Does Cannabis Make You Lazy?

For years, cannabis users have been seen by many members of society as lazy, unmotivated, apathetic, among other stereotypes. How true are these claims, and where do they actually come from? Does cannabis make you lazy? In short, these claims are not entirely true and vary based on the individual. We’ll cover this topic in depth and break down all you need to know.

Why Do People Think Cannabis Makes You Lazy?

From the famous Afroman song “Because I Got High” to common beliefs in pop-culture, it should go without saying that cannabis users are often seen as lazy. In reality, these claims aren’t entirely baseless. After all, there are plenty of examples of cannabis users who definitely overindulge. But, it is likely this group of people doesn’t have much ambition in the first place. 

Let’s start by comparing cannabis to alcohol, or any intoxicating substance for that manner. We all know somebody who is more motivated to drink alcohol or partake in party drugs than to be ambitious or work on themselves as a person. In the same manner, there are absolutely certain people who chronically abuse cannabis with no personal drive. 

So, is it cannabis that causes people to become unmotivated, or is it themselves? In order to fully explore this issue, we’ll need to dive into some research. 

Studies On Cannabis and Laziness

There is actually a decent amount of research on this topic. We are at a point where we are starting to learn a lot about how cannabis affects our motivation. For one, we know that cannabis affects certain chemicals in your brain. Here are some examples

Dopamine Levels Are Affected by Long-Term Cannabis Abuse

Cannabis consumption has long been known to be linked with dopamine levels in your brain. Dopamine is usually only affected by short-term cannabis use. However, data shows that long-term chronic use can have long-term effects on your brain’s dopamine levels. 

Think of it like this. When you use chapstick on a daily basis for a long period of time, your body will naturally get used to it to the point where you produce less natural mucus.

Dopamine levels can be effected in a similar manner. There are tons of other chemicals that have this same effect on dopamine. However, if you stop using cannabis habitually,  your brain will naturally recover and bounce back to normal. 

Cannabis Can Effect Your Reward Centers

In both the short and long term, cannabis has been linked to having an effect on your brain’s reward centers. If you consume cannabis, it will cause an endorphin rush in your brain.  

It is possible that people who are seen as lazy after consuming cannabis appear that way because their brain is happy with the dopamine rush that it is experiencing. This is why they might choose not to pursue ambitious ventures while high, but once it wears off, things are back to normal.

Long-Term Permanent Effects Are Very Unlikely

Just because endorphins in your brain can be altered when you consume cannabis doesn’t mean much. It is a common myth that these changes can bring about permanent changes. In reality, this isn’t the case. 

A study conducted by New York State concluded that long-term users of cannabis who quit using cannabis showed normal brain activity. Therefore, cannabis itself is not what causes laziness. It is the choice of the user to both receive the dopamine rush from cannabis and then also choose not to pursue productive tasks. 

So Does Cannabis Make You Lazy?

To summarize, cannabis can have an effect on your dopamine levels. However, the individual themself has the most influence on their mental state. So no, cannabis does not make you lazy.

In reality, some of the most successful people in the world are regular cannabis users. Functional members of society all across the world, which we would never label lazy, use cannabis. Therefore, it is not cannabis itself that will make you lazy. Everyone has different ambitions, and some people just have lower ones.

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