Lauren Jackson says marijuana saved her: “I was in a pretty dark place”

Many sports personalities, like three-time WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson, advocate for medical cannabis use among athletes, particularly when it comes to recovery and managing pain.

Lauren Jackson’s case study

Jackson was one of the most decorated female basketball players of all time. The Australian superstar represented her country four times in the Olympics, winning a medal each time (three silvers and one bronze).

The WNBA, of course, also became one of her stomping grounds. LJ made the All-Star team seven out of her 12 seasons with the Seattle Storm, winning the title twice and league MVP three times.

After her final championship and MVP seasons in 2010, it was downhill from there for Jackson. She tore her left hip labrum in 2011, causing the former No. 1 overall pick to miss 20 games. Then, those issues lingered in 2012, forcing her to sit out the majority of the season as well.

Jackson retired from competitive basketball in 2016. But even though she stopped playing professional hoops at the time, the damage to her body caused by the injuries she suffered cannot be undone. Thankfully, there was one way for Lauren to cope that did not require popping pills every day.

“Medical cannabis has been life-changing in managing my chronic pain,” Jackson said, per Cannabiz Australia. “I’m proud to support this educational initiative from Saged, which will help healthcare professionals better understand how it can be safely and effectively used to support athletes and patients dealing with long-term pain.”

The educational initiative LJ mentioned was the online learning module launched by Saged that featured her as a case study. The module explores common injuries in women athletes, covering conventional treatment and the potential role of medical cannabis in recovery. It also helps clinicians identify suitable patients while developing pain management plans.

Jackson’s successful comeback attempt was due to medical marijuana

As it turns out, Jackson’s case wasn’t the garden-variety story of a retired pro athlete who was able to regain quality of life because of medical cannabis. It was more than that.

Lauren was actually able to make it back to court, representing Australia in the 2022 FIBA World Cup. In fact, the Hall-of-Fame scored 30 points in the bronze medal game against Canada to give the Aussies another hardware finish.

Her comeback path was nothing but easy. She survived 15 operations and fell into depression while she underwent surgery, rehab and medication.

“I was in a pretty dark place. It was hard. I was in a lot of pain, I couldn’t play and I felt like I was letting a lot of people down too,” Jackson admitted.

As of now, Jackson remains an active member of Levin Health’s Sports Advisory Board. It is under the umbrella of the Levin Group, a Melbourne-based sports medicine company that develops pharmaceutical-grade medicinal cannabis treatments for chronic pain and concussion.

Drawing from her own experience, Jackson remains committed to challenging the stigma surrounding medical cannabis. It’s not for everyone, but for some who qualify, it can be a meaningful part of their road back.

https://www.basketballnetwork.net/off-the-court/three-time-wnba-mvp-claimed-marijuana-saved-her