and a clear understanding of league and anti-doping rules.