Pubdate: Thu, 25 Jun 2015
Source: Westword (Denver, CO)
Column: Ask a Stoner
Copyright: 2015 Village Voice Media
Contact: http://www.westword.com/feedback/EmailAnEmployee?department=letters
Website: http://www.westword.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1616
Author: Herbert Fuego

CAN I SMOKE WEED BEFORE MY WORKOUT?

Dear Stoner: My friend says he likes to get high before working out. 
I always assumed that would be bad for my lungs and coordination.

Jay Blazer

Dear Jay: Marijuana as a performance-enhancing drug sounds crazy, 
doesn't it? While no one is suggesting that NFL quarterbacks light up 
before a game, pot is indeed considered helpful in some sports and 
physical activities. Men's Journal recently ran a profile on Clifford 
Drusinsky, a Colorado triathlete who eats an energy bar infused with 
20 milligrams of THC before he trains, for body relaxation, focus and 
quicker recovery. The World Anti-Doping Agency bans cannabis because 
it believes it kills pressure and anxiety while potentially 
increasing air flow to the lungs, but professional athletes in sports 
such as skiing and snowboarding have said it helps them focus on their runs.

That doesn't mean that smoking a joint before every jog is Popeye's 
spinach. After an hour or so, you might start to feel drowsy or 
forget what street you turned on. Official studies are sparse on the 
subject, but my own experiences vary based on the strain. Try a 
sativa with a gentle comedown or infused energy shots and bars before 
a run and see it how it fits you. Either way, your post-workout meal 
will be epic.

Dear Stoner: I'm planning a cannabis vacation to Colorado and have 
noticed that some tours have conflicting information or have removed 
their option for sampling. Is that a result of the April regulation 
before the 2015 4/20 celebrations, or has another regulation or 
decision prohibiting free sampling come down?

Say It Ain't So

Dear Say It: The regulation you're referring to was introduced before 
this year's Cannabis Cup in hopes of avoiding a repeat of the 
dab-fest it became in 2014. Colorado's Marijuana Enforcement Division 
issued a bulletin stating that no Colorado MJ businesses may give out 
samples at "high profile cannabis events, trade shows, industry 
marketing and festivals," because pot must remain in the closed, 
regulated system from growth to point of sale.

But pot tourism companies, which aren't regulated marijuana 
businesses, still have some wiggle room. The Colorado Constitution 
says that the "transfer of one ounce or less of marijuana without 
remuneration to a person who is twenty-one years of age or older" is 
legal, meaning adults can give each other up to an ounce of pot as 
long as no money is exchanged. So tour guides can provide samples as 
long as they don't charge you for them - but many prefer to have you 
supply your own cannabis to consume while they drive you around 
Colorado's pot scene.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom