Over the years, Mary Mart has attracted an incredible range of clientele, from local activists and politicians to business leaders to musicians and many more. While it’s not surprising that some of the most amazing people on the planet live in the Tacoma region, some of the customers we attract may still surprise you. Take, for instance, professional MMA fighter Chris Stone, a world-class athlete who happens to partake in cannabis. We recently sat down with him and learned more about his MMA journey, how he uses CBD for workout recovery, and about his favorite cannabis products from Mary Mart.
Chris Stone is the #14 fighter in the Pacific Northwest and is in the top 20% of MMA fighters nationwide — impressive feats for an extremely competitive professional sport. He hails from Port Orchard, Washington, close to Tacoma in neighboring Kitsap County. We caught up with Chris to interview him about his intense career and his experience as a cannabis athlete.
“I started training about eight years ago,” he tells us when we ask about his origins in MMA. “I’m more of a Jiu-Jitsu fighter than anything. I started originally as a kickboxer but the more and more I did it, I just fell in love with the grappling-like wrestling in Jiu-Jitsu.”
Chris is 29 years old and in his prime as a fighter, having emerged victorious in his last three matches. In all, he’s only lost once in about 2 years, and since that point, he obviously keeps improving. Chris also owns his own MMA gym in Gig Harbor, just outside of Tacoma.
MMA is a tough sport, but Chris has the drive to push through the pain. “What motivates me? I’ve always just fell in love with training. I’m really competitive. I like winning.”
While cannabis has been a controversial subject in competitive martial arts and professional sports in general, Chris is open about his affinity for pot. “I think the more people research it, they will find out it’s like any other health and fitness community, it’s no longer taboo anymore that cannabis can help with recovery.”
Chris has been off-and-on with his cannabis relationship, but he’s been around the block enough to know what he likes. “Whenever I come in here it’s really cool,” he explains when we ask him about his encounters with Mary Mart. “Anybody working behind the counters is very knowledgeable and really help people out.”
“The THC caps are probably one of my favorites,” he tells us. “They’re easy on the go and there’s a nice balance to them.” His second favorite? “I also like the Zoots, like the Yippee Ki-yay ZootsDrops that you Mary Mart has. They’ve got a little bit of caffeine – I love myself some caffeine too.”
Finally, we wanted to know what advice Chris would give to anyone looking to follow a similar path.
“Just start,” he says. “Start now. Start tomorrow morning. For a long time, I was always interested in martial arts and fighting as a boxing and kickboxing fan when I was younger … But, I put it off for years. It was one of those things where I would get to it next time or maybe next month I’ll start.”
“Give it a try. See if it’s something you’re into or not. Then just take your next step from there.”
While you don’t have to be a professional athlete to utilize cannabis products like CBD for workout recovery, phenomenal people like Chris prove that there should be absolutely no stigma associated with cannabis use in top-tier sports. Thanks for stopping by Chris, and we hope you enjoy the Zoots!
Check out our video below of Chris in training and using Solace CBD topical for rapid localized relief for uncomfortable muscles, joints, and skin.
Want to try out the products Chris mentioned or experience a wide-ranging menu of quality cannabis solutions? Check out the Mary Mart website today or browse our online menu here.