‘Cannabis’ was once a subject no one spoke about. Its production, use, and distribution were illegal and punishable under the law. But this was in the past, things are changing rapidly especially in the world of wrestling.
Its medical and recreational powers can not be hidden anymore. There is a rising number of weed activists singing the praises of the plant. These activists include old-school wrestling superstars. Although illegal at that time, Weed was a major part of their lifestyle, especially in the last three decades.
Fans wondered how the stars could cope with the pain and pressure that came with the sport; they had to deal with intense holds and bumps. How would they have coped without the pain relieving capability of Weed?
Thankfully, with the recent policy reforms and how ‘Weed’ is seen, a couple of former wrestling superstars have come out to speak on the benefits of weed. They are now Weed activists and seem to use it to prolong their careers.
Wrestling Superstars Turned Weed Activists
Wrestling is not just an entertaining sport. It exudes energy, drama, and action. The players are so much fun to watch.
Here are some of the most prominent wrestling superstars who are still in the news not just for wrestling but for ‘weed activism’.
Jesse “The Body” Ventura
The name ‘Jesse The Body” rings a bell in several areas, not just wrestling. He is an American politician, television presenter, actor, author, political commentator, and retired professional wrestler.
Ventura started off as a member of the U.S. Navy Underwater Demolition Team in the Vietnam War. Soon after quitting the military, he went on to become a professional wrestler from the year 1975 to 1986, using the ring name "Jesse 'The Body' Ventura".
He graced our screens both as a performer and as a color commentator. Fame came calling as he got inducted into the 2004 WWE Hall of Fame. As time went by, he made appearances in the very first iteration of The XFL that was held in 2001.
He picked an intense interest in politics and pursued his dreams of becoming a governor when out of the ring. As a reform party candidate, he won the governorship of Minnesota. He remained governor between the years 1998 and 2003.
Ventura is known for another cause - cannabis legalization activism. He is committed to seeing cannabis become legalized in every corner of the nation. He was inspired to do this after watching a close friend suffer helplessly from seizures. After a trip to Colorado to get products that ended the seizures, he started pushing for the legalization of such products. He even went as far as writing a book with the title “Jesse Ventura’s Marijuana Manifesto.”
Rob Van Dam
American actor and professional wrestler, Robert Alexander Szatkowski was born on the 18th of December 1970. Popularly known as his ring name - Rob Van Dam (RVD) left his mark in the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).
His name was in the mouth of almost every wrestling fan in the 90s especially after winning the ECW Television Championship by defeating Bam Bam Bigelow. With a lot of wins and awards under his belt, Rob Van Dam Was inducted in 2021 into the WWE Hall of Fame.
In fact, he is one of the two wrestlers ever to have gotten the WWE, ECW, and TNA global championship. the other wrestler is Bobby Lashley. At the moment, RVD is now one of the most prominent and 'longest-standing' weed activists emerging from the world of wrestling.
Weed activism seems to be a passion as strong as wrestling for Van Dam.
He once got an award and was named - the winner of the most-watched WWE Heavyweight Championship. Surprisingly, he turned it down because of an arrest for minor cannabis possession. This happened in 2006. The incident was only a break in his career as he bounced back to become a vocal marijuana advocate.
His passion to see cannabis legalized everywhere can be seen in a lot of his endeavors. It should also be noted that he owns a CBD brand.
The Godfather/Papa Shango
Named Charles Wright at birth, the professional wrestler is better known by his ring name ‘The Godfather’. He was born on the 16th of May 16 1961 and is an American professional wrestler.
He rose to stardom after his participation in the World Wrestling Federation in the 1990s to the 2000s. Over the years, he went through a couple of gimmick changes; the most memorable ones were The Godfather, Kama, Papa Shango, Kama Mustafa.
Among other awards, Charles Wright had the following under his belt: USWA Unified World Heavyweight Champion (two times), WWF Intercontinental Champion (one time), and a WWF World Tag Team Champion (one time).
He went on to become a part of the WWE Hall of Fame in the year 2016.
Even though he is perceived to be a strong man, most of his biggest fans didn’t understand the pains behind the gains. He suffered intense injuries, body pains, and every pain a sportsman goes through.
All these continued until he used marijuana. He claimed that his knees and back felt better. This opened his eyes to the therapeutic effects of marijuana. Now a weed activist, The GodFather strongly believes that marijuana saved his career.
Val Venis
Sean Allen Morley was born on the 6th of March, 1971, and is popularly known by his ring name - Val Venis. He is a Canadian professional wrestler, he became famous after his participation in World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment (WWF/WWE) from the year 1998 to 2009.
Apart from his other achievements, he became the youngest man and the 1st non-Mexican to win the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship.
After a fruitful career in sports, Val Venis now goes by the nickname - Kaptain Kannabis after experiencing the benefits of cannabis. In fact, he runs the Health 4 Life dispensaries in Arizona at the moment.
Conclusion
These 4 wrestling superstars have not only enjoyed the benefits of weed in their careers, they have also become vocal about it. Some have gone ahead to write books, release impactful CBD products, among other things to further enhance the gospel of cannabis.
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