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Marijuana Myths: 7 True Facts About Weed

If you think that marijuana use is confined to any specific demographic, or that it isn’t a widespread phenomenon, you would be wildly incorrect. In fact, 55 million Americans are weed smokers, with 35 million of these people stating that they use it regularly.

If you’re someone who’s never smoked weed before, there are probably a ton of myths you’ve heard about marijuana that might be stopping you from having a good time with friends around a bong. You might have heard that it’s unhealthy or it will harm your career prospects.

If you’re someone who does enjoy hitting the bowl, you know that these marijuana myths are completely false. You still might be curious, though, about the history of your favorite herb or learning some little-known facts about them.

No matter who you are, read on to learn more about pot and its benefits to bust the marijuana myths that you know- or don’t know- are untrue.

1. It Has a Rich History

One of the first interesting things to note is that weed has an incredibly interesting history. Lots of people think that marijuana use is a modern phenomenon, but in reality, it’s been used as a medicinal herb since 500 BC.

The people growing it weren’t using it to chase a high, though. It was grown and used to cure diseases that ran rampant in indigenous cultures in Asia.

The modern history of weed stems back to the colonialists in the 1400s, who grew the marijuana plant for hemp. Since weed’s just a strain of the hemp plant, this meant that the herb was grown in addition to the hemp materials people used to make rope and some fabrics.

In fact, at some points in history it was even required to be grown! Farmers in the early 1600s American colonies were legally obligated to grow hemp.

Eventually, in the 1800s, it was discovered that the cannabis plant had a lot of health benefits again. Its history in western medicine could have begun here, but about a century later people began using it to get high.

After that, it was criminalized. Political tensions were high and politicians began to fight against the herb. Though the growth of hemp remained legal in the US, the THC within it unfortunately no longer was.

We can only hope that it will be legalized nationwide soon. Fortunately, as a lot of states are already taking steps in that direction, this seems like a reasonable hope.

2. It’s Good for Mental Health…

Like we said before, the reason that cannabis was initially grown was because it was used as a medicinal herb. The health benefits clearly stayed the same over time, too, since other doctors discovered these benefits about 400 years later.

A lot of people today use weed as something to help with their mental health. And why wouldn’t they? Anxiety can be crippling. Pot reduces anxiety by a ton, helping the user relax their mind and muscles.

The CBD within the cannabis plant is responsible for muscle relaxation and the elimination of tension, but THC is what effects the mind and gives you that feeling of being high. Because this feeling opens pathways in your brain that anxiety hurts, you’re sure to feel more relaxed after a good hit.

Marijuana is even used as a treatment for PTSD!

Pot is also good for fighting depression in the long term. Of course, you need to use the herb in moderation, but when you use it sparingly it helps your mind relax and focus. People with ADHD see the benefits, too, because it helps them focus on one task at a time.

3. …And Physical Health, Too!

Your mental health isn’t the only thing benefited by weed. Pot can actually help you stay physically healthy, too.

First of all, smoking weed is a great preventative measure for seizures. If you have a family history of epilepsy, smoking a bowl every once in a while can stave off the manifestation of this health problem in you. It increases activity in the brain that stops seizures from happening before they begin.

Another disease that pot can help prevent is cancer! Taking cannabis oil every once in a while can stop malignant cells from growing where they aren’t supposed to. Talk about a miracle drug!

Weed can also help treat symptoms from pre-existing diseases. It isn’t all preventative. Schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, and sleep disorders are all commonly treated using medical marijuana.

It’s also used to treat chronic pain. If you have symptoms of any of these health issues, talk to a doctor about a medical marijuana card if your state has them. If weed is legal in your state anyway, then just go out and buy some! You won’t regret it.

4. Different Strains for Different Effects

You already know all about CBD, the part of the marijuana plant that causes muscle relaxation. You also know about THC, the part that’s responsible for getting you that good high you crave.

But this isn’t the even the beginning of the different types of cannabis there are. There are lots of different strains of the plant that all have different pros and cons when you smoke or ingest them.

The two most common strains are indica and satvia. Indica is a shorter and bushier cannabis plant that grows more quickly than satvia. It increases both mental and physical relaxation. A lot of people like to use it before bed, too, because it promotes sound sleep.

Satvia grows as tall and thin plants with long leaves. This strain of weed is the one that serves as a long-term anti anxiety medication. It also can help to up your level of seratonin so you feel like eating and being active. That’s why it’s usually used in the daytime!

5. Allergies Exist

You likely know that people can be allergic to… well, basically anything. From allergies to peanuts to seafood to cats to root vegetables, we’ve seen all kinds of allergic reactions to all sorts of things.

Weed is no exception!

It might not be something that you think of as being triggering to allergies, but people do experience allergic reactions to marijuana ranging from hives to anaphylaxis.

Shocking, right?

6. You Can Pass a Drug Test Any Time

One thing that stops a lot of people from smoking weed and getting all these benefits is the worry that they’ll have to take a drug test. Smoking and getting high usually doesn’t feel worth losing job opportunities, which, admittedly, makes a lot of sense.

But did you know that you can have your cake and eat it too?

It’s first important to note that marijuana won’t appear in urine tests if you don’t use it for a month. Since you usually know when you’re going to be applying for a new job and subjected to a drug test, you can just take a little break from your regular weed use to make sure it’s all out of your system before the drug test.

But what if you have a job that occasionally gives out random drug tests? Well, there’s still no need to worry. There’s a nifty device called the whizzinator that you can use to pass any drug test.

These fake penises look realistic and are filled with a fake urine that’s even more realistic. It’s got all the chemicals that are usually in human urine… with none of the drugs.

7. It’s Getting Even Stronger

Another fun fact about marijuana is that it’s getting more and more potent as the years go by. This means highs that are both longer and more intense. Currently, marijuana is five times stronger than it was in 1980!

There’s a small hiccup in knowing just how much stronger weed is getting, though. No researcher knows for sure how much more of the herb people are smoking than their 1980s counterparts. While it’s a for sure thing that weed is getting stronger, the amount people are taking definitely plays a role in how potent it is.

Bust Marijuana Myths

There are a lot of myths out there about weed. Whether the people telling you them want to prevent you from smoking or want to encourage you to smoke, everyone has a lot to say about marijuana.

Luckily, now you know better than to believe these marijuana myths. Plus, you know some cool facts about the herb, so you can tell people all about pot’s interesting history and current events involving this great drug.

The bottom line is that in truth, there are a lot of benefits to weed that you just can’t get elsewhere.

Now that you can bust these misconceptions, it’s time to hit the bowl! Stay chill! And check out the rest of our site for more kick ass facts.