Smoker Stereotypes

Smoker Stereotypes That Should Go Away

Pop culture and cannabis have had a long, public love affair. We just can’t talk about it enough. Our grandparents or great-grandparents had Reefer Madness (1936), our parents had Up in Smoke (1978), and Millenials had Pineapple Express (2008), and the children of today will have their own hit stoner comedy they’ll look back on someday. With all these cultural moments for weed, we’ve collected some stereotypes along the way. Here are a few that we think need to get tossed like an old roach.

1) Stoners are stupid…

The most common, overplayed stereotype about marijuana is that getting high will turn you into a spaced out surfer who can’t function in basic interactions. Movies would have us believe that between the “Hey mans” and “dudes,” nothing a stoner has ever said will be worth listening to. We think this stereotype was made popular by Tommy Chong’s character, who played the clueless, comedic foil to Cheech Marin. This stereotype can’t be further from the truth. We know countless intelligent people still like to blaze up, from Carl Sagan to Francis Crick. If they can get high and make world changing discoveries, we’re pretty sure it’s not affecting their cognition.

2) Stoners are lazy…

This one is rooted in the same prejudices that makes people think stoners are stupid. Supposedly all the weeds flowing through our veins slows us down until we’re feeble-minded sloths who can’t leave our mom’s basement. That’s plain ridiculous. Anyone who remembers Michael Phelps pulling a fat bong rip after winning a record number of gold medals should know that cannabis consumption is no indicator of success or activity level. In fact, one of the best ways we know to get through menial work is to take a couple puffs on our one-hitter and power through the work. While some people use coffee, we love to get focused and get working with just a little bit of cannabis.

3) Stoners are dangerous…

This stereotype comes from Reefer Madness (1936), a movie explicitly designed to demonize marijuana and its users, mostly as a result of racial anxieties. Thankfully, we live in a more enlightened era. The average marijuana users are elderly people with chronic ailments, young people working a 9-5, and literally every other segment of society, because everyone likes getting high. We live in an era where tech CEOs smoke on famous podcasts and luxury lounges, not in dirty backrooms. Stoners aren’t criminals, they’re just normal people unwinding the best way they know how.

4) We buy weed from drug dealers…

With the widespread legalization across the country, buying weed from “some guy” is a thing of the past. Most people are buying their cannabis products in well-lit, clean stores with a green cross outside. Between recreational and medical legalization, most people aren’t even breaking the law while they shop. This is one of the most positive effects of legalization, as it allows producers and vendors to be regulated for quality and service. Buying schwag from a friend of a friend is something smokers today never have to experience, as modern producers are known for their quality, selection, and customer service. Buying weed today is more like walking into a wine shop, comparing varieties, and making a purchase based on employee recommendations.

5) We all smoke joints

There was a time when the joint was the standard method for smoking cannabis flower. Today, there are many regular cannabis users who have never even tried a joint, let alone rolled one. Vapes and edibles are two of the most popular options for consuming cannabis today. Both options are simple, discreet, and great ways to get stoned. Dry herb vaporizers are especially popular, as they are portable, compatible with flower, and leave less odor in the air and less residue in your lungs.

6) We have the munchies…

While it’s true that cannabis stimulates the appetite and is often used by patients with nausea or suppressed appetites for that reason, this stereotype is the dead horse we need to stop beating. There’s only so many ways to tell the same joke. We get it, Gary, the Doritos Locos taco was designed for stoners, because of the munchies. Yeah, we’ll eat twelve of them and a bag of candy. You’re very funny. Where did you get that joke from, the Comedy Store in 1988?

In reality, the appetite stimulation is a godsend for patients undergoing treatments like chemotherapy, which often leaves them so nauseated they can’t stomach anything. Cannabis relieves pain and nausea, and encourages patients to eat, which helps them keep weight on and stay strong throughout their treatments. We don’t think that’s funny, we think it’s incredible!

7) Stoners never cut their hair and wear tie-dye

Well…if we’re being honest, this one cuts a little close to home, but we’re sure most of our customers don’t fit this stereotype! Herb lovers come in every shape, style, and personality type. RYOT loves serving the herb lovers of the world with our products every day. If you love the green as much as we do, treat yourself this St. Patrick’s day with a new herb grinder, one hitter, or smell proof bag today!

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