6 Stoner Stereotypes Clouding The Reputation of Cannabis Culture
Stoners have gathered an impressive collection of stereotypes over the past few decades: we're unmotivated, obvious when high, and always snacking on something deep fried and or cheesy. While common stoner stereotypes may apply to some pot smokers, that doesn't mean all of us can (or will) be defined by these assumptions. After all, not all stoners are lazy in the same way that not all chefs are chubby and not all non-smokers are motivated and successful. If you try to base your judgment of a person on whether or not they smoke weed, you're more than likely to judge incorrectly.
So, do yourself (and your stoner friends and family) a favor and get to know the person beyond their drug of choice. Who knows, they may surprise you! Despite all the stoner stereotypes out there, smoking dank weed doesn't change who you are — it just makes you higher.
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We're Lazy and Unsuccessful
Sure, there are lazy and unmotivated stoners in the world — there are also lazy and unmotivated non-stoners. Just because lazy people smoke weed doesn’t mean the weed made them that way! That's like saying that alcohol makes you party when it's much more likely that people who like to party also like to drink. Anyone with drive and ambition can smoke some cannabis without losing their will to succeed in life. After all, weed doesn't change your personality — it only gets you high (and temporarily, at that). Just take a look at all the successful stoners out there: Michael Phelps, Seth Rogen, and Bob Dylan are the first to come to mind. They're all famous celebrities who have a proven track record of cannabis consumption. So, unless you're more successful than these guys, along with every other successful stoner, it's probably best to assume not everyone who smokes weed fits the lazy stoner stereotype.
We Can't Blend in with Non-Stoners
While some people simply cannot smoke weed without looking like they stepped out of a stoner comedy, this stereotype just isn't true for a lot of seasoned stoners. In fact, the longer and more frequently a person smokes weed, the better they are at hiding it! Like any other feat, hiding your weed high gets easier the more you do it. Practice really does make perfect, and practiced cannabis consumers often have a near-perfect sober impression. So, if you see someone with red eyes and a goofy grin, make sure to keep in mind that they might not even be a hardcore stoner. Alternatively, the pulled-together businesswoman in a pantsuit with a charming wit about her may be high as a kite. Never judge a book by its cover, or, in this case, never judge whether or not someone is stoned by how they look. After all, eye drops were made for a reason!
We're Dependent on Weed
A common stoner stereotype that needs to go is that all stoners are dependent on cannabis. While some people (especially those with addictive personality types) can become attached to weed, not everyone experiences pot the same way. Since weed isn't chemically addictive, it's really up to the individual person whether or not they come to depend on cannabis. Some people can smoke weed every day and quit no problem while others smoke a few times and just won't want to stop. And if a person does consume cannabis all the time and doesn't want to stop, they still might not be dependent. It's entirely possible to want to smoke weed every day without being reliant. Again, this stoner stereotype has more to do with individual personality traits than stoners as a whole. Don't assume that everyone who smokes weed is addicted to it because that simply isn't true!
We Eat Too Much
Yes, weed does cause munchies. It's pretty much unavoidable that when you smoke cannabis, you're going to feel a little hungry afterward (or a lot hungry, if we're being honest). But having the munchies and following through with the munchies are two different things entirely! Just like when you're sober, you don't have to give in to your urge to snack on whatever unhealthy, high-calorie food is lying around the house. The same goes for when you're high. Being high doesn't demolish your self-control when it comes to food, it only diminishes it.
So, to the stoners out there, don't blame your diet failures on weed! And to the non-smokers, don't assume that anyone who smokes weed can't control their urge to snack. After all, stoners who eat too much can certainly blame weed for its tendency to make you hungry, but it's ultimately up to the individual to have the self-control to keep from snacking. If a stoner really didn't want to eat deep fried pickles, then they won't eat deep-fried pickles. Weed can't force you to do anything, only nudge you in the direction (of deep-fried pickles).
We Do Other Drugs
Cannabis is often referred to as the gateway drug, which is a misnomer and often gives people the wrong impression about stoners and other drugs. While there is a decent overlap of people who have smoked weed and those who go on to use other drugs, that doesn't mean all stoners are chomping at the bit to get high off anything they can get their hands on. In fact, a lot of weed lovers stick to weed, weed, and only weed. The only reason cannabis is called a gateway drug is because it's mild (as far as drugs go), easy to come across, and considered one of the safer drugs! Even more importantly, medicinal cannabis consumers actually use cannabis as a tool to avoid doing other drugs! So next time someone says that weed is the gateway drug, ask why it's used to fight opioid addiction. The stoner stereotype that weed leads to other drugs is more correlation than causation, which is (in the end) just faulty logic.
We Pressure Non-Stoners to Smoke
You'll see this stereotype in movies and TV shows where the pothead pressures their peers and relatives into smoking weed when they don't want to. While some cannabis consumers may do this, it is far from the norm as far as stoner behavior goes. In the real world of weed, stoners are much more likely to respect someone who doesn't want to smoke and may even avoid partaking around them to make sure they're not uncomfortable. If you know someone who acts like a jerk and makes non-stoners feel bad for not smoking, it's not because they're a stoner — it's because they're a jerk! Again, this stoner stereotype has more to do with a few stoners behaving badly than it does with reality. Anyone involved in the stoner community knows that it isn't okay to pressure non-smokers to smoke. And anyone who does pressure you is a jerk, but that's not because of weed! Ultimately, weed gets you high (that's it). What weed does not do, however, is change who you are.
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