MARIJUANA'S RISKS ARE HIGH FOR PRO ATHLETES, BUT SO ARE ITS BENEFITS

Whenever a professional athlete is suspended for smoking marijuana, as
happened with two players on Washington's football team recently, a
question usually arises: Why would they risk so much for so little?
Turns out, the benefits of taking a few puffs aren't so little.

At the low doses reportedly consumed by the athletes, "smoked cannabis
can decrease anxiety, fear, depression and tension," three researchers
wrote in the November issue of the American Journal of Sports
Medicine. "Furthermore, cannabinoids play a major role in the
extinction of fear memories by interfering with learned adversive
behaviors. Athletes who experienced traumatic events in their career
could benefit from such an effect."

Of course, marijuana use is banned in professional sports. And the
researchers strongly support the World Anti-Doping Agency's decision
to do so. The authors are Marilyn A. Huestis and Irene Mazzoni, both
researchers at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and Olivier
Rabin, a doctor at the World Anti-Doping Agency. Those aren't
institutions known for extolling the benefits of marijuana.

Nevertheless, the researchers went so far as to note: "In adolescents
and young adults, cannabis also helps in coping with negative moods
and emotional distress."

Results like that could give marijuana the aura of a wonder
drug.

And yet, there it sits near the top of the WADA's Prohibited List,
second only to steroids as the banned substance most frequently
detected by drug tests. Whether marijuana should be on the list is the
subject of much debate, and the researchers' conclusions are not
likely to be the last word.

"Athletes under the influence of cannabis indicate that their thoughts
flow more easily and their decision making and creativity is
enhanced," the researchers wrote. "Health professionals have
encountered athletes including gymnasts, divers, football players and
basketball players who claim smoking cannabis before play helps them
focus better."

But, they concluded, "Much additional research is needed to determine
the effects of cannabis on athletic performance."

To make it on to the list of banned substances, a drug must be
considered "performance enhancing," pose a health risk and in some way
contribute to a "violation of the spirit of the sport." Their caveats
notwithstanding, the researchers say marijuana fills the bill on all
counts.

The health risks cited are already pretty well known, including an
increased risk of lung cancer and accidents and the potential for
abuse and addiction.

"Acute effects of cannabis include increased heart rate, followed in
many individuals by hypotension, dizziness and disorientation . . .
and sometimes psychosis, panic reactions and paranoia," they wrote.
"Additional effects that could harm the athlete during competition are
loss of vigilance, increased reaction times and short term memory loss."

As for marijuana use violating the "spirit of the sport," there was no
way to scientifically measure that. But the researchers did note that
good sportsmanship requires respect for rules and laws. And since
marijuana is illegal, athletes who smoked pot were breaking the law.

On the other hand, the anti-doping agency's rules do not prohibit
players from smoking marijuana during the off-season. Washington tight
end Fred Davis and left tackle Trent Williams had apparently smoked
marijuana during the four-month NFL lockout this year and again once
the season began. Both were suspended for the remainder of the season.

Williams and Davis are elite players. Maybe what got them up for the
game was the weed that brought them down.

"Clearly, cannabis induces euphoria, improves self-confidence, induces
relaxation and steadiness and relieves the stress of competition," the
researchers wrote. "Cannabis improves sleep and recovery after an
event, reduces anxiety and fear and aids the forgetting of negative
events such as bad falls and so forth. Cannabis increases risk taking
and this perhaps improves training and performance, yielding a
competitive edge. Cannabis increases appetite, yielding increased
caloric intake and body mass. Cannabis enhances sensory perception,
decreases respiratory rate and increases heart rate; increased
bronchodilation may improve oxygenation of the tissues. Finally,
cannabis is an analgesic that could permit athletes to work through
injuries and pain induced by training fatigue."

Maybe that's not worth risking a multimillion-dollar sports contract,
to say nothing of getting busted. But clearly there's a lot more to
"getting stoned" than meets the eye.

Courtland Milloy is a Metro columnist for The Washington
Post.