Dr Jonathan Newman & Tim Lay - Reclaiming the Importance of Pleasure in Sport through the Use of Psy

The Medical Cannabis Bike Tour is presented as an initiative that challenges prevailing negative perceptions of cannabis use in athletes and society. By undertaking a demanding 350-kilometer cycling event, participants actively counter claims that cannabis is antithetical to the spirit of sport. The tour functions as both a charitable fundraiser for medical cancer research and a platform for dialogue among diverse participants, including entrepreneurs and professionals. Central to the initiative is a critique of the prohibitionist framework surrounding cannabis. The speakers highlight the discrepancies and contradictions in how regulatory bodies use WADA criteria to justify prohibitions, arguing that cannabis can, for many, be a non-performance-enhancing substance that facilitates well-being, pleasure, and social bonding rather than illicit behavior. By reframing cannabis use within the context of healthy, community-driven athletic activities, the initiative aims to shift broader societal discourse toward a more balanced, evidence-based understanding of the substance.