Cannabis Myths Quiz
List of questions
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High THC potency is strongly related to increased acute and long-term problems, such as mental health problems, anxiety and tension
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Myth
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Myth! A study conducted in 2021 that compared two groups of cannabis consumers and the strains consumed found that the THC dominant group reported a reduction in anxiety one hour post-use (Drennan et al., 2021). The same study revealed that the THC dominant group experienced increased paranoia immediately after consumption, but this feeling did not last more than one hour (Drennan et al., 2021). Drennan et al., concluded that anxiety and tension levels were low in both groups, revealing that there was no negative relation between the potency of THC and acute and long-term problems (Drennan et al., 2021).
Drennan, M.L., Karoly, H.C., Bryan, A.D., Hutchison, K.E., Bidwell, L.C. (2021). Acute objective and subjective intoxication effects of legal-market high potency thc-dominant versus cbd-dominant cannabis concentrates. Scientific Reports (Nature Publisher Group), 11(1) https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-01128-2
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Myth! A study conducted in 2021 that compared two groups of cannabis consumers and the strains consumed found that the THC dominant group reported a reduction in anxiety one hour post-use (Drennan et al., 2021). The same study revealed that the THC dominant group experienced increased paranoia immediately after consumption, but this feeling did not last more than one hour (Drennan et al., 2021). Drennan et al., concluded that anxiety and tension levels were low in both groups, revealing that there was no negative relation between the potency of THC and acute and long-term problems (Drennan et al., 2021).
Drennan, M.L., Karoly, H.C., Bryan, A.D., Hutchison, K.E., Bidwell, L.C. (2021). Acute objective and subjective intoxication effects of legal-market high potency thc-dominant versus cbd-dominant cannabis concentrates. Scientific Reports (Nature Publisher Group), 11(1) https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-01128-2
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Myth
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Weed can cause the munchies
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Fact
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Fact! The munchies refer to an increase in appetite and increased pleasure from food following the consumption of cannabis (Roberts et al., 2019). THC binds to and activates the cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) in multiple parts of the body which increases appetite and enhances pleasure from food (Hull, 2019). The munchies can be impacted by an individual's tolerance levels. An online survey of frequent cannabis users found that respondents who used cannabis the most frequently reported less of an increase in appetite but maintained a similar level of pleasure from eating as those who used cannabis less frequently (Roberts et al., 2019).
Hull, M. (2019). The science behind munchies: cannabis and your appetite. Examine. https://examine.com/nutrition/cannabis-munchies/
Roberts, C. A., Jager, G., Christiansen, P., & Kirkham, T. C. (2019). Exploring the munchies: An online survey of users’ experiences of cannabis effects on appetite and the development of a cannabinoid eating experience questionnaire. Journal of Psychopharmacology (Oxford), 33(9), 1149-1159. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881119862526
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Fact! The munchies refer to an increase in appetite and increased pleasure from food following the consumption of cannabis (Roberts et al., 2019). THC binds to and activates the cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) in multiple parts of the body which increases appetite and enhances pleasure from food (Hull, 2019). The munchies can be impacted by an individual's tolerance levels. An online survey of frequent cannabis users found that respondents who used cannabis the most frequently reported less of an increase in appetite but maintained a similar level of pleasure from eating as those who used cannabis less frequently (Roberts et al., 2019).
Hull, M. (2019). The science behind munchies: cannabis and your appetite. Examine. https://examine.com/nutrition/cannabis-munchies/
Roberts, C. A., Jager, G., Christiansen, P., & Kirkham, T. C. (2019). Exploring the munchies: An online survey of users’ experiences of cannabis effects on appetite and the development of a cannabinoid eating experience questionnaire. Journal of Psychopharmacology (Oxford), 33(9), 1149-1159. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881119862526
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Fact
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Cannabis is more harmful than alcohol
- Fact
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Myth
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Myth! In 2009 the UK’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) created a new classification system for the harm of drugs (Weissenborn & Nutt, 2012). This classification system considers the physical, psychological, and social harms both to the user of the drugs and to others (Weissenborn & Nutt, 2012). Each drug received a score out of 100, with zero meaning not at all harmful, and 100 meaning the most harmful (Nutt et al., 2010). Alcohol was found to be the most dangerous drug in the classification with a score of 72, while cannabis had a significantly lower score of 20 (Nutt et al., 2010).
Nutt, D. J., Prof, King, L. A., PhD, Phillips, L. D., PhD, on behalf of the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs, & Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs. (2010). Drug harms in the uk: A multicriteria decision analysis. The Lancet (British Edition), 376(9752), 1558-1565. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61462-6
Weissenborn, R., & Nutt, D. J. (2012). Popular intoxicants: What lessons can be learned from the last 40 years of alcohol and cannabis regulation? Journal of Psychopharmacology (Oxford), 26(2), 213-220. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881111414751
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Myth! In 2009 the UK’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) created a new classification system for the harm of drugs (Weissenborn & Nutt, 2012). This classification system considers the physical, psychological, and social harms both to the user of the drugs and to others (Weissenborn & Nutt, 2012). Each drug received a score out of 100, with zero meaning not at all harmful, and 100 meaning the most harmful (Nutt et al., 2010). Alcohol was found to be the most dangerous drug in the classification with a score of 72, while cannabis had a significantly lower score of 20 (Nutt et al., 2010).
Nutt, D. J., Prof, King, L. A., PhD, Phillips, L. D., PhD, on behalf of the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs, & Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs. (2010). Drug harms in the uk: A multicriteria decision analysis. The Lancet (British Edition), 376(9752), 1558-1565. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61462-6
Weissenborn, R., & Nutt, D. J. (2012). Popular intoxicants: What lessons can be learned from the last 40 years of alcohol and cannabis regulation? Journal of Psychopharmacology (Oxford), 26(2), 213-220. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881111414751
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Consuming the stems will make you sick/give you a headache
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Myth
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Myth! The stems and roots of cannabis have been used historically in Chinese medicine to treat medical conditions such as strangury, and pain (Jin et al., 2020). A study conducted in 2020 examined the secondary metabolites found in cannabis and found that triterpenoids and sterols found in the stem bark and roots have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroprotective, and anti-osteoarthritic properties (Jin et al., 2020).
Jin, D., Dai, K., Xie, Z., Chen, J. (2020). Secondary Metabolites Profiled in Cannabis Inflorescences, Leaves, Stem Barks, and Roots for Medicinal Purposes. Scientific Reports 10, 3309 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-60172-6
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Myth! The stems and roots of cannabis have been used historically in Chinese medicine to treat medical conditions such as strangury, and pain (Jin et al., 2020). A study conducted in 2020 examined the secondary metabolites found in cannabis and found that triterpenoids and sterols found in the stem bark and roots have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroprotective, and anti-osteoarthritic properties (Jin et al., 2020).
Jin, D., Dai, K., Xie, Z., Chen, J. (2020). Secondary Metabolites Profiled in Cannabis Inflorescences, Leaves, Stem Barks, and Roots for Medicinal Purposes. Scientific Reports 10, 3309 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-60172-6
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Car accidents will go up after legalization
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Myth
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Myth! The research about legalization and car accidents usually use injuries or fatalities to measure the number of car accidents (Callaghan et al., 2021). A US study of the car accident fatality rates in Washington and Colorado found that in the three years following legalization of recreational cannabis, their rates of car accident fatalities were no different than in states that had no legalized recreational cannabis (Aydelotte et al., 2017). A Canadian study used emergency department reports of driver injuries sustained in a car accident to measure car accidents in Ontario and Alberta after legalization in October of 2017 (Callaghan et al., 2021). Both Ontario and Alberta showed no significant increase in emergency room reports of driver car accident-related injuries (Callaghan et al., 2021).
Aydelotte, J. D., Brown, L. H., Luftman, K. M., Mardock, A. L., Teixeira, P. G. R., Coopwood, B., & Brown, C. V. R. (2017). Crash fatality rates after recreational marijuana legalization in washington and colorado. American Journal of Public Health (1971), 107(8), 1329-1331. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2017.303848
Callaghan, R. C., Sanches, M., Vander Heiden, J., Asbridge, M., Stockwell, T., Macdonald, S., Peterman, B. H., & Kish, S. J. (2021). Canada’s cannabis legalization and drivers’ traffic-injury presentations to emergency departments in ontario and alberta, 2015-2019. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 228, 109008-109008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.109008
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Myth! The research about legalization and car accidents usually use injuries or fatalities to measure the number of car accidents (Callaghan et al., 2021). A US study of the car accident fatality rates in Washington and Colorado found that in the three years following legalization of recreational cannabis, their rates of car accident fatalities were no different than in states that had no legalized recreational cannabis (Aydelotte et al., 2017). A Canadian study used emergency department reports of driver injuries sustained in a car accident to measure car accidents in Ontario and Alberta after legalization in October of 2017 (Callaghan et al., 2021). Both Ontario and Alberta showed no significant increase in emergency room reports of driver car accident-related injuries (Callaghan et al., 2021).
Aydelotte, J. D., Brown, L. H., Luftman, K. M., Mardock, A. L., Teixeira, P. G. R., Coopwood, B., & Brown, C. V. R. (2017). Crash fatality rates after recreational marijuana legalization in washington and colorado. American Journal of Public Health (1971), 107(8), 1329-1331. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2017.303848
Callaghan, R. C., Sanches, M., Vander Heiden, J., Asbridge, M., Stockwell, T., Macdonald, S., Peterman, B. H., & Kish, S. J. (2021). Canada’s cannabis legalization and drivers’ traffic-injury presentations to emergency departments in ontario and alberta, 2015-2019. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 228, 109008-109008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.109008
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Myth