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. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom