You may have noticed a lot of talk lately in mainstream news about weed’s possible health benefits.

References have ranged from the controversy over barring American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson from competing in the Olympic Games for pot in her system, to other elite athletes revealing their use of cannabis products, including Olympic gold medalist Megan Rapinoe, who incorporates CBD into her soccer training routine and promotes her sister’s CBD brand. Boxer Mike Tyson has also shared he likes to smoke before every fight.

“It’s just who I am,’’ Tyson said in a past interview. “It has no effect on me from a negative standpoint. It’s just what I do and how I am.”

Maybe you’ve heard about Martha Stewart’s self-named brand of CBD gummies that claim to “make wellness an easier choice every day,” Kristen Bell’s Happy Dance CBD skincare line that “provides a little calmer,” or actor Jaleel White’s Purple Urkel, dedicated to celebrating the “many medical breakthroughs” of cannabis.

As weed becomes destigmatized for legitimate medical treatment, it’s worth exploring the potential health benefits that many continue to hail as a remedy for ailments ranging from insomnia to depression, not to mention an alternative to opioid-based medications. [Read more at The Spokesman-Review]