Bikini Island During an H-Bomb Blast: Debunking Cannabis Myths
Hey folks! It’s time again for an informative (and hopefully somewhat entertaining) cannabis blog post. There are a lot of myths and disinformation associated to our good friend cannabis which went a long way towards turning it into a smelly green boogeyman for several generations of Canadians. While we’ve touched on and demystified some of these false presumptions in this little blog over the last few years, I haven’t yet done a countdown of the most audacious lies ever made regarding cannabis. So, without further ado, here is a list of some of the most popular myths about weed and the people who consume it.
“Cannabis is a Gateway Drug!”
Yeah, a gateway to the fridge. The myth that consuming cannabis will lead the user to want to dabble in more harmful narcotics has been disproven so exhaustively that it’s embarrassing to hear someone bust out this rhetoric in today’s world. Even the most biased research can’t find anything resembling a correlation between cannabis use and heavy drug use that can’t be attributed to other factors like mental illness, trauma and environment. This myth can be put out to pasture. If you want a source for this information and feel like reading a ton of science speak https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3600369/, here you are.
“Weed Makes you Stupid!”
This is another classic. We’ve probably all encountered people who remind us of “Otto” from “The Simpsons”, standing there, eyes red and mouth perpetually agape while they discuss the latest Phish album. As I’ve covered before in a previous blog, some of the worlds greatest minds smoked cannabis; from Albert Einstein to the irreplaceable Carl Sagan, these geniuses loved the bud and talked up its benefits. Basically it all comes down to this: If you’re an idiot, you will still be an idiot when you’re stoned. If you’re smart, you will still be smart when you’re stoned. Which isn’t to say that you aren’t cognitively impaired if you use cannabis regularly; memory for example is negatively impacted by regular cannabis use, however you wont turn into a complete dumb-dumb if you regularly smoke weed. THAT BEING SAID: I am exclusively talking about adults consuming cannabis recreationally, not teenagers. While there has not been a definitive correlation detected between cannabis use in ones youth and a marked decrease in IQ, there are indicators that show this could be the case. So, in conclusion: Adults can consume cannabis without fear of becoming a drooling mess while the same may not be true for someone in their adolescence. Talk to your kids about the possible risks of cannabis consumption and don’t facilitate their consumption of it unless directed by a healthcare professional. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7893511/
“Cannabis turns you into a lazy stoner!”
Some of the hardest working people I know smoke a ton of weed. Hell, we work pretty hard here at Circa 1818 and I’m 90% sure between all of us we consume an entire pickup trucks flatbed worth of weed in a month. Which is to say, the kind of apathy people are suggesting when they say that cannabis makes you lazy just simply doesn’t occur in regular cannabis smokers. This idea comes from a study performed in the 70’s which concluded that regular consumption of cannabis can result in what is known as “Amotivational Syndrome”. This syndrome is exactly what it sounds like: a loss of motivation and ambition. HOWEVER, this study has been debunked by the scientific community several times over and holds about as much water as a pasta strainer. Which isn’t to say that science won’t come back in a few years and say “Hey actually, cannabis use causes Amotivational syndrome” it just means that based on what we’ve seen so far, regular cannabis use doesn’t seem to increase the risk of developing this issue. So, we’ll tentatively place this in the untrue category.
“I now have absolute proof that smoking even one marijuana cigarette is equal in brain damage to being on Bikini Island during an H-bomb blast.”
Which brings us to the title of this article, which is allegedly a quote from former US President and totally mid actor Ronald Reagan. I probably could’ve retitled this article “Lies Ronald Reagan told about Weed” because the dude haaaaated ganja and was largely responsible for many of the misconceptions people still hold today. This quote, however, is the most audacious and insane cannabis related statement I’ve ever heard, so I felt like it would work as the best example of his less than honest take on the effects of cannabis. Now, I feel like it’s obvious to everyone that smoking a single joint won’t turn your brain into an irradiated pile of mashed potatoes, but I’ll state it anyway: Weed is not as harmful as a hydrogen bomb blast. Truth be told, nothing short of climbing into a nuclear reactor’s containment unit is going to compare to the damage done to your brain, body and the cells therein by being in the fallout radius of something like a hydrogen bomb. So, consume your weed secure in the knowledge that you are not mutating your cells and turning your insides into a fine paste.
That about wraps up this article on some of the cannabis myths that science and (in the case of the above H-bomb statement) common sense have been able to dismiss. We’re always learning more about weed and how it interacts with us, so keep an eye on the scientific community as it continues to unravel the truth behind this most awesome of plants. Stay frosty cool cats!
Need to reflect on some of the stuff we talked about today? Take a cue from Einstein and shift your perspective by finding some primo ganja on our menu!