Dedicated runners, like climbers, cultists and fanatics of any inclination, will pursue a trend or perceived advantage in their chosen avocation to a relentless degree – sometimes even into a haze of marijuana smoke.

Chasing that edge, some marathon runners – and their possibly masochistic comrades, ultramarathon runners – have taken up marijuana, as the Wall Street Journal recently documented. For years, runners have debated the benefits and drawbacks of cannabis on their performance and recovery, albeit without much scientific input and with a great deal of “asking for a friend”.

The runners who espouse marijuana say it decreases stress, cramps and nausea during a run, and say it acts as a relaxant afterward for managing pain and sore muscles.

Click here to read the entire article on The Guardian.