Ok, I know the lot of you don't really like "stoners." You know...that stereotype of the lazy, dumb pot-smoking burn out. I know I certaintly don't take too fondly of being called one, not that it has happened to many times. To the point...

Yesterday the editor in chief of High Times and a retired DEA officer debated about legalizing at my university, and the public's opinion was a little startling. The majority of people there had the impression that smoking cannabis makes you slow and dumb. "The bums lost, Lebowski." Perhaps the cause and effect are mixed up here. My theory is this -- smoking marijuana is not the cause and becoming lazy is not the effect, being lazy is the cause and smoking marijuana is the effect.

I'll explain: Stoners are predisposed to be lazy. Before any weed is ever toked, they already have the personality and look. It just so happens that poking smot is perfect for this lifestyle. It makes sitting on the couch and watching hours of TV, what would be boring to most people, much more enjoyable. Of course I'm generalizing here and not everyone who smokes weed is lazy and not every lazy bum is a pot smoker. But that's just it -- a generalization, I can't catalog every single individual's personality.

I smoke a good amount of bud. At least one bowl is put into the air each day but I generally try to limit it to only a night time activity. Despite this, I'll try to make this not so biased and include some facts from the other side of the argument.

It is scientific fact that cannabis slows down response time and impairs memory. Although plenty of studies have been done, "not much is known why" is all I ever here. The only explanation I've seen was in a video I saw once in addiction class. It went on to say that cannabinoids are absorbed by the fatty tissues throughout the body and this includes the brain. Over months and years of use, the lipids in the brain become saturated with cannabiniods which hinder and slow down the neurological processes.

This is a descent idea, but a google search provided no resources, in fact all I could find where positive things about cannabinoids in the brain -- how the cannabinoid receptor system targets cancer, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's or Parkinson's diseases, inflammation, pain, schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety.

Down to the meat and potatoes of this thread, I'm not trying to defend anyone. I'm just trying to defend the drug so that the next time you see a walking replica of a guy from Half Baked you don't get the wrong idea.

yea, i've had a similar theory that lazy people are predisposed to not just pot but also opiates. infact, a personality of someone can easily gauge which drugs they may like and dislike. this is pretty much a given, as for the majority of human beings we're one hell of a predisposed lot. but i'm not psychologist, and only somewhat educated. i am however, human.

__________________
the road of excess leads to the palace of madness

*shrugs*
makes sense to me

I don't think it so simple.

tl/dr

Only a small portion of stoners are actually lazy and dumb. Most work a honest job, make a decent wage, and do everything a "normal" person does. They go home after working 12 hours, have a few joints/smoke some bongs, then just relax before they have to go back to work and do it all again.

FUCKIN' RIGHT OP! I've been trying to say this for years. I hate people who trash pot smokers. They have to realize that the losers who smoke pot were losers before they smoked pot. It's not the pot that makes them losers.

I completely agree with you, OP.

I myself smoke a lot of ganja per day. However, I still manage to attain a high 2.1. average at a reputable UK university. I'm in a steady, long-term relationship as well. I have a car that I pay for myself. I'm certainly not a lazy individual - I'm far to cautious about my life for that. Indeed, one day I wish to pursue a career in Law, of all things! I think the key to being successful/driven/motivated/ambitious is knowing when to smoke and when to not; it's simple really - just get your shit done before you light that first spliff...

Yet, technically, I guess I'm a 'stoner'. This may be true, but I'm certainly not a stereotype.

I'm very willing to go along with the statement 'being lazy is the cause and smoking marijuana is the effect'.

tl/dr

Eating/sleeping too much/too little as a regular thing messes up a productive lifestyle.

As weed in general (we'll leave the difference in effect between indica and sativa aside) intensifies sensations and thoughts, it can make you very active/intense/hyper/deaden appetite/forget sleepiness. It can also make you very slowed down/spinny and unfocused/ very hungry/sleepy.

People like to stick things into the "black box"/"white box" dichotomy.

For them if it makes you sleepy, it certainly could never wake anyone up. If it makes people go on food trips of indescribable munchiness? How could it ever be used to have a speedy effect and bypass eating?

It's all too easy to conceive of it as making you sit on the couch, watching the Box and stuffing your face. Then you get high and it intensifies that conception. Let alone it can make it hard for a group to get organized. Much easier to organize the group at a very low common denominator of passive activities.

I smoke a tonne of pot and I still manage to study, work 36 hours a week, see my girlfriend and have a social life.

I've always been lazy when it comes to study and smoking pot is no excuse for it. But quite frankly, I really like to get baked and if I can continue to get decent grades and do all the things a normal person can do and continue to smoke pot, I will.

The only down side to being a massive stoner on a limited budget is running out of pot. It sucks.