// HEALTH & WELLNESS //
Carmouche K.O.’s the Stigma Professional MMA Fighter Liz Carmouche Discusses Battling the Stigmas of CBD and the UFC’s Embrace of the Substance By Anthony Elio CMW Media
Even with all the big steps CBD has made over the past few years, professional sports as a whole appear to be behind the curve. Despite stars such as NFL wide receiver Deandre Hopkins voicing the benefits of the substance and leagues such as the UFC and BIG3 allowing it to be used legally, CBD has held this stigma. For mixed martial artist Liz Carmouche, CBD is much more than medicine, it’s a major part of her MMA routine. A former Marine Corps aviation electrician, Carmouche (also known by her nickname “GirlRilla”) launched her MMA career in 2010, eventually compiling an 11-6 UFC record, gaining wins over fighters such as Kaitlin Young and Jan Finney while rising to the rank of sixth in UFC’s women’s flyweight division. The first openly gay fighter in UFC history, Carmouche has also voiced her support of CBD usage, appearing at events such as the Cannabis World Congress and Business Expo and becoming the 62
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spokesperson for CBD oil company HempMeds. Additionally, she introduced her mother to the substance in order to combat her chronic pain. In this exclusive interview, Carmouche discusses her views on CBD for athletic recovery, why the substance still holds such a stigma, and what other sports leagues could learn from the UFC. Cannabis & Tech Today: It seems like the UFC, unlike so many other sports leagues, has embraced CBD. Why do you believe that is? Liz Carmouche: I think the UFC wants to spearhead in all growing trends and they’re always looking for the next new, scientific wave of things. They want athletes that are going to be able to stay in the game as long as possible. They work with Cleveland Clinic researchers, who had originally been with the NFL studying brain trauma, and they collaborate with them to make sure that they have recurring checkups on their athletes.
Everything they’re doing is so progressive and what they’re always trying to do is find new things that are going to help their fighters and keep them in the game. And I think that’s why they allowed CBD to be incorporated. They were finding that the fighters they had up and coming from UFC 1 to today, a lot of them were on pain medication to endure what they had done to their bodies for so many years, and they saw the effects and the damage it was doing to them. So they’re looking for something different, and I think that’s why they’ve embraced CBD, is that they can see firsthand how it’s benefiting the athletes. C&T Today: When did you first begin collaborating with HempMeds? LC: I want to say a little bit over a year ago. I told my management team that I had been trying CBD for about a year prior to that and I really liked what CBD stood for and that it was something that I wanted to connect with, with a
