The stigma in and around smoking weed has existed forever (or it seems like that). The idea that weed makes you slow and unproductive is rooted internally – every time someone would make a stupid mistake at work, someone would definitely say, ‘Are you high?’
You probably don’t remember some important data, and someone just says, ‘Are you stoned?’ – and you are caught off guard. Because you do consume marijuana, and you have no idea why something as simple as forgetting a tiny detail related to marijuana consumption.
This has so much to do with internalized societal stigma and so little with ACTUAL marijuana consumption that you will be pleasantly surprised. Today, we are here to debunk some of the most popular myths about smoking weed. Stay tuned to find out more.
Top Myths About Smoking Weed, Debunked: Here’s The TRUTH You Needed To Know!
Are you asking, ‘Is smoking weed bad for you?’ – then stop! Because smoking, in general, is bad for you – it does not matter what you are smoking. What matters is that you are SMOKING – and that cannot be good for anyone’s lungs. But that does not mean everything that you hear about smoking weed is true.
This is where we come in to save the day – scroll down to find out how we can debunk some of the most common marijuana myths.
1. Marijuana is A Gateway Drug:
The number of people who have told us about how weed is a gateway drug is striking. Someone or the other would always end up calling marijuana a gateway drug, while the rest would just stare and agree.
Somehow, these people always had photos of addicts and junkies that said, ‘It just takes one hit.’ – and the rest? Of course, foggy because you are an addict after a puff.
Yes, we do agree that sometimes one puff can be someone’s introduction to marijuana, a solid majority of different cannabis aficionados say ‘no’ to hard drugs – so many stoners do not even drink alcohol. Many people have not even tried the same.
It’s one thing that you can enjoy on its own – plus, how can it even motivate you to become the biggest junkie out there?
2. You Can Die From Cannabis Overdose:
So, can you die from smoking weed? The answer is a hard no! In recorded history, not a single person has ever died or LITERALLY overdosed from marijuana use. We are not joking – it’s absolutely true.
The very reason why overdose stories exist is simply due to people’s depressive attitudes, such as opioids, heroin, fentanyl, etc – all of which can cause a loss of breathing. Alcohol poisoning is also a very common source of danger as well.
At worst, smoking weed or, rather, consuming cannabis can make you feel really lethargic. And that’s fine – when you are consuming marijuana for recreational purposes, you are simply getting high, and all that’s fine.
3. Marijuana Consumption Causes Cancer:
It is true that smoking weed, just like smoking tobacco, is harmful – this smoke actually contains carcinogens. Typically, hardcore cannabis consumers end up consuming much less smoke as compared to cigarettes – and probably not enough for cancer.
According to Rolling Stone, a UCLA study first conducted in 2006 concluded that heavy marijuana consumption does not cause lung cancer. The lead author of the study said in this context,
“We hypothesized that there would be a positive association between marijuana use and lung cancer and that the association would be more positive with heavier use. What we found instead was no association at all and even a suggestion of some protective effect.”
This, plus different other studies, suggested that marijuana can actually inhibit the growth of cancerous tumors. You can’t exactly term these as benefits of smoking weed – because smoking, in general, is harmful.
But then again, there are multiple other methods of consuming marijuana.
4. Marijuana Consumption Leads To Dependency And Addiction:
So, you are asking, ‘Is smoking weed a sin?’ – it depends on how you think about it. It’s similar to the logic that anything can prove to be addictive when used heavily in a way as to be detrimental to the user’s health and life.
Marijuana, in general, has the ability to be addictive – we agree! But it is not a widely experienced mode of addiction. According to the laws of the United States, cannabis is known as a Schedule 1 substance and is not entirely an addiction.
Understand this – anyone can depend psychologically on cannabis. Plus, the overuse of cannabis can easily lead to a dopamine reaction that’s stunted. Recent studies show that 1 in every 11 individuals deals with cannabis dependency.
Of course, the percentage of such a case is pretty low, but the risk of the same still exists.
Research says that only 9% of marijuana consumers become dependent clinically on the substance at some point, as compared to 24% of heroin users and 15% of cocaine users.
5. Marijuana Consumption Can Make You Lazy And Unproductive:
Have you heard the common Indica-related saying, ‘in da couch?’ – it’s pretty easy to just sit back and go, ‘puff, puff, pass.’ But that doesn’t mean smoking weed makes you lazy and ultimately unproductive.
Multiple artists, athletes, and even people with really active lifestyles love incorporating cannabis into daily use, including mellowing CBD or energizing Sativa. In fact, there are certain marijuana strains that can cause a creative high, while other strains can lead to the infamous ‘couchlock.’
In a ‘couchlock’ scenario, your only activity will be sleep and, of course, Netflix. Plus, every strain or even body type can affect different people differently. That is precisely why generalizing is not a solution.
6. Marijuana Is Entirely Harmless:
Just like it’s entirely wrong to make negative assumptions about smoking weed or marijuana consumption, it is also wrong to say that marijuana is completely harmless.
For instance, if you ask, ‘When to stop smoking weed while pregnant?’ then it’s not a valid question – of course, it is harmful to smoke anything when you are pregnant.
Moreover, heavy use is kinda harmful. Understand that smoking weed is very similar to smoking tobacco, at least chemically. As a result, heavy marijuana users and tobacco users face similar health hazards, such as bronchitis or other respiratory diseases.
But then again, smoking is not the only way to consume marijuana. There’s another hazard – car accidents that are caused by driving when the driver is high. Of course, the risk of this happening is relatively lower as compared to that of drunk driving.
Additionally, marijuana consumption can also lead to anxiety or paranoia. So, when you consume weed, it is always logical to be cautious.
Some Mythical Strains To Break The Myth Chain
Since we are breaking some cannabis myths, why not do it over some mythical strains? Here is a list of some amazing strains that are great conversation starters and have truly risen to the statuses of legends. Gods among the commoners! Here we go.
Mexican Sativa A.K.A Acapulco Gold: True to its moniker, this strain has truly become one of the most valuable assets of the cannabis world. This strain is truly a product of the North American landrace. The strain has lent its genetics to formulate several amazing strains like the Skunk #1, haze variants, and the blueberry line of strains. If grown right, you can get the legendary Mexican sinsemilla. A bud without seed.
Amnesia Haze: A Danish strain that has established its dominance fairly well in the cannabis community. This strain has truly been one of the best products out of the Netherlands. A favorite in the Amsterdam cannabis scene. This strain has one of the best lineages that looks something like this, Afghani x Hawaiian) x Laos x Jamaican. This sativa strain can be quite potent for new cannabis users.
Durban Poison: This is a true African strain that has taken the cannabis culture by storm. This is one of those very rare sativa dominant strains that have extremely uplifting peaking and equally strong couch-locking abilities. This legendary sativa is the only sativa that has dominated competitions across the globe. A true legend in my book.
OG Kush: How can a list of legendary strains feel complete without OG Kush? This queen of Cali is one of the most popular strains across the globe. Even the most novice of cannabis connoisseurs will know about this strain and its legendary abilities. This strain is widely lauded as one of the strongest strains in existence.
The Top Myths About Smoking Weed FINALLY Debunked:
Before we wrap this one, we came across two popular questions:
- Does smoking weed cause acne?
- Does smoking weed affect sperm?
The thing is, there’s no evidence that smoking weed can cause acne – but there’s evidence that it can definitely make your existing acne worse. To answer your second question, it is true that smoking marijuana can affect the health of your sperm, which is definitely a worrying issue.
Of course, this is applicable to heavy and regular cannabis users – so tell us what are your thoughts on smoking weed. And while sharing your thoughts, feel free to tell us about your experiences in the comments below.
