WNBA Legend Lauren Jackson Says Medical Cannabis Has 'Been Incredible' For Her Chronic Pain Management

Being a professional athlete is not all just fun, fame and money as it may seem.

It’s also a ton of hard work and pushing both your body and your mind to extremes. And always pushing the limits.

Competition? Don’t get me started.  

That’s when sports injuries occur. When you need to raise the bar, to beat the competition, when your challenge your body just one iota too much.

Most pro athletes are sadly familiar with injuries. In fact, there are precious few who have been lucky enough to get through a long career without being hurt at least once. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that more and more are looking at medical cannabis and/or CBD products to help handle their injuries. Some have even decided to jump into the industry in one form or another, usually motivated by amazing personal results.

The latest athlete to join the group in spreading the message about the benefits of cannabis is Lauren Elizabeth Jackson, one of the best female basketball players of all time.

Jackson is the first Australian basketball player ever to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, a two-time WNBA champion with the Seattle Storm, three-time MVP, seven-time WNBA All-Star and the overall number-one pick in the 2011 draft. What’s more, Jackson won four Olympic medals (three silver and one bronze) and was on course to get a fifth until a degenerative knee injury forced her to retire from basketball, wrote ABC News.  

"It didn't end the way I wanted it [to]," Jackson said.

Medical Cannabis Instead Of Painkillers 

Throughout her career, Jackson underwent many surgeries for which she relied on painkillers. Even in retirement, chronic knee, hip and lower back pain persists.

"I've been open about my battle with prescription medication during my career and when I retired, I went off everything because I wanted to raise my kids and just be the very best version of myself," Jackson said.

Fortunately, her physician proposed trying medical marijuana when she asked for alternative treatment for pain management.

"It's been incredible," Jackson explained. "It's helped me a lot and gotten me to the point where I'm able to train again and live a very active lifestyle with my two little boys."

Spreading The Message 

Jackson was so thrilled with the results that she joined a new Sports Advisory Board, run by the Melbourne-based sports medicine company, Levin Group, which develops pharmaceutical-grade medicinal cannabis for chronic pain and concussion. 

Jackson aims to help reduce the stigma associated with the plant by sharing her personal experience.

"It's something that I personally believe in because of how my body has handled it," Jackson said. "I just want to help get the message out there and hopefully help change people's lives."

Photo: Courtesy of Bidgee via Wikimedia Commons