Busting The Biggest Myth About Marijuana

Pot doesn't make you lazy. In fact, it's quite the opposite, according to recent research.

By Mark Travers, Ph.D. | September 16, 2024

If you were around in the late '90s or early 2000s, you might recall a particularly memorable PSA. It featured a girl named Sarah, slumped on the couch, completely deflated—like a balloon that had lost all its air. Her friend, sitting beside her, explained in a solemn tone, "She won't answer you… Or, she can't. This is the way it's been since she started smoking pot. She's all lazy… and boring."

This image of Sarah, reduced to a mere shell of her former self, was the centerpiece of an anti-marijuana campaign that sought to convey a powerful message: weed makes you lazy. The PSA suggested that smoking marijuana could strip you of your energy, your enthusiasm and your work ethic—leaving you a lifeless, unmotivated "couch potato."

This isn't a relic of a bygone era. The idea that marijuana makes you lazy has been a recurring theme in anti-drug campaigns and remains a widely held belief. Many people still view cannabis users as unmotivated slackers, content to waste their days in a haze of smoke. But is this really true? According to recent research published in Social Psychological and Personality Science, it may be little more than a myth.

1. Smoking Weed Impacts Your Self-Regulation

In the April 2024 study, researchers Michael Inzlicht, Taylor Bridget Sparrow-Mungal and Gregory John Depow set out to examine the effects of marijuana on self-regulation. Naturally, they found that when participants were high, they indeed exhibited slight declines in self-regulation. In simple terms, chronic marijuana users might become less orderly, less thoughtful and a bit more impulsive while under the influence.

At first glance, these findings might seem to support the lazy stoner stereotype. If someone is less organized and more impulsive, it's easy to infer that they'd be less productive or less motivated to accomplish tasks. But this intuitive leap is not supported by research.

In an interview with Neuroscience News, lead author Michael Inzlicht emphasized an important caveat: "These things can detract someone from getting stuff done, but we didn't find it made them less hard-working, responsible or able to focus." In other words, while marijuana might make you a bit messier or less precise in your actions, it doesn't inherently make you lazy or unmotivated.

This distinction is crucial. The idea that stoners are inherently less driven or productive isn't supported by the evidence. Instead, the impact of weed on self-regulation appears to be more about temporary changes in behavior—as opposed to a fundamental shift in work ethic or motivation.

2. Smoking Weed Has No Effects On Motivation

Building on these findings, the study also tackled the notion that marijuana leads to a loss of motivation. This idea is central to the lazy stoner stereotype—which purports that weed turns people into apathetic, unproductive versions of themselves. However, the researchers found little evidence to support this claim.

The researchers noted, "In contrast to the stereotype of the stoned slacker who is apathetic and unmotivated, we found little evidence for an association between being high and a lack of motivation among cannabis users." This is a significant point. Despite the common belief that weed makes you less driven, the findings indicate that smokers are just as willing to exert effort as they are when sober.

One might argue that marijuana simply doesn't affect motivation in the way we've been led to believe—and the study's findings reflect this. Entirely contrary to the idea that stoners are lazy, the research revealed that chronic cannabis users discount mental effort at about the same rate when they're high as they do when sober. In other words, the drive to get things done remains intact.

3. 'Weed Hangovers' Don't Exist

Another long-standing myth surrounding marijuana is the idea of the "weed hangover"—the notion that even after the high has worn off, marijuana can leave users feeling sluggish, paranoid or just plain "off" once sober. It's akin to the lingering effects of alcohol—except, in this case, the supposed hangover is more about emotional and cognitive dullness.

Yet, according to the research, this belief is also unfounded. While it's true that being high can lead to various emotional and cognitive changes in the moment, the authors found no evidence of any lasting "next-day effects" on the smokers' emotions, motivation or overall mental state.

The study's findings are clear: the effects of cannabis intoxication are short-lived, with little indication of any sort of "weed hangover" a few hours later or the next day. This debunks the idea that marijuana has lingering negative effects on users; the reality is that once the high is over, so are its immediate impacts.

Not only does weed have little to no negative impact on smokers' sober lives, the researchers also discovered that chronic smokers tend to experience a range of positive emotions when high—such as awe, silliness, inspiration and gratitude.

Notably, the researchers found no significant association between getting high and increased suspicion or paranoia—contrary to popular depictions and even some medical symptom lists. However, it's worth mentioning that people who get high very frequently tend to experience more negative emotions overall than those who smoke less often—but, this had no impact on their motivation.

Why We Need To Let Go Of The 'Lazy Stoner' Trope

The lazy stoner stereotype has been a dominant narrative in anti-marijuana campaigns for decades, but the evidence doesn't seem to support it. Marijuana doesn't seem to make users less motivated, less productive or prone to lingering cognitive dullness. On the contrary, many of the negative perceptions surrounding marijuana appear to be rooted more in myth than in reality.

So, why does this stereotype persist? Perhaps it's because marijuana, like any substance, affects people differently. For some, smoking weed might indeed lead to moments of introspection, relaxation or even laziness—but that's a far cry from saying that marijuana inherently makes everyone lazy or unmotivated. The truth is more multifaceted than what the clichés put forward; it all depends on individual circumstances, habits and mental states.

Overall, the research suggests that many of the qualms people have with weed smokers may not be based in reality. They don't smoke as an excuse to be lazy and unproductive; instead, as the researchers noted, "These emotional results shed some light on the main reason chronic users report using cannabis—because they like the feeling."

Do you struggle to stay productive? Take this science-backed test to diagnose the extent of the problem: General Procrastination Scale

A similar version of this article can also be found on Forbes.com, here, and on PsychologyToday.com, here.