“Marijuana Puts me in the Zone” – Olympic Snowboard Champion Ross Rebagliati

“For me, whether you are skiing, or snowboarding, or riding a road bike, or working out at the gym, (marijuana use) puts you in the moment. You get in a zone where you can give it a 110 percent.”

No, not the words of a dispensary owner or marijuana cultivator, but the words of Ross Rebagliati, a Canadian who became the first Olympic Snowboarding Champion after defeating the opposition to take the Gold Medal in Nagano, 1998.

A high profile advocate of cannabis legalization, Rebagliati is the latest in a long line of athletes who attribute marijuana as a key component in their physical endeavours. However, the former Olympic Champion is the only one who has decided to negate anonymity and become a recognised face in the movement for marijuana legalisation in Canada.

Lessened fatigue, reduced physical pain and a far more healthy substitute for highly addictive painkillers and just some of the benefits of marijuana use, according to some athletes.