Medical Marijuana Question?

[JxQx]

I would guess it against the rules as would be drinking (even though pros have done it) or taking TRT or beta blockers. 

[Lihu]

2 hours ago, NM Golf said:

 

But it's not. I do not know your background with marijuana, but even the most relaxing indica strain would cause slowed reaction time and fine motor skills would be diminished.  Neither of those things would be conducive to playing better golf. No one is that nervous where it would be a good trade off. I don't mean to argue with either of you, I am just saying in NO WAY can I see how marijuana use during a round of golf would be performance enhancing. 

Right...

1 hour ago, Jeremie Boop said:

I can only relate back to my several years experience of golfing with guys in my previous league who would suddenly play much better as soon as they started smoking. It was a given, within a hole or 2 of them lighting up their scores would drop. As usual, it's only anecdotal so I fully expect people to immediately disregard it.

But they THINK they’re hitting farther and straighter for sure 😂

 

42 minutes ago, Eric C said:

Having played many, many rounds while under the influence of marijuana I can personally attest to it not being performance enhancing.  Against the rules?  Perhaps.  But not performance enhancing. Quite the opposite. Everyone reacts differently to being high, and while it may well reduce stress it also certainly reduces one's ability to focus.  Golf requires focus.  I'd get high and kick ass for about two holes, then be all over the place.

I haven't used marijuana since moving to Florida because it's not legal here, and I don't have a qualifying medicinal reason to get a prescription.  I could of course make one up, because it's not like getting a prescription is difficult, but it's not such an important thing to me that I feel the need to go out of my way.  I personally don't see a difference between drinking or smoking beyond the legal aspect - both are personal decisions, and when used responsibly should be an individual's choice.

Right, I’ve seen plenty of people in late afternoon rounds playing high and taking bong hits between holes.

They’re not playing anything close to what they possibly could when not high. At least, basing it upon their horrible performance while high 😁

BTW, Medical Marijuana doesn’t get you as high. It just numbs pain and slows you down. I don’t think it even relaxes you the way the normal stuff does. Getting high seemed to be the factor in relaxing? At least, theoretically speaking of course 🤪🙄👀

[Jeremie Boop]

1 minute ago, Lihu said:

 

But they THINK they’re hitting farther and straighter for sure 😂

 

You misunderstand, I watched them improve after smoking. I was playing in the same group. It wasn't them saying they played better, it was me witnessing it.

[Lihu]

1 minute ago, Jeremie Boop said:

You misunderstand, I watched them improve after smoking. I was playing in the same group. It wasn't them saying they played better, it was me witnessing it.

Did they share? 🤔

[Jeremie Boop]

1 minute ago, Lihu said:

Did they share? 🤔

.... Not sure if you are just trying to be funny or seriously asking, but they would have if I actually wanted. I haven't and won't ever get high. I think it's incredibly stupid and would have really loved to not be around it. That's the one thing that's good about not being in that league, I don't have to put up with it.

[Billy Z]

9 minutes ago, Jeremie Boop said:

You misunderstand, I watched them improve after smoking. I was playing in the same group. It wasn't them saying they played better, it was me witnessing it.

The reason the individual smokes M is to calm himself down from the pressure of competition. Those are his very words. If that isn't performance enhancing I don't know what is? Imagine playing a competitive round where a golfer is not affected by pressure! 

[DaveP043]

1 hour ago, Rulesman said:

It's all somewhat irrelevant. The USGA has a rule in place which covers the topic for golfing purposes.

As far as I've read, the USGA has a policy in place for the competitions they run, and specifically authorizes a Committee to develop their own anti-doping policy for a competition.  Outside of that, does the USGA have another rule that I've missed?

[NM Golf]

33 minutes ago, Jeremie Boop said:

You misunderstand, I watched them improve after smoking. I was playing in the same group. It wasn't them saying they played better, it was me witnessing it.

I have little doubt that this is merely an outlier and if someone were to actually collect data in a scientific way it would show that the effects of both alcohol and marijuana are detrimental on one's ability to play golf, or any sport for that matter. It makes people unable to operate a motor vehicle safely, but turns them into Tiger Woods on the golf course? Come on...

19 minutes ago, Billy Z said:

The reason the individual smokes M is to calm himself down from the pressure of competition. Those are his very words. If that isn't performance enhancing I don't know what is? Imagine playing a competitive round where a golfer is not affected by pressure! 

The mental game is highly overrated, the detrimental effects on your motor skills and reaction times would highly outweigh any dulling of performance anxiety. I mean really, how nervous can you possibly be? I have friends who swear they are better after a couple beers on the course. I always agree with them because I know it's not true and they will just lose more money the drunker they get.

Edited September 19, 2019 by NM Golf

[Jeremie Boop]

8 minutes ago, NM Golf said:

I have little doubt that this is merely an outlier and if someone were to actually collect data in a scientific way it would show that the effects of both alcohol and marijuana are detrimental on one's ability to play golf, or any sport for that matter. It makes people unable to operate a motor vehicle safely, but turns them into Tiger Woods on the golf course? Come on...

The mental game is highly overrated, the detrimental effects on your motor skills and reaction times would highly outweigh any dulling of performance anxiety. I mean really, how nervous can you possibly be? I have friends who swear they are better after a couple beers on the course. I always agree with them because I know it's not true and they will just lose more money the drunker they get.

Rofl, good talk.

Thankfully others have posted the actual rules in relation to this discussion.

[Lihu]

11 minutes ago, NM Golf said:

I have little doubt that this is merely an outlier and if someone were to actually collect data in a scientific way it would show that the effects of both alcohol and marijuana are detrimental on one's ability to play golf, or any sport for that matter. It makes people unable to operate a motor vehicle safely, but turns them into Tiger Woods on the golf course? Come on...

The outliers are like functioning alcoholics, they exist, but are far from normal.  Plus, if someone has gobs of swing speed and only needs to relax, then it might help?

In any case, yeah for 99% of us, it turns us into delusional slobs 😂

[Billy Z]

1 hour ago, NM Golf said:

 

The mental game is highly overrated,... 

ROTFLOL, really? I can't believe you play any competitive golf at all, but probably out drinking a few beers at the public municipal. The mental aspect of the game is always talked about on the PGA tour and in any competition. Your comment is bordering on insane.

[NM Golf]

6 minutes ago, Billy Z said:

ROTFLOL, really? I can't believe you play any competitive golf at all, but probably out drinking a few beers at the public municipal. The mental aspect of the game is always talked about on the PGA tour and in any competition. Your comment is bordering on insane.

Yeah really see this thread...

I play a ton of competitive golf at a much higher level than you BTW. The mental game is a crutch used by people to explain away why they don't play well because it's easier on the ego than saying they don't physically have the tools. If you would like to discuss that please click on the link above to that thread because it's in this one.

[iacas]

@Jeremie Boop, your study isn't scientific at all. Give them weed with no THC and they might also play better.

Plus, we're likely talking about guys who don't regularly break even 40, let alone par, right?

[Jeremie Boop]

1 minute ago, iacas said:

@Jeremie Boop, your study isn't scientific at all. Give them weed with no THC and they might also play better.

Plus, we're likely talking about guys who don't regularly break even 40, let alone par, right?

I never once tried to pass it off as scientific so I don't know why you even mention that. I only related my personal experience related to the discussion of the possible performance enhancement. And no, they were not all people who couldn't break 40, several were single digit handicap guys who regularly finished rounds at 40 or better. These same guys, when unable to partake for some reason would rarely score under 40. Could it be that it was just psychological for them, and that having not THC would have allowed them to play just as good? That's definitely a possibility.

I seriously need to avoid these discussions, I know my personal distaste for weed smoking colors my comments so I'll almost always be against allowing it. But in this instance, any chance that it could help the person in a competition just seemed like a no brainer to say it's not a good idea.

On that note, once again as happens in these types of discussions, I'll bow out. Especially given the original question was already answered with specific rules.

[iacas]

2 minutes ago, Jeremie Boop said:

I never once tried to pass it off as scientific so I don't know why you even mention that.

Because I'm interested in facts, not what you think you saw based on some high handicappers you played nine holes with a few times.

Like this:

Quote

Why might marijuana and cannabinoids meet this criteria?

• Performance-enhancement: A common perception of marijuana is that its use impairs physical activity, including exercise performance. While the effects of marijuana can decrease hand-eye coordination and distort spatial perception, there are other effects that can be performance enhancing for some athletes and sport disciplines. Cannabis can cause muscle relaxation and reduce pain during post-workout recovery. It can also decrease anxiety and tension, resulting in better sport performance under pressure. In addition, cannabis can increase focus and risk-taking behaviors, allowing athletes to forget bad falls or previous trauma in sport, and push themselves past those fears in competition.[1]

You want to refute @NM Golf? Just list some freaking facts instead of "some high handicappers in my league say it's a PED." The freaking USADA says it's a PED:

Marijuana FAQ | U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA)

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Find answers regarding marijuana’s position on the Prohibited List, its adverse effects on athletes & information on marijuana legislation in the U.S.A.

So does the WADA:

What is Prohibited | World Anti-Doping Agency

You want to argue with @NM Golf about this stuff? There. Do it that way.

[Jeremie Boop]

2 minutes ago, iacas said:

Because I'm interested in facts, not what you think you saw based on some high handicappers you played nine holes with a few times.

Like this:

You want to refute @NM Golf? Just list some freaking facts instead of "some high handicappers in my league say it's a PED." The freaking USADA says it's a PED:

Marijuana FAQ | U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA)

---

Find answers regarding marijuana’s position on the Prohibited List, its adverse effects on athletes & information on marijuana legislation in the U.S.A.

So does the WADA:

What is Prohibited | World Anti-Doping Agency

You want to argue with @NM Golf about this stuff? There. Do it that way.

👍

Thanks for posting that stuff, you are right, I should have referred to those things and then I could have related them to my personal experiences with fellow golfers from league. As I said in my previous post, my general disdain for drug/marijuana use tends to make me a bit less thorough and logical in my responses. Good to know that my personal experiences with the effects of it on people I've golfed hundreds of holes with over the years jive with USADA and WADA findings though.

[Eric C]

19 hours ago, Lihu said:

BTW, Medical Marijuana doesn’t get you as high. It just numbs pain and slows you down. I don’t think it even relaxes you the way the normal stuff does. Getting high seemed to be the factor in relaxing? At least, theoretically speaking of course 🤪🙄👀

I don't know that that is accurate, and it definitely depends on the state.  In Colorado and California, for example, medical marijuana is exactly the same as the recreational strains available in dispensaries.  The difference is the level of taxation.  I did find one article that stated that 14 states limit THC potency, but after researching state-by-state wasn't able to pin that down.  I don't disagree that it's possible, but will argue the efficacy of doing so.  But to your point - Florida is considering legislation to limit the potency to 10% THC because levels above that "can induce psychosis in some users" (anyone seen Reefer Madness? 😄) A fools errand - the pot our parents smoked was around 7%, with the high-end "sinsemilla" coming in at around 9.5%.  It still gets you high.  Admittedly, the strains produced these days are much stronger, with 18-20% being considered high potency, and 30% being the upper limit for flower.  Extracts from marijuana plants, like hash oil, generally come in between 50 - 80%.

To tie it all back together so I'm less off topic - regardless of the THC level, marijuana impairs a person mentally more so today than it did 20 years ago.  Golf is proven to have a significant mental component, aligned closely with the physical aspects of the game.  Thus weed absolutely has a negative impact on ones golf performance - though it might make a shitty round more fun.

[NM Golf]

Quote

 cannabis can increase focus and risk-taking behaviors, allowing athletes to forget bad falls or previous trauma in sport, and push themselves past those fears in competition.

I stand corrected, marijuana is definitely a PED. People that smoke weed don't remember how bad they sucked and therefor are not affected by the 'demons" the rest of us are.

Seriously though, I still don't buy that it's effects are performance enhancing for golfers, the fact that it decreases hand-eye coordination and distorts spatial perception I believe far outweighs any benefits one might get from decreased anxiety and tension. Again, golf is way more physical than mental. But that's just my personal opinion as someone who has felt the affects of cannabinoids before.

22 hours ago, Lihu said:

BTW, Medical Marijuana doesn’t get you as high. It just numbs pain and slows you down. I don’t think it even relaxes you the way the normal stuff does. Getting high seemed to be the factor in relaxing? At least, theoretically speaking of course 🤪🙄👀

There really isn't any "normal stuff" anymore. As @Eric C stated the marijuana strains today are for more potent than those of yesteryear. With its decriminalization, growers have been able to develop strains that are more pain relieving as opposed to euphoric in nature. Also, different strains have different affects. Indica strains generally provide a deeper feeling of relaxation whereas sativa strains provide a more euphoric or "giggly" effect. I think the whole thing is fascinating myself, I have a cousin who is a grower and the whole operation is mind boggling. I always thought of it as a bunch of hippies with houseplants, it's actually very scientific and labor intensive.