Marijuana users are typically depicted as lazy. Could this stereotype be false?
The study demonstrated that cannabis users are no less likely to be motivated or able to enjoy life’s pleasure.
According to a new study, cannabis users of all ages are no more likely than non-users to lack motivation or be unable to appreciate life’s pleasures, showing that the stereotype often depicted in the media has no scientific basis.
Additionally, compared to non-users, cannabis users exhibit no differences in reward-seeking motivation, enjoyment from rewards, or the brain’s response to rewards.
After alcohol and nicotine, cannabis is the third most often used controlled substance globally. According to 2018 research from the NHS Digital Lifestyles Team, 19% of 15-year-olds in England reported using cannabis in the previous year. This number was higher in the United States, with the National Institute on Drug Abuse reporting that 28% of 15 to 16-year-olds used cannabis in the previous 12 months in 2020.
The “stoner” is a prevalent stereotype of cannabis smokers; think Jesse Pinkman in Breaking Bad, The Dude in The Big Lebowski, or, more recently, Argyle in Stranger Things. These are people who are often portrayed as lazy and uncaring.
At the same time, there has been a great deal of worry about the possible effects of cannabis usage on the growing brain and the possibility that consuming cannabis throughout adolescence may have negative effects at a crucial time in a person’s…
