Have you ever thought about trying marijuana? You might be worried that it’s a gateway drug, or it will give you hallucinations. Does ihop drug test? Or maybe you think that smoking weed is only cool when your friends do it at parties. Well, here are some of the most common myths about cannabis and why they’re wrong:
Myth #1: Marijuana is the same as alcohol
This myth has been debunked many times over by qualified researchers, who have found that while marijuana may have led someone down this path in the past, alcohol today leads people to use other substances like tobacco and cocaine. A 2015 study of the correlation found that “[al]cohol is much more likely to be a gateway drug than marijuana,” and added that “these findings suggest that people who start marijuana use are not going to go on to use other drugs.”
Myth #2: It will lead to addiction.
Most users who try marijuana once or twice never want to try it again, and those who do use it frequently will not become addicted. It’s important for people who still have concerns about developing a serious addiction to try alternative methods of quitting (see myth #3) before they give up on the idea of cannabis entirely.
Myth #3: It’s illegal, so you can’t just smoke it
The fact that cannabis is illegal in some places doesn’t stop people from smoking it. In fact, a lot of people who are simply curious about the substance use it illegally and could be considered drug addicts. In some states, you can possess up to one ounce of marijuana and use it in your home or private property. About half of states allow for medical marijuana, although the matter is still being debated nationally.
Myth #4: It causes hallucinations
If you’re smoking weed through a pipe or bong and not rolling it up with papers, then the chances of experiencing intense hallucinations are next to zero. If you’re smoking marijuana in a paper form, such as a joint, there’s going to be some mild hallucination (e.g., seeing bright lights or zooming in on objects). But if you smoke weed out of a bong, there’s no way for your eyes to get that kind of high.
Myth #5: It’s bad for your lungs
This is perhaps one of the most common myths about weed, but it’s also one of the least accurate. While you are breathing in a lot of smoke, marijuana is less damaging to your respiratory system than tobacco is. Sometimes, people will try to blow out more smoke than what they’ve smoked in and this could lead to problems in the future. But, if you’re just smoking occasionally and don’t want to hurt your body, then you’ll be fine.
Myth #6: Smoking weed lowers your IQ
There’s no conclusive evidence to prove this myth. A 2012 survey of college students, for instance, found that “there does not appear to be a linear relationship between marijuana use, particularly frequency of use, and cognitive test scores.” In fact, some studies have shown that using marijuana could actually have a positive effect on how our brains function after we stop.
Myth #7: It makes you lazy and unhealthy
The keywords here are “some people” who smoke weed regularly. Obviously, if a person is stopping taking care of themselves and their diet overall due to smoking pot…well yeah, then exercising can be difficult. But there are many people who can engage in physical activities while still using marijuana. And there are many fitness fanatics who use it (more popularly known as “420 athletes”), because it doesn’t make them any less fit and it has been linked to using a lower amount of calories when compared to other recreation or leisure activities.
Myth #8: It can cause mental illness
While a very small percentage of people suffer from the illness of schizophrenia, the condition is not caused by marijuana. Other mental illnesses like bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety are usually triggered by some kind of life event that already affects the person, and this often leaves them with mental disorders to begin with. Marijuana isn’t the direct cause of these disorders, but it may be a factor in their onset.
Myth #9: It leads to a distorted perception of reality
This is one of the most opposite myths to the previous one. While many people who smoke pot could experience some kind of visual effects, there’s no evidence that says weed leads someone to think in an unrealistic way about reality. On the contrary, though, if you’re thinking about smoking marijuana and you have had hallucinations before, then you may think that what happens when you smoke marijuana is abnormal or abnormal at all. In reality, hallucination are normal processes that occur in everyone differently due to certain brain chemistry changes or genetic predispositions.
Myth #10: It causes depression and anxiety
While one side of the brain would be activated more when you smoke pot, it doesn’t have any effect on your overall mental health. If you’re an anxious kind of person to begin with, smoking a joint may make your anxiety worse. But if you’re a relaxed individual or someone who is having trouble coping with their anxiety, then smoking pot might help them.
