10 Things More Worrisome than Cannabis (#8 Will Surprise You)

Stigma (n.) A set of negative and often unfair beliefs a society or group of people have about something. That something is cannabis.

They'll say things like cannabis is the "devil's lettuce," a "gateway drug," or "makes you stupid." They couldn't be further from the truth, and the reality is nobody has ever died from a cannabis overdose.

Rather than worsen dependence on street drugs, communities with access to cannabis rely less on opiates and other prescription pills.

With each day, more studies show cannabis relieves chronic pain, depression, and anxiety, and gives life to new brain cells in your hippocampus (linked to learning and memory) by activating your endocannabinoid system.

Can I get an amen for new brain cells?

I'll always advocate for the legalization of cannabis by educating the masses about the holistic benefits and shedding light on the stigma that plagues cannabis.

Let's explore 10 non-cannabis things that actually harm your body.

1. Negative Thoughts

Having negative thoughts affects your hormonal health and not in a good way.

When you think negatively, your body automatically responds by making hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.

While this response is a natural reaction by your body, excess levels of stress hormones may cause you to become irritable, disrupt your sleep cycle, and even increase your heart rate. And when your body can no longer handle stress overloads, you may develop severe medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, heart, and brain problems.

Why subject your body to unnecessary damage? Changing your mental state from negative to positive thinking causes your body to make and release happy hormones like dopamine and is a boon for your health.

Thinking positive and hanging around other plus signs has a rewarding effect and enhances your creativity and problem-solving skills. You'll also become more compassionate and empathetic.

The power of positive thinking is not a new concept and exists for a reason.

If you think happy thoughts, you'll feel better.

2. Sleep Deprivation

Do you ever get a bad night of sleep and wake up in the morning feeling drained and unmotivated? Your day drags by, you have trouble focusing, and all you can think about is going to sleep.

Sluggishness is your brain's way of telling you to rest. When you sleep at night, your body uses that time to repair and recover from the day, so getting the proper amount of sleep is vital for your health.

Studies show not getting enough sleep causes a delay in reaction times by slowing down how fast your neurons communicate with one another. Your brain then goes into protective mode and releases cortisol in response to keep you functional.

A 2019 study published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs found that 74% of medical marijuana patients use the plant to help them relax. So if you're one of the millions of Americans who struggle to sleep, you can try cannabis as an aid to help you sleep better.

The best part is you won't feel groggy or hungover the next morning.

3. Alcohol

Each year more than 88,000 Americans die from booze-related incidents alone, which comes out to around 240 deaths per day.

That number is staggering, yet drinking is still one of the most widely socially acceptable things bringing people together, despite the deaths and crippling addiction that tear families apart.

Not only is alcohol addictive, but regular and excessive consumption leads to irreversible liver, kidney, and brain damage, disrupts your sleep cycle, and slows down your immune system.

Unlike alcohol, the compounds in cannabis like THC and CBD are good for your brain and aid your immunity by interacting with your endocannabinoid system.

While hundreds of people perish each day from alcohol, not a single person will die from smoking too much marijuana.

4. Prescription Opiates

Let's get real for a minute.

The only thing pain pills kill for good are people, not pain.

The opiate crisis is a MAJOR problem here in the US. In 2022 alone, there were more than 107,000 deaths, or 293 per day, from an overdose of illicit and legal drugs like morphine, oxycodone, and fentanyl.

Painkillers work in your body the same way heroin does and trigger the release of the pleasure hormone dopamine. This excess amount of "feel good" in your brain is what makes these drugs so addictive.

On the other hand, cannabis produces pain-relieving effects by stimulating dopamine release and serves as a natural and safe alternative to painkillers.

More than 60% of registered medical marijuana patients use the plant for some kind of pain relief. In states that have legal marijuana, deaths from opiate overdoses dropped by about 30% on average.

And while Congress still classifies cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug (the same class as heroin), the truth lies in the quantifiable statistics and data.

Nobody has ever died from a marijuana overdose, but prescription pills kill 30+ people a day.

5. Red Meat

Colon and prostate cancer kills over 80,000 people a year in the US alone.

Of course, red meat is not the sole cause of these types of cancer, but eating red meat regularly increases your risk of developing these cancers by at least 30%.

Not only does red meat increase your risk of developing cancer, but chowing down on a steak or burger on the regular is terrible for your heart. Why?

Red meat is full of BAD saturated fats that cause high blood pressure and the build-up of plaque that clogs arteries. If left untreated, you may wind up with a stroke or heart attack.

Unlike red meat, hemp benefits your heart and body by activating your endocannabinoid system. Hemp seeds are packed with GOOD unsaturated fats (omegas) and cannabinoids.

Hemp flowers are also loaded with CBD — a compound that works synergistically with your endocannabinoid system, which improves digestion and circulation, and counter the effects of BAD fats by lowering blood pressure.

If you want to reduce your risk of heart disease, you can stop eating red meat and enjoy some hemp seeds and flowers.

6. Not Exercising

If you want to be healthier, have more energy, and less stress, you should get regular cardio exercise for 20-30 minutes a day, three times a week.

Your body is exposed to physical and mental stress daily and responds by releasing fight-and-flight hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, and epinephrine.

The long-term activation of the stress-response system and overexposure to hormones may disrupt your body's ebb and flow, increasing your risk of developing anxiety, depression, heart disease, and insomnia.

Studies show cardio workouts help mitigate unhealthy levels of stress hormones by preventing build-up and stimulating the production of endocannabinoids. Your endocannabinoid system is a potent regulator of inflammation in your body and uses compounds called endocannabinoids to do the job.

Not exercising is the second cause of preventable deaths in the US.

Slacking on your exercise is way more harmful than cannabis.

7. High Fructose Corn Syrup

Hello, type 2 diabetes.

High fructose corn syrup is easily one of the WORST foods you can consume.

Making matters worse, this sugar is added to almost everything you buy. Soda, ketchup, pickles, juice, and canned drinks are the top foods that contain this sugar.

What makes this imposter sugar terrible? The answer relates to how your body breaks down the compound during glycolysis — the pathway your body uses to metabolize sugars like glucose and fructose.

Although fructose and glucose are sugars, your body handles fructose much differently than glucose: Glucose is processed into energy (ATP) or stored as glycogen in your muscles for when your body needs energy. Unlike glucose, your body doesn't convert fructose to ATP directly, especially when you consume excess amounts.

Instead, your liver turns this sugar into fats called triglycerides. These blubbery culprits are all kinds of wrong for your body, causing fatty liver disease and insulin resistance, upping your risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

So, yes, consuming cannabis is safer than drinking Coca-Cola.

8. Not Flossing

How many times has your dentist told you to floss more?

The reason is that not flossing leads to a gum disease called gingivitis. And having gum disease means you're up to three times more likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or other serious heart problems.

Your body responds to gum disease by increasing inflammation. Without the proper treatment and as time progresses, you develop chronic inflammation, which is your body's worst nightmare. Chronic inflammation harms you by causing free-radical damage to your brain, heart, kidney, liver, and other vital organs.

Next time you visit your dentist, ask them which is worse for your teeth, consuming cannabis or not flossing.

9. UV Rays

Of course, you cannot live without the sun, but getting too much sun and not wearing sunscreen is one of the most harmful things you can do to your body.

Each year over 8,000+ people in the US alone die from Melanoma. And UV rays are the leading creators of free radicals (unpaired electrons) that trigger melanoma, and other conditions like dry skin, thinning skin, wrinkles, and sunspots.

The other thing about free radicals is the damage goes beyond your skin. When your body's antioxidant defenses are too low, free radicals can harm your DNA, proteins that build muscle, and fats that keep your cells healthy.

If you want to reduce damage from UV rays, wear sunblock, eat a diet rich in omega-3 fats, and dab on products that contain colored plant oils rich in antioxidant and sun-disruptive ingredients like hemp, pumpkin, and pomegranate seed oils.

Cannabis is free of UV rays and cannot cause Melanoma.

10. Fast Food

Acne, heart disease, diabetes, stomach problems, and depression.

If you didn't already know (hopefully you do) fast food is tainted with saturated fats and sugars that anger your immune system by triggering inflammation.

Upping the number of omega fats (the GOOD fats) makes your body happy. Hemp and flax seeds, avocados, and chia seeds are all rich in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats and should be a part of your everyday diet.

There is an added benefit to consuming hemp foods over the others, which comes from the anti-inflammatory cannabinoids like CBD and CBG, naturally found in hemp. Studies show eating hemp foods reduces triglyceride levels and quells your immune system.

In the US, 60,000+ people die from heart attacks each year, but nobody has ever died from eating too much hemp.

Zilch. Zero. Zip.

Nobody has ever died from a cannabis (hemp or marijuana) overdose!

Share this blog to help spread the good green word.

And let's end the stigma against cannabis.