Stoners have been dealing with unfair stereotypes since cannabis was criminalized in the early 20th century. Most of these stereotypes, such as stoners being lazy and unmotivated, have been debunked. Yet these stereotypes persist. It’s time for them to go away forever.

Stoners Are Lazy

People have been calling stoners lazy dating back to cannabis prohibition, when racist anti-cannabis proponents were trying to paint the typical cannabis user as a lazy immigrant (read: non white person). The truth is that people who use cannabis are actually more physically active than people who don’t use cannabis. Weed and working out go very well together, just ask the winner of multiple Olympic gold medals, Michael Phelps.

We’re Unmotivated

If you think that stoners are unmotivated, then you really need to look at all the successful people who smoked pot, like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Bill Clinton, and current American president Barack Obama. Every stoner that I know, not only has a job, they rock at it.

Stoners Are Burnouts

This could not be further from the truth. The stoners that I know all have jobs, they’re good parents, they’re always creating art, etc. There’s nothing that a stoner cannot achieve once they set their mind to it.

We’re All The Same

People who don’t smoke tend to think that we stoners are all the same type of person; we only care about weed and that’s it. Again, this is not true, I’ve met stoners from many different walks of life. They all have their own goals, their own dreams. They’re just trying to get by in this cold, cruel world.

We’re All Hippies

While I do consider myself a hippie, that’s not the only way that I define myself. People who know me would say that there’s a lot of punk rocker, fantasy nerd, and girly girl mixed in there as well. I’m also friends with a lot of stoners who fall more into the conservative, right-wing category. Not every stoner is a hippie peacenik. For example if you look at stoner hip-hop culture, I’m pretty sure they would not describe themselves as hippies.

Stoners Are Always Hungry

The munchies are one of those things that come to mind immediately when they think of stoners. We love to eat, but who doesn’t? There are actually many strains of cannabis that help suppress appetite and thus help combat obesity. Cannabis also helps people going through cancer treatments eat, so let’s stop picking on people for eating when they’re high, okay?

We’re Uneducated

People tend to think that stoners are uneducated people. As with all stoner stereotypes, this could not be further from the truth. Speaking for myself, I am a college student with a 3.8 GPA, so I definitely do not fall into this category. The most educated and well-rounded people I’ve met have also been stoners.

Stoners Only Care About Weed

I love herb, but it does not run my life. I prefer to use it as a way to spice up what might otherwise be a mundane existence. When I don’t have it, I don’t freak out. It sucks, but life goes on. The same goes for the other stoners in my social circle. They love getting high, but they have a life outside of smoking weed.

We’re All Criminals

This one especially needs to go away. Cannabis is legal for medicinal and recreational use in more places than it was in the past, so it’s not fair to categorize people as criminals for partaking in something that is legal where they live. Stoners don’t go out and commit crimes, like people who use meth, for example.

People Only Use Cannabis To Get High

Cannabis has been proven to be effective medicine when used to treat various illnesses and chronic conditions. A lot of people use cannabis to manage pain, to deal with PTSD, and also to deal with nausea and loss of appetite from chemotherapy. Cannabis has helped improve the quality of life for many who would be living in misery without it. You don’t judge people for taking aspirin when they have a headache, don’t judge people for using cannabis in the same manner.

I’ve dealt with people stereotyping me for my cannabis use for most of my life, as I’m sure you all have too. I’ve been around all types of people throughout my life, and stoners are my favorite. This is not just because I enjoy cannabis. I like drinking, but I certainly don’t want to be surrounded by drunks. Now that most of these have been debunked, It’s time for these stereotypes to go up in smoke for good.

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What stereotypes about stoners do you want to go away? Share with us in the comments!