The biggest pain in the cannabis world is misinformation

By Jimmy Fardin

At 11 years old, I started surfing with my brother, encouraged by my stepfather, who at the time did not realize the good he was doing for my life. The sport greatly relieved the pain of losing my father, who passed away when I was 8 years old. My father was a doctor, self-taught, and was a man ahead of his time, studying psychoactive substances.

When I entered medical school, sports was something that caught my attention, and my choice for orthopedics was also thinking about it. 

With the routine of Medicine, surfing became more distant, and traditional Medicine took over, distancing me more and more from my patients and my purpose. 

When I became a father, I began to question my work routine. I wanted to see my children grow up and made a very significant change in my life. I moved to the south of Bahia. I started surfing every day, changed my diet, bringing the sport back into my life.

With the change in the pace of appointments and the possibility of getting to know my patients better, my focus began to be on quality of life. Very curious to me, as I was overwhelmed by a medicine that treats the disease and not the patient. At that time, I met an indigenous tribe that introduced me to cannabis and other medicinal herbs.

I then started studying and taking courses. Until I came into contact with amateur athletes who used cannabis and began to have their recovery time accelerated, as well as a decrease in pain and anxiety…

And why? 

The action of cannabis on nociceptive receptors reduces pain, the accumulation of free radicals released during exercise, and inflammatory cytokines. It also acts on serotonin receptors, improving well-being and anxiety.

During this time, professional athletes began to emerge, and it was extremely impactful for me to follow the routines of these athletes. Exhaustive routines, with training, physiotherapy, strict diet, strengthening, internal and external pressure, anxiety, etc.

They are human beings seeking to overcome emotions succumbed to so much pressure, with a daily life of constant pain. All this for four consecutive years to decide their lives in 20 seconds of a competition in the Olympics and Paralympics.  

The athlete or para-athlete subjects their body to extremes and often beyond their limit. When their body is under excessive demand, it often becomes imbalanced. And to rebalance their chemical reactions and restore homeostasis, substances that control these reactions are necessary. 

Even worse for para-athletes who, in addition, have conditions that generate painful syndromes, neuropathies, metabolic alterations, or genetic disorders.

The Endocannabinoid System, its CB1 and CB2 receptors, and the components Anandamide and 2-AG are revolutionary and have been changing my life, my family's life, and my patients' lives. 

This system is exactly the conductor that controls all the chemical reactions of our body, in addition to promoting or seeking to restore homeostasis, the one that the athlete often unbalances. 

The plant provides cannabinoids, which mimic these substances and promote reorganization.

 The lack of information has been failing to benefit many athletes because once the athlete acquires this therapeutic tool, it will decrease the side effects of strenuous exercises, pain,  improve muscle recovery, sleep, and reduce stress and pressure for results. 

There is no harm to the athlete, nor unfair performance, violating the spirit of sportsmanship, because the herbal remedy will only restore what the body of that athlete already possesses but is imbalanced. 

Unfortunately, all this information has been disregarded, and the professional athlete who tests positive for this substance may be banned from sports during competitions. 

The greatest pain comes from misinformation. 

Only in 2018, WADA, the world anti-doping agency that regulates the use of substances that Olympic and Paralympic athletes can use in competitions, opened its eyes a bit to CBD, releasing this isolated cannabinoid for professional use. 

The isolated CBD - without the other cannabinoids and the entourage effect - loses much of its potential. The athlete may even have some benefit, but will not achieve the homeostasis that could be achieved. I have some patients who prove this. 

During competition time, the use of Full Spectrum oil - containing CBD, THC, and other cannabinoids - is suspended to take only the oil with CBD. 

Patients report changes in sleep, worsening anxiety and muscle recovery, as well as decreased focus during the competition and pain returning with more intensity. We live in a reality where athletes like Simone Biles and Gabriel Medina interrupt their careers at their peak due to emotional and physical imbalances. 

Human beings like all of us, who are subjected to internal and external pressures, often triggering depression, crises, and traumas.

As scientific studies are published, the benefit that cannabis can provide becomes more evident, without violating the spirit of sportsmanship or harming athletes. 

The anti-doping agency is watching and reviewing its prohibitions every year… the industry is growing more and more and making different types of products and concentrations available to benefit those in need. And certainly, more and more cannabinoids are being released for use.  The more quality information and serious content are distributed and propagated, the more doctors will be able to take advantage of this important tool and more patients who suffer daily will have their symptoms alleviated. 

We only hope that this happens soon and that by Paris 2024 this issue is well elucidated. Unfortunately, misinformation is a serious issue that not only affects those who could benefit from the plant, but there are many doctors who still reject cannabis and fail to provide a quality of life to their patients.

Information frees us from pain. Cannabis has come to revolutionize medicine and our lives.

I am grateful for the opportunity to be a columnist at Sechat and bring a little more awareness to everyone!

*Jimmy Fardin is an orthopedic surgeon and traumatologist, specializing in knee surgery and arthroscopy, sports medicine specialist, and cannabinoid medicine. He has participated in the Olympics and Paralympics as a doctor. Experienced in the treatment of chronic pain, low back pain, tendinitis, osteoarthritis, degenerative diseases. “My goal is to take care of you as a human being, not just your pathology”.

The opinions expressed in this article are personal and the responsibility of their authors.