There are two types of people in this world: people who see cannabis as god’s green and people who see it as the devil’s lettuce. 

Formally known as the gateway drug, marijuana long ago got classified as a class 1 drug along with hard drugs like heroin, cocaine and meth. 

But that’s the first myth, because according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most people who consume cannabis do not go on to use harder drugs. 

The people who do go to do harder drugs tend to already have higher risk of addiction due to a multitude of factors like family history, drug availability, social isolation, depression and having peers that have a substance abuse disorder. 

Marijuana instead has actually been shown to help treat alcohol and drug addiction, according to a Medical News Today article titled “What are the health benefits and risks of cannabis” written by Tom Rush, further debunking the myth of marijuana as a gateway to harder drugs. 

Myth number two is that marijuana is harmful and has no medical benefits. 

Marijuana is said to cause lung cancer, psychosis, damage the respiratory system and other medical problems, but this is simply not true. 

It is actually the contrary as cannabis has been shown to help treat depression, cancer, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and chronic pain, the article states.  

Patients have also reported that it has helped relieve them of insomnia, anxiety, spasticity and pain. 

The last myth is that you can overdose on cannabis. 

“No one has ever died from a cannabis overdose,(.)” said Harvard psychiatry professor Lester Grinspoon in an interview with Life Science Intelligence. 

According to “Top 10 Myths about Medical and Recreational Cannabis” by Alivia Taylor, there has never been an adult death that can be attributed to cannabis. But while it is not likely a person can die from consuming too much cannabis, it can lead to some discomfort and temporary side effects. 

While there are many benefits to marijuana, there are still some risks to its consumption.  

Cannabis can lead to an increased risk of mental health disorders like schizophrenia and can exacerbate existing symptoms of bipolar disorder. 

Smoking cannabis has also been shown to cause respiratory disease as the smoke can cause scarring in the respiratory system and damage blood vessels in the lungs. 

Marijuana is also very bad for women who are pregnant or have recently giving birth and are breastfeeding. 

According to “Myths and facts about marijuana use” by the Department of Health Services, consuming cannabis while pregnant or breastfeeding can lead to affects in the baby’s brain development. 

This can make it so when the child hits school age, he or she will be more likely to have problems with attention, behavior, memory, delayed reading skills and depression. 

Cannabis was once demonized due to the myths told in years past, but even though it is harmful in some ways with excessive use, cannabis is now seen as less of gateway drug that will give you cancer and more as a medicine with many different health benefits. 

Gods green or devil’s lettuce? 

The facts debunk the myths.