We’ve all been there, struggling to get through that last half mile of your morning run – And then, something comes over you, a euphoric feeling that gives you the strength and stamina to cross the finish line, your endorphins kick in.
Marijuana and the Runner’s High
This glorious feeling of success is what keeps many of us coming back to lace up our running shoes, however, new studies have revealed that endorphins aren’t the only thing responsible for these feelings of accomplishment. A neurotransmitter called the anandamide is released during exercise and plays an important role in this running-induced happiness. How does this have anything to do with pot? That same neurotransmitter that helps push you to go the extra mile also acts on the cannabinoid receptors that are stimulated when we smoke marijuana.
For the first time, we’re learning that this new connection between the feeling runners get when they’ve pushed themselves, or “runners-high,” is the same sense of accomplishment cannabis users get when they, well, get high. We’ve always known that exercise is an important aspect in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but this newly discovered link between the same euphoric feeling that both running and medicating with marijuana provide is what has us looking deeper. The psychological connection we enjoy when we do both separately, is pretty much producing the same feeling, and we love it. Both running and medicating with pot have shown to provide a sense of euphoric stability, and as we already know marijuana to do, relieve feelings of anxiety and pain.
Although these studies have shown an interesting connection between “runners-high” and being high on marijuana, researchers are still trying to connect the dots as to how our bodies produce such similar effects from two completely different types of stimulation. More importantly, we’re starting to learn more about how exercise and cannabis can really improve your day-to-day life, and that’s worth sprinting for.