Howdy friends! Oh, look at that –I’m back with ANOTHER new blog post so soon! Shocking, I know, but there’s a reason for that and I bet you can guess exactly what it is! If your hazy mind went straight to the obvious answer (marijuana), then congratulations, Captain Obvious, you hit the nail on the head (I mean, duh, what else would it be about? This is a weed blog, ain’t it?)! Yes, guys, my sudden burst of productivity is solely due to the power of these beautiful flowers! Now, if you are one of those people still holding onto the outdated stereotype of lazy, stupid-giddy, slacking hippies, then grab a chair and learn something new, because the average “stoner” these days is highly accomplished and a super producer! You may be wondering how toking everyday now and then can help you be more productive when every D.A.R.E. pamphlet and TV commercial you saw growing up (and even now) proclaim loudly how detrimental and dangerous weed is! I mean, after all, it is a “gateway drug,” right [insert major fucking eye roll here]? Okay, let me break this down for you.
As human beings, we have a completely amazing neurotransmitter stored in our brains called dopamine. Sound familiar? Yeah, I am sure you have heard of it. Dopamine is a chemical in our brain responsible for the communication between our brain and the rest of our body. While dopamine is present in the brains of all animals, only humans have copious amounts, which ultimately evolved us to the dominant species. So, what does dopamine have to do with weed? Well, when we smoke or eat cannabis, large amounts of dopamine are released within the brain. Usually the dopamine chemical is regulated by another neurotransmitter called GABA; however, the THC relaxes the function of GABA. This chemical reaction is what allows marijuana users to feel relaxed, happy, adventurous, creative, aaaand ::drum roll:: FOCUSED! Okay, so now you know how this shit works! That’s pretty amazing, right?
I hope I’ve got your wheels turning because now you should be asking yourself, “if that’s what’s happening behind the scenes in our brains when we smoke weed, then why do we have the lazy stoner stereotype? The answer to that is simple: propaganda! Much like how alcohol was illegal and stigmatized, marijuana has suffered a similar, more extreme fate. The media has been used to push the image of  lazy, unmotivated, slacking smokers because “the powers that be” don’t want people reaching their HSs. When people can easily, and affordably, buy a bag of weed, why would we need expensive, addiction forming drugs like Ritalin? Yup, put your conspiracy theorist hat on and start asking and answering those questions! I’m sure you’ll find there are far more benefits to marijuana than disadvantages!
Til next time, friends…
Hardy Har