List of Boxers Who Smoke Weed

• The stigma is dissolving – Heavyweight legends like Mike Tyson openly admit to smoking before fights, while current champions invest in cannabis businesses, signaling a major cultural shift in combat sports
• Policy is evolving rapidly – Nevada’s State Athletic Commission voted in 2021 to stop disciplining fighters for cannabis, and the Association of Boxing Commissions’ Medical Advisory Committee stated cannabis is not performance-enhancing but rather performance-suppressing
• Business empires are being built – Tyson 2.0 and Ric Flair Drip together generated about $50 million in their first year, with former rivals like Tyson and Holyfield becoming cannabis business partners after their infamous 1997 bout
• Your recovery options are expanding – Whether seeking specific strains for post-workout relief or CBD products for inflammation, the marketplace now offers recovery-focused options across categories
• The athlete-to-entrepreneur pipeline is real – Multiple boxers have successfully leveraged their name recognition into legitimate cannabis ventures, from Champ RX to Love Hemp

Mike Tyson is not only a legendary heavyweight champion—he is also breaking new ground in the cannabis industry. His career is a vivid illustration of how attitudes and opportunities around cannabis in boxing have changed.

• Admitted to cannabis use: Openly smoked marijuana before his 2020 exhibition fight with Roy Jones Jr., stating “I smoked every day” during training and never stopped using cannabis throughout his career.
• Early controversy: Was suspended and fined $200,000 in 2000 for a positive marijuana test; by 2020, the boxing world was more accepting, with Triller later partnering with Weedmaps in 2021.
• Business success: Transformed from a suspended athlete to a cannabis mogul; Tyson 2.0 and Ric Flair Drip together generated about $50 million in revenue within one year and have projected around $160 million in combined revenue.
• Personal cannabis habits: Claimed to spend $40,000 monthly on cannabis at peak usage and prefers sativa strains.
• Athletic performance: Demonstrated good movement and endurance at age 54 in his 2020 exhibition, challenging assumptions about cannabis impairment in sports.
• Education for fans: Herb’s strain guides provide detailed information on sativa and their effects for those interested.

Anthony Joshua’s story demonstrates how a champion boxer’s relationship with cannabis can evolve from youthful experimentation to sophisticated advocacy. His experiences reflect a nuanced, modern approach to responsible cannabis use for athletes.

• Early use and challenges: Publicly discussed smoking cannabis as a teenager and was convicted in 2011 for cannabis possession before turning professional.
• Athletic discipline: Asserted that eliminating distractions like cannabis was key to focusing on athletic improvement, helping him achieve Olympic gold and multiple world titles.
• CBD business involvement: Became an ambassador and shareholder in Love Hemp in 2021, recognizing the therapeutic potential of non-psychoactive cannabinoids.
• Modern athlete mindset: Transitioned from recreational use to therapeutic advocacy, showing responsible cannabis use can coexist with athletic excellence when managed around training cycles.

Shannon Briggs, former heavyweight champion, experienced a dramatic personal health turnaround thanks to cannabis. His advocacy and business ventures make him a prominent figure in the conversation about cannabis and recovery in combat sports.

• Health transformation: After retirement, Briggs described being in “really bad health” with severe depression, but stated CBD supplementation helped him become “now in the best shape of his life.”
• Entrepreneurship: Launched Champ RX CBD following his positive experience with cannabis.
• Recovery advocate: Represents fighters who find cannabis essential for managing mental health and physical recovery after a combat sports career.
• Responsible use: Advocates for the therapeutic benefits of CBD and distinguishes his approach from purely recreational use.
• Business leadership: Promotes leveraging athletes’ platforms to foster responsible cannabis consumption.

Evander Holyfield’s cannabis journey offers one of the most powerful reconciliation stories in boxing. His partnership with Mike Tyson and advocacy for recovery-focused products illustrate broader opportunities for retired athletes.

• Symbolic partnership: After his infamous bout with Tyson, Holyfield became business partners with Tyson in the cannabis industry; together, they launched “Holy Ears” cannabis products under the Tyson 2.0 brand.
• Personal testimonial: Credited CBD with providing “the nicest sleep I had in a long time,” emphasizing the recovery benefits of non-psychoactive cannabinoids.
• Business and healing: Embodies how the cannabis industry can inspire unexpected reconciliations and new ventures for retired fighters.

As an active professional boxer, Arnold Barboza Jr. represents a new generation openly advocating CBD for athletic recovery. His stance signals changing regulations and growing acceptance of cannabis within professional sports.

• CBD advocacy: Publicly promotes the role of CBD in his training regimen, reflecting new regulatory realities that distinguish between THC and CBD.
• Active competitor: His position is significant since he is still competing, demonstrating that responsible CBD use can align with high-level athletic career demands.
• Recovery focus: Emphasizes the anti-inflammatory and recovery benefits of CBD for managing the physical requirements of boxing.

The Association of Boxing Commissions’ Medical Advisory Committee stated cannabis is not performance-enhancing and recommended reduced penalties, referring to it as performance-suppressing. This scientific acknowledgment has led to concrete policy changes, most notably Nevada’s State Athletic Commission voted in 2021 to stop disciplining fighters for cannabis.

These regulatory shifts explain the dramatic difference in how Mike Tyson’s cannabis use was treated in 2000 versus 2020. The evolution from career-threatening suspensions to corporate-sponsored events reflects broader societal acceptance—70% of Americans supported legalization in 2023, up from 16% in 1990. This policy transformation is creating space for athletes to be more open about their cannabis use and business interests.

Current cannabis testing in boxing relies primarily on three methods: oral fluid tests that detect recent use, urine tests that can detect use for varying periods depending on frequency, and the World Anti-Doping Agency’s threshold of 150 ng/mL for THC metabolites. However, research confirms that extreme environmental exposure to secondhand smoke can produce positive THC tests in oral fluid up to 3 hours post-exposure in unventilated conditions.

Detection windows vary widely by frequency and dose; heavy daily users can test positive for 30+ days, whereas occasional users may clear much faster. The inconsistency between state regulations—as of 2024, 24 states and DC have legalized adult-use cannabis; 38 states and DC have legalized medical cannabis—creates a complex patchwork that fighters must navigate when competing across jurisdictions.

The transition from boxer to cannabis entrepreneur has brought remarkable financial success for legends like Tyson, Holyfield, Briggs, and Joshua. Their ventures have proven that athlete-endorsed products resonate in a crowded marketplace.

• Market Validation: Tyson 2.0 and Ric Flair Drip reported about $50 million in combined revenue in their first year, with projections of roughly $160 million in total.
• Unlikely Alliances: The partnership between Tyson and Holyfield shows that sports rivalries can lead to lucrative business collaborations.
• Diverse Models: Shannon Briggs launched Champ RX CBD after his health transformation, and Anthony Joshua invested in Love Hemp for CBD advocacy.
• Product Categories: Athlete-led brands typically offer flower and pre-rolls (Tyson’s favorite), ear-shaped gummies like Mike Bites and Holy Ears, CBD oils and supplements, and topical recovery products.
• Consumer Access: Product catalogs by sites like Herb aggregate all these offerings across many categories, making athlete-endorsed products broadly accessible.

Boxers seeking cannabis for post-fight recovery must carefully choose cannabinoid ratios and terpene profiles. Understanding the difference between THC and CBD is essential for balancing anti-inflammatory benefits with performance safety.

• THC vs. CBD: THC may impair performance, while CBD provides strong anti-inflammatory benefits without psychoactive effects.
• Active Advocacy: Arnold Barboza Jr. prefers CBD-rich products to support his training and recovery.
• Strain Preferences: Tyson favors energizing sativa strains specifically for their terpene profiles, while others may prefer indica for restful sleep.
• Personalized Protocols: Fighters can browse dispensaries with expert staff who teach them how to match products to specific athletic recovery needs.
• Guidance Tools: Strain guides help athletes and fans select varieties to address inflammation, improve sleep quality, or manage stress.

The normalization of cannabis in boxing extends beyond individual athletes to cultural acceptance. Former opponents becoming business partners, active fighters openly discussing CBD use, and regulatory bodies acknowledging cannabis as non-performance-enhancing all signal a fundamental shift in the sport’s relationship with plant medicine.

This cultural transformation is documented regularly in cannabis news coverage, which tracks policy changes, athlete advocacy, and industry developments. For fans wanting to stay updated on these evolving dynamics, subscribing to Herb Hype provides bi-weekly insights into athlete ventures and regulatory shifts.

Research confirms cannabis decreases reaction time and disrupts hand-eye coordination, making it performance-suppressing rather than enhancing. This scientific reality contradicts the historical rationale for cannabis prohibition in sports and supports the Association of Boxing Commissions’ position that cannabis should be treated differently than traditional performance-enhancing drugs.

The focus is shifting from prohibition to education—helping athletes understand proper timing, dosing, and product selection for their specific needs. Whether using CBD for recovery or THC for post-competition relaxation, informed choices based on scientific understanding are replacing blanket prohibition.