Rejecting The “Lazy Stoner” Trope
Researchers at University of Cambridge have published a study in the International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology that firmly rejects the stereotype of the “lazy stoner,” finding that cannabis users have just as much motivation as those who don’t partake. “We’re so used to seeing ‘lazy stoners’ on our screens that we don’t stop to ask whether they’re an accurate representation,” Martine Skumlien—who is a PhD student at the university and an author of the paper. She explains that, according to their research, “people who use cannabis are no more likely to lack motivation or be lazier than people who don’t… We need to be honest and frank about what are and are not the harmful consequences of drug use.” The study involved 274 participants: “adolescent and adult cannabis users who had used cannabis at least weekly over the past three months, with an average of four days a week, and a group of non-users matched for age and gender. Participants completed questionnaires to measure anhedonia (lack of pleasure) and apathy levels, such as how much they enjoy being with family and friends or how likely they were to see a job through to the end.” All participants were sober while answering the questionnaire, there was no difference between the apathy levels of users versus non-users. The next phase of research will center on anhedonia and apathy while under the influence. Read more at The Guardian.
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Via theguardian.com link opens in a new window
