Kyle Kingsbury details benefits of moderate marijuana use by adults

Retired UFC light heavyweight Kyle Kingsbury is one of a number of figures interviewed by Elite Daily for a profile of the 420 Games. Established by Jim McAlpine, founder of the ski/snowboard lifestyle brand SnowBomb.com, the 420 Games seek to destigmatize responsible cannabis use.

The 420 events include everything from organized runs (often 4.20 miles, heh) to mountain bike races and golf tournaments. Participants are responsible pot users who aim to prove they still live healthy and active lifestyles.

“We’re coming off decades of negative propaganda stigmatizing cannabis use,” said McApline. “We’ve all been lied to. It’s a bad rap and we need to change the dialogue. There are millions of people who use marijuana in effective, healthy and productive ways. We plan to show this to the world via athletic achievement.”

All of this coincides with the movement for marijuana legalization, which is rapidly gaining momentum across the United States. At this point, four states and Washington DC have legalized recreational marijuana, and 23 states and DC have medicinal marijuana programs.

According to polling from Pew Research Center, a majority of Americans, particularly Millennials, are now ready for pot to be legal across the country

With that said, as with any substance, excessive use of pot can have negative consequences, and moderation should be the golden rule. The 420 Games promotes and educates people on this mentality, while also working to deter minors from using cannabis.

In mixed martial arts. regulators are increasingly loosening the restrictions on marijuana use. However, just because marijuana use is widely seen as a personal choice rather than an illegal act, a fighter cannot compete while high, just as he or she cannot compete while drunk.

The allowable limit set by most state athletic commissions used to be 50 ng/mL, which indicates recent use, but not that the athlete is high. Some ACs have moved the level to 150 ng/mL, bringing it in keeping with World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) standards.

Given the rapidly changing perception about marijuana, it is likely that over time the 50 ng/mL level will become the standard in mixed martial arts and combat sports.