Once denigrated and deemed “against the law”, but now legal and glorified, the status of marijuana or cannabis has undergone a revolutionary change in the past decade or so. Now, marijuana has a huge following and is used in all kinds of products, ranging from cosmetics to food.
However, this sudden alteration in its popularity and reputation has led to the spread of various rumours, about it’s positive as well as negative aspects. Individuals and media outlets often put forward information about cannabis and cannabis-related products that are simply not true. Even though it may seem harmless, misleading information is a serious risk and can lead to dangerous situations.
That’s why we’re debunking five popular myths about marijuana and telling you why they shouldn’t be believed.
1. Myth #1: Marijuana leads to crime and violence
One of the most popular myths about marijuana is that it causes people to engage in violence, crime, and other harmful activities. However, that’s not the case. It is only said so because most criminals and offenders tend to use or consume marijuana. But this correlation exists mainly because criminals tend to be more likely to use drugs, that too of all kinds. The relationship between violent crime and cannabis is also baseless as alcohol users are more likely to be violent than marijuana users. Such myths are also largely rooted in class and racial bias and discrimination.
2. Myth #2: Drinking bong water will give you a great high
This is another giant myth and frankly, a really dangerous one. Drinking bong will not make you high at all. What it will do is leave a terrible taste in your mouth and lead to a bad stomach bug, if not worse. The water in the bong plays a significant role by filtering and cooling the smoke, making it easier and healthier for you to smoke. If you drink the water, you’ll be doing the exact opposite of it was meant to do. However, if you’re interested in bongs and want further insight about their styles and functions then click here.
3. Myth 3: Marijuana is a gateway drug
Here is another statement that continues to be largely believed and propagated but is actually a myth. Even though those who use marijuana are more likely to use other illicit substances, there is no evidence that marijuana or cannabis causes people to consume other drugs. In fact, studies showed that in the 1970s, when marijuana was legalized in Holland, the usage of heroin, cocaine, and other hard drugs declined rather than showing an increase. Similarly, in states where marijuana has been decriminalized, the usage of other harmful drugs showed a down-trend.
4. Myth #4: Marijuana can cause cancer
Believe it or not, this statement cannot be farther from the truth. Rather than causing cancer, marijuana helps abate the painful side-effects of chemotherapy like pain, nausea, vomiting, and more. But that’s not all. New research and studies have shown that compounds like THC which are found in cannabis prevent the growth of cancer cells, and stagnate their spread. But it must be kept in mind that these tests have only been conducted in lab environments till now. Much more research will have to be done in order to consider cannabis as the future of cancer cure.
5. Myth#5: Marijuana causes hair loss
Similar to the other myths we’ve debunked here, there are no studies or tests that can accurately prove that marijuana directly harms women and mens hair and leads to hair loss. However, marijuana usage might cause an increase in metabolism, which can lead to hair-fall in some people. Similarly, there have been cases where marijuana usage/consumption has led to an increase in the stress hormone – Cortisol. But these depend on a person’s lifestyle, health, genetics and more.
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