Cannabis culture has come a long way since the old days of Cheech & Chong, and with that, members of the community are ready to shed the myriad stereotypes that have been heaped cannabis consumers over the years.
As times change, so do mindsets, and there are plenty of stoner stereotypes that finally need to go instinct. In honor of this green growth, I’ve compiled a list of pesky stoner stereotypes that should die out right this second.
Cannabis Users are Lazy and Unmotivated Failures
We’ve all heard the BS argument that cannabis makes people lazy, unmotivated bumps on a log. We are not all hopeless failures just because we like to get high before seeing movies. It’s time for that stereotype to disappear for good.
We live in a time where pretty much everyone you know is using cannabis, and most of us are productive members of society. There’s nothing worse than the “Oh, you’re one of thooooose,” judgements (usually from non-consumers) when you say you simply enjoy a nice little joint every now and then.
We’re Unemployed and Live With Our Parents
Enough with the nonsense of thinking the use of cannabis means that people are unemployed and living with their parents until “things work out.” The last job I worked had a plethora of cannabis enthusiasts—of all ages—much like the job you work. If you think that all we do is wake up, get high, and wait for mom to bring the pizza rolls downstairs to the basement, then you are sadly mistaken, and it’s time to stop being ridiculous.
We’re All Unproductive Couch Potatoes
You see it in all manner of entertainment media: the stoner is constantly portrayed as a couch-potato that does nothing but light up and play Destiny. That simply is not true—plenty love to get high and get active.
Whether you go for a run, hit up a hike, or find zen in a yoga class, the thought that everyone who smokes cannabis is at home sinking into a La-Z-Boy is no longer valid. Truth be told, it never was.
We Know Where to Get All the Drugs
There’s nothing more annoying to me than when someone texts me to ask if I know where to find Drug XYZ. No, I do not. I only smoke cannabis and I get it at the legal dispensary down the street. If you want shrooms or acid, or whatever else you may be requesting from your stoner friend, find it somewhere else. It’s honestly insulting for someone to think you, as a cannabis user, are the overall drug plug. It shows that you still have cannabis placed in a drug box, when, in reality, it should be placed in a medicine box.
Everyone’s a Tie-Dye Hemp Hoodie Wearing Hippie
We may all have a bit of modern-day hippie in us, but the notion that we dress like The Dude at all times is unfounded. Some of the biggest stoners are head honchos at successful companies, sitting at their desks in their $3,000 suits, counting down the hours until they can twist one up.
Placing us all into the “dirty hippie” box like is detrimental to the culture and growth of society in general. This common stereotype prevents us from moving forward in a positive light.
We Talk Like Raymundo From Rocket Power
Oh my god, the skater/surfer-dude dialect that people assume we all speak is SO annoying. We don’t say “duuuude” or “brahhhh” every other word, so please, as a people, let this idea of die out.
We’re Always High
I have a friend named Josh who always stares me in the eyes when we’re together, trying to figure out if I’m high. It’s so annoying, and to assume someone’s always high just because they’re a cannabis user is disrespectful.
Don’t disrespect us like that.
We Only Listen to Reggae
When’s the last time you heard anyone kick back and vibe out to reggae? I’ve been to multiple stoner events, and every time, the music is Bob Marley or some other random Jamaican.
While some of us do indeed love reggae, to assume that we’re all just blasting it as our #1 preferred genre of music is stupid. Let this, along with all the other stereotypes on this list, die out immediately.
Enough is enough.