Stoner. Pothead. Loser. Couch potato. These are just a few of the choice names for individuals who choose to use a plant to self-medicate or relax. The stereotypes related to the cannabis enthusiast have been crafted over decades of lies and deceit, and in the public eye, cannabis is promoted as a harmful gateway drug only used by the lowest elements of our society.
That stereotype is changing fast, as numerous high-profile individuals, like Elon Musk and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have come out in support of cannabis legalization and appropriate use. To further the conversation, new evidence is indicating that yes, indeed, there are numerous benefits to using cannabis for health and well-being. And within our own culture, we see it every day as high-functioning stoners operate multi-million dollar businesses, participate in physical activity, and perform their daily adult responsibilities without incident. In this episode of Cannabis Nurse Truths, we consider the high-functioning stoner, a mythical creature that is gaining in population as the US continues to move toward cannabis legalization.
EPISODE RESOURCES
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