Nate Diaz: The Original Trail Blazer for CBD Oil in Sports
In 2016, one of the biggest fights in UFC history took place at the now infamous UFC 202. Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz faced off in one of the most anticipated rematches in recent history. It certainly lived up to the hype with the two men going head to head in an encounter that had every single person watching it, wanting more.
Nate Diaz is a character, you either love him or hate him, its simple. There’s no middle ground when it comes to Diaz, however one thing he must be commended for is honesty and his belief system. He stands behind his opinions and isn’t afraid of voicing them.
During his post-fight interview at the press conference, Diaz attracted the attention of the reporters. They noticed he was using a vape pen throughout the interview and when he was asked what he was doing, he answered honestly: he was vaping CBD oil. Diaz was full of cuts and bruises which looked extremely painful and he was taking CBD as a way to reduce pain and inflammation and even said that it helps him with the healing process. He explained to the reporters that he takes it before and after fights and that it is of great help to him.
This sparked a lot of controversy, since CBD wasn’t legal everywhere in the United States and was on the list of banned substances of both the food and drug administration (FDA) and the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency). Diaz was threatened by a ban since MMA fighters aren’t permitted to use marijuana, and can even face a multiple-year long ban if their post-match drug test came back positive. Nate’s own brother, Nick Diaz had even gotten a five-year ban in 2015 when his urine sample had shown traces of cannabis. However, after the drug test was done, it showed that Nate was clean and in turn, he didn’t get penalized. This isn’t surprising at all, because even though CBD is extracted from the cannabis plant, it has no psychoactive effects like THC does.
Luckily for athletes everywhere, the WADA officially removed CBD from its list of banned substances in January 2018 and athletes have since been free to use purchased CBD products to help prevent pain.
Why do so many athletes use CBD?
For Nate Diaz and other athletes who have professions which often cause chronic pain, it’s hard to find a good pain killer that has many health benefits with almost no side effects.
Since CBD is still a relatively new substance in the public’s eye, various animal studies and clinical trials are being run to research the potential benefits of oil extracted from cannabis and hemp plants.
Some studies published suggest that CBD has anti-inflammatory properties that could help the healing process of sore muscles, as well as torn joints and head injuries, which are very often in competitive sports. Cannabidiol CBD isn’t only used by athletes of course, many everyday ordinary people use it to help relieve pain from their own injuries.
What is Nate Diaz doing now?
It’s been a couple of years since the press conference where he vaped CBD and a lot has changed since then. People have become more open to the idea that CBD is completely harmless and it’s even been approved by the WADA. Diaz is extremely happy about this and even posted about the vape pens he uses, saying he’s happy that fellow athletes like himself are looking for healthy alternatives instead of regular painkillers. Many seemed to have followed his lead, left behind the man-made, over the counter medication and started using CBD oil as well as hemp oil as a natural substitute. Nate Diaz, regardless of your opinion of him, is a trail blazer when it comes to the use of CBD in the sporting world, and we tip can only tip our hat to him.
Nate Diaz & the Rest of the World
Since Nate Diaz sat down at that infamous post fight interview, CBD has made major progress across the globe. With many states in the US now legalizing the use of CBD, CBD oil UK sites have become more and more common. These sites are now allowing people to purchase CBD from the comfort of their own home, which was unheard of when Nate Diaz was speaking so highly of CBD and its benefits in 2016.
