Freakonomics Radio
The science says no, at least not in the athletic sense. But the psychic benefits can be large — just ask former N.F.L. star Ricky Williams. He says athletes should consider cannabis a healing drug, not a party drug. Even the N.F.L. is starting to agree. (Part two of a two-part series.)
- SOURCES:
- Angela Bryan, professor, associate chair for faculty development in the department of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
- Ricky Williams, former N.F.L. running back, founder of Highsman.
- RESOURCES:
- “Using A Lab On Wheels To Study Weed From Dispensaries,” by Science Friday (2024).
- “Exercise-induced euphoria and anxiolysis do not depend on endogenous opioids in humans,” by Michael Siebers, Sarah Biedermann, Laura Bindila, Beat Lutz, and Johannes Fuss (Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2021).
- “Endocannabinoids mediate runner’s high,” by Sudhakaran Prabakaran (Science Signaling, 2015).
- “Cannabis and Exercise Science: A Commentary on Existing Studies and Suggestions for Future Directions,” by Angela Bryan, Arielle Gilman, and Kent Hutchison (Sports Medicine, 2015).
- Run Ricky Run, documentary (2010).
- EXTRAS:
- “Is America Switching from Booze to Weed?” series by Freakonomics Radio (2024).
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
480. How Much Does Discrimination Hurt the Economy?
Evidence from Nazi Germany and 1940’s America (and pretty much everywhere else) shows that discrimination is incredibly costly — to the victims, of course, but also the perpetrators. One modern solution is to invoke a…
479. The Economist’s Guide to Parenting: 10 Years Later
In one of the earliest Freakonomics Radio episodes (No. 39!), we asked a bunch of economists with young kids how they approached child-rearing. Now the kids are old enough to talk — and they have…
478. How Can We Break Our Addiction to Contempt?
Arthur Brooks is an economist who for 10 years ran the American Enterprise Institute, one of the most influential conservative think tanks in the world. He has come to believe there is only one weapon…
477. Why Is U.S. Media So Negative?
Breaking news! Sources say American journalism exploits our negativity bias to maximize profits, and social media algorithms add fuel to the fire. Stephen Dubner investigates.
That’s a Great Question! (Ep. 192 Rebroadcast)
Verbal tic or strategic rejoinder? Whatever the case: it’s rare to come across an interview these days where at least one question isn’t a “great” one.
“This Didn’t End the Way It’s Supposed to End.” (Bonus)
The N.B.A. superstar Chris Bosh was still competing at the highest level when a blood clot abruptly ended his career. In his new book, Letters to a Young Athlete, Bosh covers the highlights and the…
476. What Are the Police for, Anyway?
The U.S. is an outlier when it comes to policing, as evidenced by more than 1,000 fatal shootings by police each year. But we’re an outlier in other ways too: a heavily-armed populace, a fragile…
475. Why Does the Richest Country in the World Have So Many Poor Kids?
Among O.E.C.D. nations, the U.S. has one of the highest rates of child poverty. How can that be? To find out, Stephen Dubner speaks with a Republican senator, a Democratic mayor, and a large cast…
474. All You Need Is Nudge
When Richard Thaler published Nudge in 2008 (with co-author Cass Sunstein), the world was just starting to believe in his brand of behavioral economics. How did nudge theory hold up in the face of a…
Is There Really a “Loneliness Epidemic”? (Ep. 407 Rebroadcast)
That’s what some health officials are saying, but the data aren’t so clear. We look into what’s known (and not known) about the prevalence and effects of loneliness — including the possible upsides.