The Five Biggest Myths About Marijuana And Why They’re Completely Wrong
By Rob Fee
1. Marijuana Can Kill You
This is simply not true. According to studies, marijuana does not have any impact on mortality or public health. In other words, you aren’t going to overdose and die as a result of smoking marijuana. Back in 2001 a study suggested that users were at a high risk of a heart attack in the hour after using marijuana, but that number was revealed to be one-fifth of 1% of heart attacks. Not an overwhelming number at all.
2. Marijuana Kills Brain Cells
Ironically enough, not only does it not kill brain cells, but it’s also been proven to improve the cognitive functions of those suffering from bi-polar disorders. Further research has shown that when THC comes in contact with cancerous brain tissue, the cancer cells were destroyed, while the healthy cells were still left intact. That may be a radical statement, but the concept that it is harmful to your brain is dated and based on shaky evidence at best.
3. Marijuana Use Leads To Crime
According to a study at UT Dallas, not only does the legalization of marijuana not cause an increase in crime, but actually showed some evidence of a decreased rate of some violent crimes including homicide and assault. The study tracked the rate of crime across states that had legalized marijuana for medical use against those that have not. None of the states saw an increase in major crimes after marijuana had been legalized.
4. Marijuana Is A Gateway Drug
While most people who are addicted to hard drugs have used marijuana at some point in their lives, that doesn’t mean that’s what got them to that point. A study by congress on the effects and addictiveness of marijuana said this:
Patterns in progression of drug use from adolescence to adulthood are strikingly regular. Because it is the most widely used illicit drug, marijuana is predictably the first illicit drug most people encounter. Not surprisingly, most users of other illicit drugs have used marijuana first. In fact, most drug users begin with alcohol and nicotine before marijuana—usually before they are of legal age.
In other words, it’s not that it leads to other drugs, but it is the easiest to get so most drug users will have access to it first. It’s also interesting to note that the study found most hard drug users experimenting with alcohol or nicotine long before any use of marijuana.
5. MYTH: Marijuana Causes Memory Loss
In a test conducted using heavy marijuana users and non-users, scientists looked at brain function, such as memory, reaction time, and motor skills. The results showed that both groups were almost exactly on par with one another and the heavy users showed very little differences from someone who had never used marijuana in any capacity. Scientists said that there was nowhere near the impairments of someone who uses alcohol or hard drugs on a regular basis.