If you tuned into this year’s second-round Masters telecast, you may have seen something curious: Phil Mickelson pulling a small vial from his golf bag, using a pipette to squirt liquid into his mouth, then tucking the vial back into his bag. Or you might have seen the viral YouTube video, which sparked speculation that Mickelson had become the latest Tour pro to try a hemp extract known as cannabidiol, or CBD.
Several pros, including Bubba Watson, Scott McCarron, Brandt Jobe, Charley Hoffman and Morgan Hoffmann, have endorsement deals with CBD manufacturers. Watson may be flighty, but it’s not the CBD, a fast-growing category distinct from medical marijuana; CBD products, whether oils, capsules or topical creams, don’t contain THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis.
CBD proponents attach an array of benefits — better sleep, reduced inflammation and less anxiety, for starters — to this natural supplement. Manufacturers, however, can’t advertise specific claims because they haven’t been verified by the U.S. FDA. This hasn’t deterred dozens of Tour players looking for an edge from giving CBD a try.
