The classic stoner stereotype is well known. 

They’re dim, unmotivated and forgetful. 

But is this actually fair?

Well, researchers in Canada have actually studied it.

And they have found that many of the assumptions made about regular cannabis consumers are very wide of the mark. 

Data shows, in fact, they are just as motivated and ambitious as non-users. 

So what are the real effects of regularly smoking weed? 

The study

A new study out of the University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall Law School looks at the daily lives of regular cannabis users and goes against the common view that they are unambitious and unproductive.

The research brought together 260 people from online cannabis forums who use cannabis about five to six times a week, at least three times a week. 

The methods involved real-time checks where participants were asked randomly five times a day for a week about their current state and how they felt and acted, focusing on their ability to control themselves.

The aim was to understand their experiences during everyday activities instead of a clinical environment. 

Frequent users were compared to those who use less often, noting the differences when they were high and when they were not. 

This approach is different from many studies that compare cannabis users with non-users, who might differ in other significant ways like personality or mental health, potentially skewing the results.

Findings

The findings showed that participants were high about 64% of the time we checked in, mainly smoking cannabis flower. 

Most said they used cannabis because they enjoyed the sensation, and some used it to help improve focus.

Contrary to the belief that cannabis dampens emotions, the study found that it actually intensified feelings. 

Consumers who got high a few times a week reported more positive emotions like awe, happiness, and inspiration while high, and felt less fear and stress. 

However, those who used it several times a day experienced more negative feelings overall, including embarrassment and guilt, whether they were high or not. 

It’s unclear whether the negative emotions led to more frequent use or vice versa.

Motivated stoner 

The research also challenges the idea that cannabis users lack motivation. 

According to their own accounts, even those who used cannabis multiple times a day were highly motivated to achieve goals for rewards or social approval, and to avoid guilt. 

When motivation was measured more objectively, and participants were asked to choose between an easy task for less reward or a more challenging one for greater reward, being high didn’t make a difference; they were just as likely to choose the harder task.

However, when it came to self-regulation and conscientiousness, the effects of being high were slightly negative. 

Participants tended to be more impulsive and disorganised, more prone to dishonesty to get what they wanted, and less likely to follow rules when high, although these changes were minor.

Rethink stereotypes

Overall, the study suggests society needs to rethink its views on regular cannabis users. 

As acceptance of cannabis grows, research based on real data like this should help shape future policies on its use. 

As many of us already know, most regular weed smokers do not fit the stereotype of a lazy stoner. So let’s move on from this outdated trope. 

Source: https://nautil.us/the-psychology-of-getting-high-a-lot-548541/

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