For ages, weed, cannabis, or marijuana have been put to trial and acquitted. Merely, with its gigantic use for recreational and medicinal purposes, many myths and misconceptions about this plant abound. The myths somehow increase the confusion and worsen this stigma. So, let us, with the aid of science, investigate some of the more common cannabis myths and set to clarify what cannabis is and how it interacts with the human body.
Myth 1: Weed Has No Medicinal Benefits
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The Science Behind Medical Cannabis
The applied understanding states the myth that marijuana has no medicinal value. But scientific inquiry has proven that wrong. Cannabinoids such as THC and CBD are components of cannabis with recognized healing abilities.
The New England Journal of Medicine reported that CBD causes a decrease in seizure frequency in certain patients with certain types of epilepsy. Such away that this common indications for the use of cannabis include chronic pain relief, nausea suppression, and symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis.
FDA-Approved Cannabis-Based Medications
Cannabis-based medications approved by the FDA include Epidiolex for epilepsy and Marinol for nausea in chemotherapy patients. Their approval illustrates the medicinal benefits of cannabis clinically and when used right.
Myth 2: Weed Is Highly Addictive
Understanding Cannabis Dependency
Yet, another commonly believed myth is that weed is highly addictive. While there may be chances of one getting addicted to cannabis, it is unlikely in comparison to substances like nicotine, alcohol, or whatever falls within class of opioids.
A study in The Lancet Psychiatry has stated that the lifetime risk for developing dependence among cannabis users was roughly 9%, compared with 32% for the tobacco and 23% for alcohol. This means that while one may develop a certain level of dependency on cannabis, the likelihood is pretty low.
Reasons for Cannabis Use Disorder
The early onset of cannabis use, use daily, or family history of substance dependence may incur a greater risk of developing a cannabis use disorder. Moderate and responsible use is unlikely to cause addiction in most people. Learning how to grow weed indoors while being responsible should promote maintaining quality better, and therefore consumption becomes safe and less dependent on outside sources.
Myth 3: Weed Kills Brain Cells
Examining the Impact on Cognitive Function
One of the evergreen myths about marijuana is that the drug kills brain cells. This conviction arose from results of a poorly executed study done in the 1970s. Recent evidence suggests that cannabis does not kill brain cells at all.
According to the study in JAMA Psychiatry, heavy cannabis use in adolescence could lead to temporary impairment of memory and cog- nitive functioning, but there is no evidence for the killing of any cells in the brain. The effects produced by using cannabis almost completely reverse when its decrease or cessationtakes place.
Responsible Use and Cognitive Health
Moderate and responsible use of cannabis does not seem to result in chronic negative cognitive effects in adults. However, it is prudent to avoid heavy use during adolescence and to limit frequency in order to reduce the nonpermanent cognitive effects.
Myth 4: Weed Is a Gateway Drug
The Gateway Drug Theory
The claim that marijuana is a gateway drug has long been under contention. The theory states that using cannabis ultimately leads to the use of harder drugs like heroin or cocaine. However, this has not been backed up scientifically.
In fact, the study on socioeconomic factors, peer influence, and mental health issues as better predictors of drug use than cannabis consumption was published in The Journal of School Health.
Shattering the Myth
Most cannabis users do not transition to harder drugs. In fact, many of them consume cannabis in lieu of more dangerous substances, such as prescription painkillers. Much of the gateway drug theory is founded on correlation rather than causation.
Myth 5: Weed Lowers Motivation
Examining the Link Between Cannabis and Motivation
Cannabis users typically fit the stereotype of being “unmotivated” or “unambitious,” but science says this is not true. An investigation published in The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology showed that there had no substantive relations to motivation decrease due to the expected use of cannabis.
Difference in Individuals
While a few would experience transient lethargy after using cannabis, this effect, slow in onset, is variable among individuals. Most do not experience motivational or ambition changes, particularly when cannabis is used responsibly.
Myth 6: Weed Causes Long-Term Mental Health Issues
Understanding the Connection
It is often believed that weed brings about long-term mental problems, for instance, anxiety, depression symptoms, or psychosis. Furthermore, cannabis can aggravate conditions in people who are already suffering from a mental disorder, but there is no solid indication that it creates those disorders.
While high doses of THC may prompt a temporary anxiety or even any paranoid reaction. As you know, it has been found that CBD has the opposite effect, with even possible anti-anxiety properties, according to one study published in Molecular Psychiatry.
Weighing Risks and Benefits
People who have previously suffered from mental disorders should use caution regarding marijuana, especially high-THC varieties. Moderate use of CBD-dominant products is unlikely to give adverse effects but may have some therapeutic effects.
Myth 7: Weed Is Illegal Everywhere
Global Legalization Trends
Another one is that weed is illegal all across the globe. What actually happens: the various countries and states have distinct laws concerning cannabis. Of late, many have decriminalized the use of cannabis for either medical or recreational purposes.
Fully legal recreational cannabis products are available in Canada, Uruguay, and many U.S. states. In other parts of the world, like with the Netherlands, cannabis appears to be tolerated on certain conditions.
Now, the Law is Changing Ongoing
With ever-increasing awareness of the medicinal properties of the herb, the trend toward legalization is going on, and more and more countries are looking into ways to responsibly regulate its use.
Conclusion
There are numerous myths and misconceptions concerning weed that go on to confuse and stigmatize. Scientific evidence for the use of recreational cannabis will aid in understanding its rewards and the associated risk.
