7 Myths About Marijuana You Must Stop Believing

Of all the intoxicants out in the market, marijuana is perhaps the most misunderstood one. The debate about marijuana's benefits has been a never-ending one. There have been endless evaluations of marijuana touting its possible benefits and harmful effects too. Well, facts suggest that medicinal marijuana indeed is indeed good for your health. Despite this, it continues to be subject to a number of rumors and myths. But we have decided to clear the smoke and present you the facts instead.

So let's take a look at the 7 most common myths about marijuana and replace it with facts instead. Keep reading...

1. Marijuana kills brain cells

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No, it does not. Your precious brain cells are completely safe from any form of damage due to smoking marijuana. And this has been definitively proven by multiple studies. So relax!

2. Smoking pot is worse for your lungs

Smoking in any form is not good for your lungs. But if we compare the two, marijuana concoctions are less harmful than those of a regular cigarette. And it doesn't end here, the smoking rate of these two are completely different. An average smoker is likely to smoke a complete pack of cigarettes in a day. But a person who smokes pot may not spend the whole day smoking up.

3. Marijuana can affect your memories

People widely believe that smoking marijuana can be a way of exposing one's memories to a risk of short-term loss. But this isn't true. Smoking pot will not rob you of your memories, both short term and long term. And all those rumors about it increasing your risk of dementia, well, that's trash talk.

4. Marijuana can leave you sterile

Yes, we agree that smoking pot for too long can affect your swimmers and leave them abnormal. But this again isn't a long-term effect. It gets better with time. Besides, if you do it once in a while, your swimmers are safe.

5. Marijuana makes you creative

This again isn't true. Yes, smoking marijuana is a common trend among musicians, artists, and writers but it isn't really their source or reason for creativity. Instead, a recent study stated that it just creates an illusion of improving creativity. So if you thought that smoking pot will make you more creative, keep this in mind.

6. Smoking marijuana may cause cancer

Well, if smoking cigarettes can cause cancer, so can marijuana. But that's not completely true. Yes, smoking any substance paves your way to cancer, but it depends on how risky or how harmful the substance is. Carcinogens in weed are not good for health. But they are much lesser than those found in cigarettes. Besides, a person smoking pot smokes much lesser than a cigarette smoker. So yes, the risk is lowered even more.

7. Marijuana may lead to psychosis and mental health problems

Only a small percentage of the population deals with temporary and mild anxiety after smoking pot. But scientifically, there is not much evidence to support the fact that smoking pot can lead to mental health problems. Instead, smoking pot is known to have a calming effect on the mind. It encourages the flow of the feel-good neurotransmitters to the brain.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.