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A British biker, who cycled world wide to bust the ‘lazy stoner’ stereotype, has highlighted the advantages of mixing hashish and train.
In 2018 Mike Traynor, who till now has been identified underneath his pseudonym, Roger Boyd, hit the headlines after biking world wide whereas vaping hashish.
The previous IT employee launched his weblog, Healthy Stoner in 2013, to spotlight the advantages of utilizing hashish alongside train.
It happened when Mike, now 41, stop smoking and invested in a dry herb vaporiser, saying he was “blown away” by the impression it had on his well being.
Over two years Mike cycled an estimated 19,000 miles, visiting international locations reminiscent of Spain, Croatia, Greece, New Zealand, Australia, Nepal and India.
He documented his adventures, together with the man advocates he met alongside the best way, on his weblog, resulting in worldwide media protection.
“Biking world wide has been a dream of mine since I used to be a child, earlier than I even knew what hashish was,” says Mike.
“I’ve at all times cherished driving my bike and getting excessive, however there wasn’t a lot on the web about train and hashish at the moment, so I arrange the weblog to showcase the advantages.”
He continues: “It began as me and a few mates making movies, however I’ve at all times wished to journey the world, so why not make it a hashish themed journey?”
Mike would cycle 20 miles earlier than he had his first vape, earlier than occurring to cowl as much as 100 miles a day till he reached his subsequent vacation spot.
His purpose was to bust the widespread “lazy stoner” stereotype usually pinned on hashish shoppers.
Removed from it, Mike says hashish is definitely what motivates him to get out on his bike.
“I discover it actually motivating,” he says.
“Once I get stoned I need to be exterior, doing one thing enjoyable and lively. I don’t actually need to be sitting round.”
He provides: “From a security viewpoint, I don’t discover it in any respect impinges on my capacity to experience a motorbike. I’m fairly tuned in and centered on the duty I’m doing.”
Hashish additionally helps him mentally and bodily, each in the course of the experience and when recovering afterwards.
He was even featured within the 2021 ebook, Runner’s Excessive, which explored the “secret world of stoned athletes” and the function of hashish in extremely endurance coaching in the US.
Whereas most nonetheless, rightly, train warning in the case of THC, in recent times growing numbers {of professional} athletes have spoken about the advantages of CBD merchandise in aiding muscle restoration or serving to with harm and ache administration.
“It helps in a mess of how as everyone knows hashish does, each mentally and bodily,” says Mike.
“It elevates me above any sort of discomfort or bodily ache in the course of the train – it takes any sort of ache out of the legs or from sitting on the saddle for six hours a day.
“It helps with recovering too, and typically whenever you’ve completed a variety of train, you’re actually not hungry, it will increase your urge for food so you’ll be able to refuel.”
An outdated stereotype?
Mike is just not alone, throughout his travels he met individuals who devour hashish earlier than participating in excessive sports activities reminiscent of snowboarding, scuba diving and pace driving.
“I met lots of people who get pleasure from hashish in their very own approach,” he provides.
“The lazy stoner stereotype is lazy in itself, it’s outdated and it doesn’t replicate actuality.”
Often known as “cannabis amotivational syndrome” this idea means that common hashish use leaves shoppers much less more likely to interact in goal-directed behaviour.
The time period was coined round 50 years in the past, to explain the “introversion, passivity, and lack of achievement-orientation” noticed in common hashish shoppers. Different research have additionally reported that hashish customers have been extra more likely to expertise apathy and passivity, which might result in “loss in productiveness” and “aversion of goal-oriented behaviours”.
However a latest research has discovered proof to dispute this speculation.
The research examined the relation between hashish use and effort-related choice making in a pattern of school college students, of which 68 per cent met the standards for Hashish Use Dysfunction.
The findings counsel that those that use hashish are literally extra more likely to expend effort to acquire reward, in accordance with the research authors.
A profession in hashish
Since coming back from his journey in 2017, Mike has discovered himself in the beginning of a probably flourishing profession within the hashish trade.
After two years again in his former job in IT communications, he skilled as a flight attendant earlier than being approached by main US vaping web site Planet of the Vapes.
He utilized for a place with them simply as he was positioned on furlough throughout Covid, and now has what he describes as his “dream job” working within the Planet of the Vapes customer support workforce.
The change of profession has meant Mike is ready to speak extra brazenly about his interest.
“I’m pleased with what I do, it at all times opens up conversations, however the one purpose I needed to maintain it secret was due to work,” he admits.
“The entire thing is about difficult the stigma and it’s troublesome to do this when you’ll be able to’t be sincere about your personal life since you’re anxious about dropping your job.”
The UK panorama has modified considerably since Wholesome Stoner first launched, with the rise in reputation of CBD and legalisation of medical hashish in 2018.
“I believe attitudes are positively altering, however we’ve bought a protracted approach to go,” he says.
“We’re nonetheless lagging behind most different international locations and I can’t see it being legalised right here till the US has federal legalisation. I believe that would be the tipping level.”
Within the meantime, he would like to tackle an American freeway journey and assist individuals realise that it’s doable and – certainly doubtless – to be a “wholesome, skilled and profitable stoner”.
“There’s an entire spectrum of humanity on the market,” provides Mike.
“Hashish is no matter you need it to be, similar to life itself.”
Comply with Mike’s weblog at www.healthystoner.com and discover him on Twitter @HealthyStonerUK and Instagram @healthystoner