Not only is Power Plant Fitness the world’s first pot-friendly gym, but it’s being backed by some major star power. Retired NFL running back, Ricky Williams, partnered with Jim McAlpine—the founder of the 420 Games, a series of athletic events that aim to break the “lazy stoner” stereotype—to open Power Plant Fitness, the first-ever gym where members can use marijuana while they exercise.
The facility, expected to open in San Francisco in November, will offer edibles specifically for pre- and post-workout training, according to OregonLive.com, and a “cannabis performance assessment” to evaluate how pot affects exercise.
It’s a fitting venture for Williams, a Heisman Trophy winner who was the fifth overall pick by the New Orleans Saints in the 1999 NFL Draft, and who rushed 10,009 yards and 66 touchdowns during his 11-year NFL career. The 39-year-old left quite a legacy on the field, but he’s also known for smoking cannabis and violating the league’s drug policy.
Like some of his fellow NFL players who have recently come out in support of marijuana, Williams has said that pot was his alternative to popping pain pills to cope with injuries. “The teams don’t care, they weren’t trying to take care of me. So, I had to take care of myself,” he said in February at the 2016 High Times SoCal Medical Cannabis Cup. “One of the ways I took care of myself was using cannabis.”
His business partner, McAlpine, told Complex that he is a good representative for Power Plant’s mission. “Having (Williams) as a partner is awesome because he exemplifies a successful and very athletic person who also uses cannabis,” he said. “The mission of my first venture (was) to show the world that cannabis is not bad and it does not make people lazy nor stupid. And that it can be a healthy and productive part of an athlete’s life and training regimen.”
More and more players from the NFL to the NBA are coming out against addictive painkillers, and in favor of cannabis as a pain-relieving alternative. In May, Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Eugene Monroe called on the NFL to stop testing players for marijuana. “We know now that [painkillers] are not as safe as doctors thought, causing higher rates of addiction, causing death all around our country,” Monroe told the New York Times at the time. “We have cannabis, which is far healthier, far less addictive and, quite frankly, can be better in managing pain.”
