5 Facts You Didn't Know About Marijuana

For those who smoke marijuana, the fact that some people still view it as a dangerous drug is baffling. There is a lot of false information out there about marijuana that contributes to the plant's bad reputation, so here are five facts to help clear-up the misconceptions about this harmless natural plant.


1) Marijuana has never directly killed anybody.

Try searching online for a single death caused directly by marijuana; you won't find one. You can't overdose on marijuana and the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) chemical in marijuana is non-toxic.


2) Marijuana is not proven to kill brain cells.

This widespread belief comes from a government test performed in the 80's in which monkey were strapped with gas masks filled with marijuana smoke. The monkeys died, and had autopsies performed that showed their brain cells had been damaged. These results were used to declare that marijuana was the cause of the damaged brain cells, when in reality the cause was suffocation. There was not enough oxygen mixed into the gas masks along with the marijuana smoke, and the monkeys all suffocated to death - which kills brain cells. Several studies have been performed in more recent years that have repudiated the results of this monkey test, and proven that marijuana does not actually kill brain cells, yet this continues to be a common belief among Americans.


3) Marijuana is not a "gateway drug."

Marijuana is the most widely available and commonly used illegal drug in the United States, therefore most people who use harder illegal drugs have also used marijuana. Anti-drug groups have distorted that fact by suggesting that the use of marijuana causes people to try the other drugs, which has never been proven.


4) Marijuana does not cause cancer.

The THC chemical in marijuana is non-toxic and does not cause cancer. Numerous studies have been performed on this matter, and they have all shown that marijuana does NOT increase the risk of cancer for its users. Smoke can increase the risk of cancer, and that includes smoke from a BBQ or a campfire, but the actual chemical in marijuana is harmless. (It's important to note here that there are other ways to consume marijuana besides smoking it.)


5) Queen Victoria was actually prescribed marijuana to alleviate her menstrual cramps.

In 1890, the British Queen Victoria was prescribed cannabis by her personal physician to alleviate the pain of her menstrual cramps. The use of marijuana to ease pain actually goes back much farther, however, with the first instance on record coming from China in 10,000 B.C.!