The Association for Cannabis Health and Medicine (ACHEM) is helping break down barriers and stigmas against athletes using cannabis by hosting a Global Health Summit. 

Long banned as either a health risk, performance enhancer, or just a violation of “the spirit of the sport,” cannabis is becoming more embraced by medical professionals and athletes for its health and wellness potential.

On Saturday, January 22, ACHEM will bring together more than 300 athletes, coaches, students, educators, and sports enthusiasts from across the country to promote and raise awareness about cannabis integration into sports medicine. 

This summit will be the second event in ACHEM’s Global Health Summit series. The Marijuana Policy Project and United States Cannabis Council are title sponsors for the one-day virtual summit. 

Through the summit, ACHEM is seeking to build awareness and competency in the medicinal and clinical applications of cannabis science. ACHEM expects the event to promote learning, inspire leadership, and prompt conversations about health equity in sports.

The topic of cannabis in sports is complicated and fraught with complications and contradictions. Sha’Carri Richardson was excluded from the US Olympic Track and Field team for using cannabis to manage her mental health. 

Conversely, and without reproach, professional soccer player Megan Rapinoe launched the CBD brand Mendi and announced that she uses CDB for mental health and pain management. The disparity of the two stories demonstrates the need for a cultural shift and an evolution in sports medicine and sports governance.

Whether it is a joint or water glass pipe, athletes have come forward to advocate for cannabis for medicinal purposes. 

Dr. Rachel Knox, MD MBA, ACHEM Board Chair, believes the ACHEM Global Health Summit can focus the conversation on the need for sports regulation reforms and the scientifically-based and responsible uses of cannabis in athletics.

“The events of 2021 reaffirm the need for cannabis leaders to demonstrate the reparative and restorative potential of cannabis, both physiologically and psychologically, particularly in sports medicine,” Knox said.

The Global Health Summit session topics include Health Equity in Sports, Cannabinoid Sports Medicine, and Sports Policy Reform. 

Confirmed speakers and participants include, but is not limited to:

• Dr. Bonni Goldstein, Founder, Canna-Centers Wellness & Education
• Former NFL linebacker and CBD entrepreneur Lofa Taupu 
• Cannabinoid medicine specialist Dr. Rachel Knox
• Cannabinologist Dr. Sunil Aggarwal 
• Cannabis advocate, businessman, and retired NFL player Marvin Washington
• MMA fighter Elias Theodorou
• ACHEM Speakers Guild
• Doctors for Cannabis Regulation 
• American Cannabis Nurses Association 
• Cannabis Nurses Network

This event is aimed at current athletes from ages 16 and up and the coaches and associations that oversee them. The summit is free and open to the pubic.