Top 10 Casual Sports to Play While High

Bored of sitting on the sofa watching TV when you’re high? Fair enough!

The stereotype of the lazy stoner is changing, and we believe rightly so. Cannabis is a drug that can be used alongside many activities, including certain sports. In this article, we look at a range of casual sports, from solo to team, that we think are worth a try under the influence of THC.

Understanding the Effects of Cannabis on Sports Performance

For a long time, enjoying cannabis and playing sports have been viewed as mutually exclusive activities. However, the reality is quite different to this. Some athletes use cannabis to help them stay in the zone while performing their sport, while others use cannabis (both THC and CBD) as a valuable part of the recovery process.

Surprisingly, more than a few American football players have admitted to using cannabis not just for recovery, but even before games to help them focus and engage. Shaun Smith of the Dallas Cowboys even claimed to have smoked two blunts before every game he played during his professional career. Now, this is not to say that we encourage the use of cannabis while playing an admittedly dangerous full contact sport, but it shows just how influential cannabis is even in professional sport.

Using cannabis for post-workout recovery is common among both professional athletes and amateurs alike. Some indulge in THC-rich cannabis, while others prefer to use the non-psychoactive CBD to recover. A surprising number of top athletes choose to smoke weed, but vaping and oils are often used by those who want to avoid smoking of all kinds.

Casual Sports & Weed: Fun Above All Else

If you're considering using cannabis when engaging in sport, the main factor is whether it adds to, or detracts from, the experience. Ultimately, it's about having fun and remaining safe, so always use your best judgement when combining the two.

The Best Casual Sports to Take Part in While High

We’ve taken it upon ourselves to create a list of the best sports to enjoy while high. Again, it's more about having fun than trying to break any personal records or dominate the competition. But who knows, maybe a toke or two will give you a new perspective on your sport of choice!

1. Trail Running

Trail running is great fun when high. The benefit of trail running over urban running is that you get the added benefit of being in a soothing natural setting, rather than having to navigate traffic and stomp on the hard concrete.

Now, if you’re about to go for a run, we’d suggest taking an edible of some sort, as the carbon monoxide in smoke will reduce your red blood cells' ability to bind to oxygen, so you may feel more out of breath if you run after smoking.

2. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

BJJ is a very fun and not too exhausting sport that nevertheless requires a lot of mental work—so it can be great fun when high. However, it’s also a combat sport that involves submissions and can potentially seriously hurt people, so always ensure that you’re practising responsibly if you use weed alongside BJJ.

To be on the safe side, we suggest telling any training partners that you're high so that they can adapt to you, and so that they can consent (or not) to training with a high person.

3. Surfing

Few sports go so well with weed as surfing—it’s almost a cliche. So why not pair the two together for an enjoyable day on the waves?

If you’re going to do this, we’d suggest getting your bearings while sober before heading out under the influence. Again, surfing is inherently dangerous, as it’s in wild water, so it’s important to know a little about what you’re doing, otherwise you might find yourself stoned, panicking and out at sea.

4. Skiing & Snowboarding

Snow sports are also closely associated with the stoner community. When it comes to skiing and snowboarding high, we recommend taking it easy, choosing some simpler routes, and enjoying the smoothness of the journey, rather than the adrenaline rush of a big slope.

Depending on how weed affects you, your reaction time might slow down significantly when you’re high, so it can help to slow everything else down too. If not, you might quickly find that things are moving faster than you can handle!

5. Ultimate Frisbee

Ultimate Frisbee is a joy to play when high, though we can't guarantee it'll improve your throw. Free from peril and usually quite a laugh, this team sport is still highly technical and can be very involved.

If you’ve a group of friends who all fancy sporting while high, then this can be a hilarious team event, whether or not everybody gets stoned.

6. Beach Volleyball

Get yourself out in the sun, beside some crashing waves, light up a spliff, and indulge in some beach volleyball. Again, this is a great option to play with friends during the summer months or while on holiday, and it’s sure to be as funny as it is energising.

Once again, this sport is fairly free from jeopardy, so if you’re prone to paranoia when high, it’s a good option that should soothe your mind while giving your body something entertaining to do.

7. Dodgeball

Few of us ever get to play dodgeball outside of school, which is a shame seeing as it’s such a fun sport. So why not bring it back and play it now?

Even better, why not get high and play it? If you do, make sure you choose a soft enough ball so that it doesn’t hurt, as nobody wants to run around stoned while having a heavy, painful ball pelted at them.

8. Longboarding

Longboarding is great for solo stoners who want to drift around the world while enjoying their high. If you’re somewhere it’s safe to do so, it can be particularly enjoyable to longboard while listening to music, although it will make you less aware.

Or, you can just feel the wind in your hair and listen to the sounds of the world as you seamlessly glide through it under the influence of THC.

9. Golf

Golf doesn’t scream cannabis. Usually it has pretty conservative connotations, and many golfers might not appreciate stoners invading the course—but who cares? A gentle game with little risk of danger, golf could lend itself to a few happy stoned hours of pottering around a course.

Just be sure to let others overtake you if you’re taking too long to putt your ball!

10. Basketball

A bit more intense than some of the previous entries, basketball can be a lot of fun. However, you may not want to play basketball if you’re the only one who’s stoned, as you might find events move faster than you can!

But a casual game can be a lot of fun, and it’s a great way to get out of your head for a while!

Tips for Playing Casual Sports While High

Now, here are a few final tips to consider if you choose to do sports when high; they’re sure to improve your time!

• Bring Plenty of Snacks

Both sports and cannabis can make you hungry, so it stands to reason that you’ll get doubly hungry when you enjoy the two together! So, bring yourself plenty of food so that you don’t get overwhelmed with hunger.

A mix of carbs and fresh, energising snacks is probably the best. Classic stoner snacks may not go so well with physical activities, so consider this when shopping.

• Stay Hydrated

Even more importantly, stay hydrated. Dehydration and physical exertion is not a nice combination, and it’s a surefire way to get cotton mouth if you’re high at the same time. So at the very least bring some water along, or better yet, an isotonic sports drink.

• Bring Company and Be Sensible

Where possible, consider doing these activities in the company of others. If they're high too, then it can make for a fun few hours of group interaction; if they're not, then they can keep an eye on you while performing more dangerous solo pursuits, such as surfing.

Regardless, whether solo or in the company of others, always be sensible when using cannabis while doing sports. THC will change your perception and reaction time, and you're arguably more likely to make mistakes that can cause serious damage in the worst circumstances. Take the welfare of yourself and others seriously, and you should be just fine.

The Best Sports to Play High: Let the Games Begin

Getting high and doing sports is by no means impossible. In fact, we’d highly recommend it—in the right circumstances. Take a look through our list (or draw up your own), pack your necessities, and gather a few mates, because you’re in for a novel experience that we hope you’ll want to repeat. Whatever you do, be careful and treat any risky activities with the respect they deserve.