Ever heard of a runner’s high? Betty Khronic’s line of raw, vegan energy bars elevate the approach by delivering cannabis in a near-perfect protein package.
“It’s great for pre- and post- workout,” said Katina Morales, owner and creator of Betty Khronic. She sat down for the interview, though seemed just as comfortable running sprints and jumping with a dancer’s poise on top of a building in downtown Los Angeles.
“I’ve been a distance runner since I was 17 years old. I ran distance for the University of South Florida (USF). I was a track runner and a cross country runner. [After college], I moved to California and started training for marathons,” she said, “and it was probably the most intense training in my entire life, way more than collegiate training.”
“Doing that type of training, I never once took an Aspirin or Tylenol. I only used cannabis to recover. It was eye opening. I became faster as an adult using cannabis, than when I was a collegiate runner and not allowed to use cannabis.”
Morales studied Public Relations at USF. “My last job before I went full cannabis was in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) internship program to become a coach. I was in the graduate program, doing the teaching and coaching hours, and then, I got fired,” she said.
“I was the track coach at Downey High School,” she explained, “Someone complained and said there was an inappropriate photo of me with cannabis products on my personal Facebook page… which my students had no access to. I wasn’t smoking or anything, it was a picture with a bong next to me.”
Morales said she never discussed cannabis with her students. “I would never discuss anything except running with my students.”
“When that happened to me, one thing I argued with the principal about was that so many teachers have pictures of themselves at happy hour. They’re not being fired. Why am I being fired?” His response; alcohol is legal.
To that, Morales explained that medical cannabis was also, indeed, legal in the state at the time. Ultimately, however, the principle insisted it just wasn’t a good look for someone coaching an athletic profession.
“My students tried to get me [reinstated]. They signed petitions, it was a whole ordeal,” she said, “It changed my life because I quit graduate school, I quit my job, and I just went straight into cannabis. I started making edibles, and I was bartending on the side just to get the company up and running […].”
Betty Khronic energy bars come in almond, peanut, and Cuban coffee flavors, as well as the cannabidiol (CBD) option, in almond flavor. The high amount of protein, 7g, combined with low sugar, 5g, means the body wastes less energy processing sugars with no nutrients and instead process protein to create energy.
The bars have a nine month shelf life. There are no artificial preservatives, and products do not need to be refrigerated. The only sugars in the bars come from dates, there are no added sugars. Just for a point of reference, the daily recommended sugar intake for adults is about 25g sugar. A 2014 article by Ryan Jaslow for CBS News reported the World Health Organization (WHO) recently lowered the recommended daily sugar intake for adults to 25g, despite the fact that a can of soda has 40g sugar. For only 5g of sugar, Betty Khronic bars deliver 7g of protein, a solid 14 percent of recommended daily intake. Raw food is easy for the body to digest and absorb nutrients quickly. Athletes preparing for workout, and also during recovery, can benefit from the long lasting energy from nutrient dense foods like dates, almonds, coconut oil, pepitas, and chiah seeds.
The body can also intake the cannabis without being depleted by sugar. Cannabis reduces inflammation in the body, which is a major concern for athletes when combined with lactic acid in the muscles after workout. Morales and I discussed some studies and clinical trials, in addition to first-hand accounts of athletes addressing inflammation with cannabis.
Dr. Ethan Russo’s August 2017 article with Natasha Ryz and David Remillard, called “Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research,” describes traditional applications of cannabis medicine dating back to 1542 when Leonhart Fuchs, a German physician and botanist, recorded in his herbal book that “hemp root, boiled in water, and wrapped — is also good for gout.” The article goes on to cover modern studies of the biochemical activity of compounds found in cannabis roots, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties naturally available in cannabis plants.
As a collegiate runner, Morales did not use cannabis at all because NCAA regulations prohibit cannabis use. “We were drug trusted… I was a ‘good girl’ and I didn’t do [cannabis].”
“Training in my adult life and using it, I was faster, more rested, and way less stressed out,” Morales said. “Training is so stressful. That stress of having to wake up to a regimen life everyday. For me that’s one of the hardest parts about it, harder than the physical part.”
Morales used cannabis to de-stress, and get motivated to run 20 miles in a day. “It helped with both physical and mental stress,” she said, “I started off very well in my adult career as a distance runner.” Finishing in the top nine on her first pass at the Ventura Marathon, Morales made it to the Boston Marathon. Sadly, she suffered an Iliotibial (IT) band injury at mile 17 of the 26-mile race in Boston. “I couldn’t run, but I did finish. I dragged my leg the last […] eight miles.”
Morales turned down Cortisone and steroid shots recommended by her doctors. “I said no because I’m scared about what the long term effects may be,” she recalled of being 29 years old, and wondering if she would be able to run in her 40s and 50s. “I said no to all the steroid shots and just started taking CBD and making my own THC [Tetrahydrocannabinol] oils.”
“I try not to smoke while I’m training because it’s not really that great for your lungs. I keep it to mostly tinctures and edibles, and intaking oil,” explained Morales, “At the time, around 2013 – 2014, there were no organic products, vegan products, or products without sugar. So, I started making my own oils to recover. Gratefully, I did recover from my IT band injury.” She stills runs three-four times per week.
Morales doesn’t do what she calls “crazy distances” anymore, with six miles as her maximum, which is still a “crazy distance” for most. “I’m so grateful that I’m able to run at all, and that I was able to do it very naturally just using cannabis and physical therapy with an elastic band. I was running again about a month after the injury,” she said.
Betty Khronic’s 50mg CBD bars are available online, and ship anywhere in the U.S. Please note, this is only for the 100 percent CBD bar, which does not contain any THC.
Some may think 60mg of THC or 50mg of CBD is a small dose of cannabis. For others, that may sound like a lot; so, feel free to break the bar down into smaller pieces. The truth is, this is an edible for athletes just as much as for anyone interested in cannabis edibles, but wary of a bad experience. There’s something about the lack of sugar that makes this bar exceptionally sweet, with long lasting energy. Blaze the lazy stoner stereotype in the dust, and raise the bar higher with Betty Khronic.
To Learn More About Betty Khronic and order products, visit BettyKhronic.com
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