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Psychologist Debunks Cannabis Myth

(approx. 4 minute read)


The idea that cannabis makes you lazy has been a recurring theme in anti-drug campaigns and remains a widely held belief. Many people still view cannabis users as unmotivated slackers, content to waste their days in a haze of smoke. But is this really true? According to research published in Social Psychological and Personality Science, it may be little more than a myth.

In an April 2024 study, researchers set out to examine the effects of cannabis on self-regulation. Naturally, they found that when participants were high, they indeed exhibited slight declines in self-regulation. In simple terms, chronic cannabis users might become less orderly, less thoughtful and a bit more impulsive while under the influence.

These findings might seem to support the lazy stoner stereotype. If someone is less organised and more impulsive, it’s easy to infer they’d be less productive or less motivated. The lead author of the study emphasised an important caveat: “These things can detract someone from getting stuff done, but we didn’t find it made them less hard-working, responsible or able to focus”.

In other words, while cannabis might make you a bit messier or less precise in your actions, it doesn’t inherently make you lazy or unmotivated. This distinction is crucial. The idea stoners are inherently less driven or productive isn’t supported by the evidence. The impact of weed on self-regulation appears to be more about temporary changes in behaviour—as opposed to a fundamental shift in work ethic or motivation. 

Building on these findings, the study also tackled the notion cannabis leads to a loss of motivation. This idea is central to the lazy stoner stereotype—which purports weed turns people into apathetic, unproductive versions of themselves. However, researchers found little evidence to support this claim and noted, “In contrast to the stereotype of the stoned slacker who is apathetic and unmotivated, we found little evidence for an association between being high and a lack of motivation among cannabis users”.

This is a significant point. Despite the common belief weed makes you less driven, the findings indicate users are just as willing to exert effort. One might argue cannabis simply doesn’t affect motivation in the way we’ve been led to believe—and the study’s findings reflect this. Entirely contrary to the idea stoners are lazy, the research revealed chronic cannabis users discount mental effort at about the same rate when they’re high as they do when not high. In other words, the drive to get things done remains intact.

Arguably the greatest American Olympian swimmer of all time, Michael Phelps—medalled a record 28 times in five
Games, including 23 gold medals—could never be described as unmotivated, yet he used cannabis (as far back as 2009)!


Another long-standing myth surrounding cannabis is the idea of the “weed hangover”—the notion that even after the high has worn off, cannabis can leave users feeling sluggish, paranoid or just plain “off” once sober. It’s akin to the lingering effects of alcohol—except, in this case, the supposed hangover is more about emotional and cognitive dullness.

According to the research, this belief is unfounded. While it’s true that being high can lead to various emotional and cognitive changes in the moment, the authors found no evidence of any lasting “next-day effects” on the smokers’ emotions, motivation or overall mental state. 

The study’s findings are clear: the effects of cannabis are short-lived, with little indication of any sort of “weed hangover” a few hours later or the next day. This debunks the idea that cannabis has lingering negative effects on users; the reality is that once the high is over, so are its immediate impacts.

Not only does weed have little to no negative impact on users' lives, researchers also discovered that chronic users tend to experience a range of positive emotions when high—such as awe, silliness, inspiration and gratitude. Notably, the researchers found no significant association between getting high and increased suspicion or paranoia—contrary to popular depictions and even some medical symptom lists.

The lazy stoner stereotype has been a dominant narrative in anti-cannabis campaigns for decades, but the evidence doesn’t support it. Cannabis doesn’t make users less motivated, less productive or prone to lingering cognitive dullness. On the contrary, many of the negative perceptions surrounding cannabis appear to be rooted more in myth than in reality.

So, why does this stereotype persist? Perhaps it’s because cannabis, like any substance, affects people differently. For some, smoking weed might indeed lead to moments of introspection, relaxation or even laziness—but that’s a far cry from saying cannabis inherently makes everyone lazy or unmotivated. The truth is more multifaceted than what the clichés put forward; it all depends on individual circumstances, habits and mental states.

Overall, the research suggests that many of the qualms people have with weed users may not be based in reality. They don’t use cannabis as an excuse to be lazy and unproductive; instead, as the researchers noted, “These emotional results shed some light on the main reason chronic users report using cannabis—because they like the feeling”.

Mark Travers PhD, American psychologist, writes about psycho-educational topics 

Read the study here

7 October, 2024