Could Cannabis Make You Smarter?

Science and the latest research studies are finally definitively debunking the myth that cannabis use makes you stupid. The common stereotype of “stoners” is mostly a Hollywood invention.

Of course, we are aware that some real life Bill & Ted’s are on the loose, bless their little hearts. But the average cannabis user cannot be pigeonholed to a group of mostly harmless idiots with a ravenous appetite and limited vocabulary.

The truth is there is no profile for the typical stoner simply because all kinds of people use cannabis for any number of reasons. Only a fool could answer the question if being stupid is really like being high all the time?

Cannabis is renowned all over the World for its effects on human consciousness and getting high goes hand in hand with consciousness expansion. Stupid prefers to inhabit the ignorant and closed minded. Therefore it’s only logical to assume cannabis make you smart.

We cannot pretend to be impartial considering this very article is being written under the influence of some fine cannabis. However, we are professional marijuana users and reporters committed to the truth and delivering the facts.

So we would like to share some interesting results from the latest cannabis studies to support our theory cannabis makes you smarter.

THE MCLEAN HOSPITAL STUDY

 A new study led by Staci Gruber Ph.D. at the McLean Hospital is measuring the impact of medical cannabis on participant’s cognitive function over 3, 6, & 12-month intervals.

As you can see, results from the study have already been published, yet it will continue to monitor participants for a further 2 years. So far, contrary to popular opinion, it seems cannabis use has improved the executive function of each participant’s mind.

Unlike traditional studies, that focus on the use of one cannabinoid concoction on a pool of medical marijuana users. Gruber is looking for more comprehensive data, so a variety of medical products will be consumed by the participants including THC & THC-CBD blends – allowing multiple ratios to be explored.

Participants were carefully selected to analyse the medicinal benefits and were confirmed by urinalysis to be cannabis free for 10 years minimum before actively participating.

Furthermore, preliminary results have also demonstrated a reduction in dependency on conventional pharmaceuticals which are often opiates especially in the case of pain medication.

AN UGLY STUDY

Not all cannabis studies have provided the results we expected or wanted to hear. The 2012 Duke University study is one ugly cannabis study. This is the stuff of nightmares for a stoner to stumble across and it even made waves in mainstream media.

Essentially this study appeared to prove a definite link to decreased IQ’s in young adults and heavy cannabis use throughout the teens. However, many factors such as mental illness, alcohol, and other drug use were not given the consideration they deserved leading to inevitably skewed false conclusions.

Fortunately, it’s not true because the study has been contradicted by a plethora of more meticulous subsequent studies. Glad we got that straight, phew!

A RECENT STUDY OF BRITISH TEENAGERS

Another study of interest is the study of a sample of 2,235 British teenagers from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. This study was recently published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.

The UK study sought to examine the link or lack of between teenage cannabis use and decreased IQ and diminished academic performance. Once again, the findings prove that cannabis use does not cause a decline in cognitive function and overall intelligence.

TRENDS DATA INDICATES MARIJUANA IS DRUG OF CHOICE ON CAMPUS

The University of Michigan’s has compiled the best data on drug use of US college students for the period 1975-2014 in its “Monitoring the Future national survey on drug use”.

This study is not limited to just marijuana alone and provides excellent data to measure societal trends and also highlights that more than one-third of students still habitually binge drink even in the 21st century.

It should be no surprise that cannabis is the drug of choice for college students and 5.9% admit to daily use according to the report.

Moreover, out of state applications to attend the University of Colorado Boulder rose approximately 25% coinciding with the legalisation of recreational cannabis use in the state back in 2014. It’s still a top choice for prospective students today.

OUR HYPOTHESIS

OK so blazing a big fat blunt, smoking a spliff, or ripping bong hits won’t add any points to your score on an IQ test but they certainly won’t diminish it either.

However, weed can sometimes be performance enhancing particularly if you happen to be in any way creative. Writers and musicians often habitually imbibe cannabis to get the artistic juices flowing.

Cannabis is famous for making people ask questions; sure, these can range from grandiose questions of our purpose in the cosmos to genuine questioning of the status quo.

Asking questions is the only way to get answers and is the first step in the process of acquiring knowledge. How did a substance that stimulates the mind to wonder ever become so widely prohibited? Perhaps this is the real reason why cannabis was banned by Governments.

Never judge a book by its cover and bare this in mind when considering cannabis users. Denver might be best known for its dispensaries, but that’s not the only way to get high in Denver.

Richard Branson has just optioned 10 supersonic passenger planes from a Denver-based aerospace company called “Boom”. The 21st century Concorde will be built by guys that smoke weed and perhaps these stoners will even construct the spaceships that take humans to Mars.