CBD: What is it, and Can it Help Your Golf Game?

Cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD, has become one of the hottest things in golf that isn’t already restricted by the USGA. Indeed, attendance by CBD vendors at the 2020 PGA Show was more than 3 times what it was in 2019, and no one expects it to slow down with many PGA TOUR pros considering whether it can help their game

However, for those of us who wish to acquire and digest some information before giving something a chance, the question remains: what is CBD and can it help your golf game?

As you’ve probably read, CBD is derived from Cheech & Chong’s favorite plant: Cannabis. To start, there are three primary strains of cannabis, but, for our purposes, we can distinguish cannabis into two separate classes:

1. “Hemp” covers varieties of cannabis that contain 0.3% or less THC content.
2. “Marijuana” covers varieties of cannabis that contain more than 0.3% THC and can induce psychotropic or euphoric effects on the user.

In order to legally sell CBD products across the US it needs to be derived and manufactured from Industrial Hemp. However, there are usually 3 classifications of CBD strains made from Industrial Hemp:

1. Isolate;
2. Broad Spectrum; and
3. Full Spectrum.

Isolate is an extraction of pure CBD from the plant, and leaving other plant matter and other terpenes behind.

Broad Spectrum is an extraction of CBD from the plant as well as other plant matter and terpenes. Broad Spectrum leaves THC behind or, instead, no traces of THC are detected. As a result, there may be CBD and terpenes, but no THC.

Full Spectrum is derived from a process where the hemp plant is broken down and most of the plant matter is kept, which leaves the molecular make-up and terpenes intact but steps are taken to ensure that there is less than 0.3% THC content (0.3% being the legal limit threshold for THC content in CBD). For Full Spectrum, anything below this threshold is acceptable. Although this will not be enough to feel any buzz or high, use of Full Spectrum CBD products could potentially test positive on a THC drug test.

For the sake of completeness, it’s also worth mentioning that some CBD products are made from Hemp Seed & Hemp Oil (instead of the Hemp Flower or Hemp Plant). CBD products made with Hemp Seed & Hemp Oil do NOT carry the same molecular makeup as the plant itself or the flowers. As a result, our first red flag is that when comparing CBD products, be cautious of ones that are made from seeds, stems or stalks.

So now that we know what CBD is, the next issue is to discuss what CBD does and how it could possibly help you.

To start, CBD is NOT going to cure or heal any ailments that you are suffering from. Indeed, while the FDA and DEA are not fully regulating the CBD industry yet, vendors are prohibited from making false claims that cannot be substantiated with research and data.

Instead, CBD, when paired with the highest quality, natural ingredients, has been found to help with:

• Reduce and prevent inflammation;
• Reduce pain;
• Relieve anxiety and stress;
• Assist with sleep disorders;
• Calming aid; and
• Help with Focus and Concentration.

In light of the foregoing, CBD might be helpful for golfers dealing with aches and soreness or fighting first tee jitters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Bubba Watson (@bubbawatson) on Jan 25, 2020 at 4:28pm PST

In the event you’re interested in giving CBD products a try to help address any of the above issues you might be dealing with, the most popular offerings are as follows:

• Tinctures – The concentrated CBD extract in a liquid form. Arguably the most common CBD product, the largest drawback is consistent measuring, as tinctures are provided with dropper with liquid measurements. On the flip side, the benefit of tinctures is that they can be mixed with virtually anything—drinks, soups, salad dressing, etc. Additionally, your body will, most likely, absorb, process and provide the beneficial effects fastest with a tincture, as it is most readily digestible.
• Gummies – For those of us that cannot stand the hemp-flavor, many brands offer gummies. The benefit of gummies is that they have the least hempy flavor and are solid in predetermined strengths/concentrations (i.e., 10 or 25 mg per gummy). The drawback is that gummies tend to be more expensive than other CBD products due to the additional manufacturing steps that need to be taken.
• Topicals – Usually sold as either a cream or roll-on, CBD topicals are great for applying directly to the source of pain, soreness, etc. and providing fast-acting relief thereto. As a result, topicals are great for when you have some light pain and need to reapply and/or have an unexpected soreness develop and want something to help calm it down. Either way, concentration/strength can range drastically (e.g., 300 to 1,500 mg) for topicals, so it’s important to identify what you’re dealing with (and if you’re using a topical just to help you get past the pain of swinging a club, it’s probably time to see a physical therapist/doctor and find out what’s hurting and why).
• Capsules – For the golfer who doesn’t want to taste anything and aren’t looking to use CBD products for targeted relief, gel capsules could be the ideal option. Similar to the gummies, gel caps can range in concentration (15 to 50 mg), so it’s as straightforward as identifying the appropriate strength and timing when you should ingest it for the calming and/or general pain relief effects.

While this is a lot of information to digest, it certainly isn’t everything and, as a result, you should make sure to do a little investigating of your own before purchasing and/or using CBD products.

Special thanks to Scott Chaisson from Swing Well CBD for walking us through cannabidiol, the benefits it can offer golfers and things to watch out for when evaluating CBD products. Swing Well CBD was founded in April 2019 in Colorado, a partnership between America’s Finest CBD and Irwin Golf Investments, led by Hale and Steve Irwin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Swing Well CBD (@swingwellcbd) on Feb 10, 2020 at 1:51pm PST

A review of Swing Well CBD’s Sunrise (Lemon-flavored), Focus (Gingerberry-flavored) and Sunset (Lavender-flavored) Tinctures, Relief Cream, Soothing Salve Balm, Roll-On and Lip Balm will be coming soon. For anyone interested in non-golf dedicated CBD products, Swing Well CBD’s parent company, America’s Finest CBD, has other product lines catering to many facets of our lives, such as Steady CBD and Be Well Dexter CBD.