The increasingly regular use and popular acceptance of marijuana use has generated in recent years an intense debate about whether or not to regulate the laws under which it is possible to grow, consume and even market cannabis-derived products.

In the era of telecommunications and with full access to information, it almost seems silly to say that we are more misinformed than ever. Cannabis use has always been stigmatized. And if you do a simple query in any Internet search engine, you will find everything regarding marijuana and, by extension, cannabis.

Today we are going to try to shed a bit of clarity on this and bring to light all the truths and lies about the use of cannabis, precisely the opposite of what you have to do to grow it. Let's turn on the light!

 

The whole truth about cannabis use

Asserting the virtues of cannabis like a grandmother talking about her grandchildren is not going to make us credible, so we have based our analysis of the myths and realities of cannabis on one of the most extensive studies conducted on its use and its derivatives.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine of the USA (NASEM), or what is the same, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine of the United States, which acts as a certifying mark of studies issued by the three academies, wrote a comprehensive report on the health effects of cannabis and its derivatives, both in terms of recreational and therapeutic use.

This committee of sages analyzed all the claims regarding cannabis and its derivatives and concluded the following:

 

  1. Marijuana use increases the risk of lung cancer.

FAKE. The NASEM study determined that the risk of lung cancer is associated with tobacco use, as is head and neck cancer, and that marijuana use did not increase the chances of suffering from it.

 

  1. If a pregnant woman uses cannabis, the fetus may have cancer.

FAKE There was also no evidence that cannabis was the cause or the origin or an increase in the chances of the fetus suffering from cancer, although they did find evidence linking cannabis use with a lower than recommended birth weight.

 

  1. Cannabis has therapeutic effects.

TRUE. Patients with chronic pain treated with cannabis or cannabinoids experienced a greater degree of pain.

 

  1. Using cannabis can cause diabetes, heart attacks, and strokes.

FAKE.  There is no study that strongly supports this statement, although there are conclusions that suggest that smoking cannabis and its derivatives can increase the risk of heart attack.

 

  1. Consuming cannabis before driving increases the risk of accidents.

TRUE. The consumption of cannabis and its derivatives before driving favors being involved in a car accident. Even in countries where it is a fully legal substance, there are many overdose accidents involving children accidentally using it.

 

  1. It can cause respiratory diseases.

FAKE. In fact, many people with respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma report improvement and relief from smoking marijuana.

 

  1. Cannabis use affects mental health.

TRUE. Excessive consumption of cannabis and its derivatives increases the possibility of suffering from some type of social anxiety disorder.

 

  1. The use of cannabis causes negative psychosocial effects.

FAKE. Neither learning, memory, nor attention are impaired by cannabis use.

 

  1. If you use marijuana you will end up using other drugs.

FAKE. It is one of the biggest myths about cannabis and its derivatives. There is no evidence to justify this claim, other than being a resource when you cannot sustain other arguments. In fact, cannabis users do not switch to other drugs.

 

  1. If you start smoking marijuana you can't stop.

FAKE. There is no type of physical addiction to marijuana or to the cannabis plant produced by a chemical element. While addiction can be psychic, it is no different from any other type of addiction, such as tobacco or video games.

 

  1. Consuming cannabis incites you to crime.

FAKE. There may be criminals who use cannabis, but this derangement of behavior addresses other triggers and not cannabis or its derivatives. You can be a criminal and be hooked on strawberry lollipops. Cannabis and its derivatives do not cause any incitement effects (it does not even increase aggressiveness!).

 

The myths of prohibitionism

The attempt to stigmatize the use of cannabis and its derivatives is often based on false, manipulated data that meets a need to seek its prohibition without the support of a solid (and serious) theoretical framework.

That is, to prohibit by prohibiting using the technique of the proliferation of hoaxes.