MYTH AND FACTS ABOUT MARIJUANA

Marijuana is an often very misunderstood drug. There is a lot of misinformation out there about the drug, as well as a lot of assumptions based on the misinformation. Cannabis has been used by humans for thousands of years for both medical and recreational purposes. Throughout our history it has been used and shared freely without persecution or discrimination. It is only within the last one-hundred years that we have made it an illegal substance, and all without any science to back it up.

The outlawing of marijuana has largely been the result of scaremongering by industrialists and politicians, who have seen it as both a threat and a scapegoat for xenophobia. However, with the drug ongoing and increasing popularity, the scientific community has begun conducting research into exactly what marijuana does to us, and how it can be of medical use.
The finding of much of this research is quite eye-opening, and people are becoming much more aware of what this drug can do for mankind. This has led to the increasing support for the cannabis movement, and the much more positive view people now have of it.Whilst this is great and everything, there are still myths lingering about, myths that anti-cannabis campaigners and advocates are quick to spout with little to no evidence, or even a second thought.

Below are TEN MYTHS AND FACTS ABOUT MARIJUANA


1. FACT: CANNABIS IS ONE OF THE MOST USED DRUGS WORLDWIDE.   

It is second only to alcohol. Millions of people use the drug on a daily basis, and even more at least once in their lifetimes. It is estimated that around 6,000 Americans alone will try marijuana for the first time every single day.

2. MYTH: MARIJUANA IS A GATEWAY TO HARDER DRUGS                          

Another argument spouted often by worried moms. The fear that cannabis use leads to harder drugs is unfounded and has no solid scientific backing. In fact, research into the matter has found that it is alcohol, not cannabis that acts as a gateway drug. And we are pretty sure that many people who are anti-cannabis manage to drink alcohol without moving on to heroin, so cannabis smokers probably can too. It is a myth that has been known for a long time, but simply won’t go away. To further iterate our point, in 1999, after a very detailed and extensive amount of research, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences submitted a very detailed report to the US Congress outlining how there was no conclusive linking of cannabis use to the use of harder drugs.

 3. MYTH: CANNABIS HAS NO MEDICAL APPLICATION                                          

This is one of the most ridiculous and antiquated arguments we have ever come across. It is an argument based on cannabis scheduling in the US, where any drug classed as Schedule I has no recognised medical value. There is now a mountain of research proving the medical benefits of cannabis on humans, and it is even being developed into various medicines by big name pharmaceutical companies. Go tell Charlotte Figi, and the thousands of other people suffering from chronic pain, seizures, MS, PTSD, glaucoma and many other ailments, who are all currently benefiting from the use of cannabis, that they are wrong.

 4. FACT: JUST OVER HALF OF ALL DRUG ARRESTS IN THE UNITED STATES ARE DUE TO CANNABIS
More than 800,000 people are arrested every year for crimes concerning marijuana. Some of these arrests even lead to incarceration, which unnecessarily bogs down the prison system.

 5. MYTH: CANNABIS IS A DANGEROUS DRUG                                               

Marijuana is probably the least dangerous drug of them all. When compared to legal drugs like alcohol and tobacco, it is actually very safe. Consider the fact that there has never been even one marijuana overdose. There really is no way possible to die from marijuana, as you would need to smoke about 800 joints in order to die; and even then it wouldn't be from the marijuana, it would be from carbon monoxide poisoning.


So I’ve stated 5 MYTHS AND FACTS ON MARIJUANA

Moving forward....We all know there are so many myths especially when it comes to our beloved MARYJANE!

Moving on to 6

 6. FACT: HOW HEMP BENEFITS THE ENVIRONMENT AND PEOPLE
Utilizing the hemp plant for more than just marijuana can be very beneficial for the environment as well as people. Hemp makes some really amazing paper and rope. It is also great for use in clothing, building materials, soaps, diapers, fuel, and many other things that people use quite often.
It is far more renewable than our current resources that we use to make these and other items. The seeds can even be used for food! Growing hemp would produce jobs, help alleviate world hunger, provide pain relief, and even help cut back on greenhouse gasses. This is actually my favorite
Our MARYJANE isn’t just for smoking
People are actually benefiting from it with out smoking it

77. MYTH: MOST POT SMOKERS ARE HEAVY USERS
The fact is that a good chunk of people who have smoked pot (40% to 50%) either do it sparingly or have only smoked pot in their past. A lot of people do not make smoking marijuana a habit, but this brings us to our next fact...

8. FACT: MARIJUANA DOES HAVE SOME ADVERSE EFFECTS
One of these is that it is possible to become dependent on the drug. The percentage of people that do become dependent on it is very small though, and most of these occur within the small group of heavy users. Other adverse effects are that marijuana has a negative effect on a users ability to drive, and women who smoke marijuana while pregnant have higher chances of having babies born with birth defects.

9. MYTH: CANNABIS CAN BE JUST AS DAMAGING TO YOUR BODY AS ALCOHOL IS   This is a myth. People who consume marijuana are less likely to have damaged brain issues compared to those who use alcohol. It is also a myth that smoking large amounts of marijuana will lead to lung cancer, as studies into the topic have returned results that do not support this statement. We can safely say that things like alcohol, tobacco, prescription medicine, and poor dietary choices pose a much greater danger to your health! According the report published by the World Health Organisation, alcohol kills 3.3 million people worldwide, annually. Also, it is thought that in the US, someone dies from prescription medicine overdose every 19 minutes. Guess how many people have died from cannabis use since records began? Zero.

Finally!
10. MYTH: CANNABIS IS ADDICTIVE
This is a favorite of those against the legalization of cannabis, and it is an argument that has been blown completely out of proportion. It is claimed that 1 in 11, or 9% of people who use cannabis will develop a dependence. They are getting this from an old study from the 90’s which assessed the addictive qualities of multiple substances.
However, many scientists and professionals believe that even this 9% figure is inflated. Dr. Drew Pinsky, an addiction medicine specialist, was recorded expressing shock at the concept, stating that cannabis dependence “was very uncommon”, and that it was nowhere near the 1 in 11 stated.
A 1999 report to the US Congress stated that marijuana dependence was rare, and when it did happen, it was much less severe than in those who suffer from alcohol or nicotine addiction.

At the end of the day, cannabis should not be pushed on anyone who doesn’t want it. But to advocate its outright ban, when it helps so many people, causes minimum harm, and could potentially be an economic boon, is an exercise in pure insanity.