The consumption of marijuana as well as numerous other types of psychedelic substances is more pronounced these days than ever before.

From executives to programmers at Silicon Valley, it’s safe to assume almost everyone is high from something at some point. But it’s become increasingly clear that marijuana is the drug of choice for those with higher IQ’s. This is contrary to the Reefer World stereotypes that prohibitionists have been pushing; they try to claim that marijuana users are lazy, couch potatoes with no ambition in life.

The data tells us – the opposite is true.

In fact, a 2011  study conducted by researchers from the British Medical Journal analyzed the IQ’s of around 8,000 males and females. They were tested four times each, from the time they were 5 to the age of 30. Their findings revealed that people who have higher IQ’s when they were children were more likely to be cannabis users by the time they hit the age of 30.

What was surprising was that the higher their IQ, the higher the probability that they would use cannabis when they got older. High-IQ women were twice as likely to be marijuana users compared to those with low IQ scores while men who had high IQs were 50% more likely to be cannabis users by 30.

But one doesn’t really need studies to understand why more intelligent people use marijuana. There are no clear-cut reasons why, though it makes sense to hypothesize the reasons behind this:

Creativity: Marijuana has been proven to enhance creativity and overall creative thinking. Whether you’re an artist or work at a startup, creative thinking will benefit your intelligence in more ways than one. Just some of the famous creatives who have been known to toke include Bill Gates, Bob Dylan, Carl Sagan, Bill Maher, and Abraham Lincoln to name a few.

Besides, everyone can benefit from the ability of marijuana to help you think outside the box especially when it comes to problem solving.

Studies show that consuming marijuana has an impact on the kind of thinking that we do because it boosts cerebral blood flow in the brain’s frontal regions, which are responsible for creativity (or lack thereof). The chemicals in marijuana are shown to boost divergent thinking, which is what promotes creative & free thoughts, as opposed to convergent thinking, which is associated with problem solving.

Quiet the intelligent mind: Smarter people, and those with higher IQ’s, tend to struggle with many more thoughts and at a much faster pace compared to people with average intelligence. That’s because smart people already know that they are usually surrounded by people who may not be interested in the hard facts or correct way of thinking, making it tiresome to continue debating and arguing with people. This can explain why many smart people are also quieter than others, preferring instead to be alone with their thoughts.

When the thoughts get too much, smart people turn to cannabis to help turn it down a notch or two. THC or CBD compounds can do wonderful things for mental relaxation, helping to shut off the thoughts that typically force them to think about anything and everything in the world, all at once.

Socialize intellectually, intelligently, and responsibly: Smart people know that alcohol is not the best social lubricant – cannabis is. Whereas alcohol can make you act stupid and give you terrible hangovers, marijuana doesn’t. It’s the ideal social lubricant for when you have to rub elbows with people at work, other programmers, artists and creatives, or brainstorm with your peers. Given how socially accepted marijuana is these days, it’s becoming more common for people to bring weed, or even attend get togethers stoned, passing a joint around as you talk politics, business, life – just about anything.

Improved cognitive processes: Marijuana has numerous benefits for the brain and thinking, and many studies prove it. For one, whereas other recreational drugs and alcohol kill and impair the growth of new brain cells, marijuana does the opposite. The formation of these new cells are a great help in improving memory retention, and it also helps to prevent mood disorders. If a person suffers from anxiety, this can also prevent them from thinking properly as it affects executive function, but marijuana can help alleviate that too.

In addition, a study also shows that there is a link between cannabis use and better cognitive performance when it comes to attention, executive function, working memory, psychomotor speed, and verbal learning. In other words, we can say that marijuana helps smart people become even smarter.

Conclusion

While people of all kinds of intelligence levels use marijuana and can benefit from it, it’s clear that all users know that cannabis can be good for them. We know that marijuana is the key to living a healthy, balanced lifestyle especially when we’re prone to so much pressure and stress at work, we know that it can help us become better people in and out of the office, and we also know that it’s far healthier for us than other drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.

Smart people also know so much more about the available forms of “escape” out there, and they know more than their peers about the best, safest, and healthiest ways to cope with day-to-day life. It’s marijuana, no doubt.

SMART PEOPLE AND WEED, READ MORE…

HOW CANNABIS IS HELPING HIGHER IQ PEOPLE GET AHEAD!

Thailand has legalized the trade and cultivation of marijuana; they are the only Southeast Asian nation to enact the reforms, according to reports from the Washington Post. Anutin Charnvirakul, Thailand’s Health Minister, said he wishes the move would improve the economy of the nation, especially the agricultural sector.

Earlier this year, Anutin authorized the removal of marijuana from the Thailand Narcotics List. Medical cannabis was legalized in Thailand in 2018. The health minister has stated that people making use of marijuana in unproductive ways, like consuming it in public, could still be subject to consequences, like a fine of up to 780 dollars and three months prison time. Officials aren’t pushing to make a tourism industry around marijuana.

When talking with CNN, Anutin said they have always given emphasis to the use of marijuana extracts and raw materials for health and medical benefits. He added that the thought of supporting individuals to use marijuana for recreational purposes under any circumstances has never crossed their minds.

The market value of marijuana-related firms is predicted to be more than $1 billion, as reported by the Thai Industrial Hemp Trade Association. By 2024, it is expected to have nearly doubled. The Thai FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has declassified cannabis and hemp as Category 5 narcotics, allowing eateries and cafés across the nation to serve marijuana-infused goods containing a maximum of 0.2 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main intoxicating ingredient in the plant.

Paisan Dankhum, a Health Ministry official, informed Reuters that almost 100,000 individuals have registered with the government to grow marijuana via the PlookGanja app. The Ministry of Health has said it authorized 1,181 marijuana-derived merchandise, including food and cosmetics, and it is expected that the industry will gain up to 15 billion baht (435.16 million dollars) by 2026.

THE RELAXING OF CANNABIS LAWS

Cannabis supporters say the easing actively decriminalizes cannabis; however, personal consumption for recreational purposes is still strongly discouraged by the government. People have likewise been cautioned against publicly smoking. Smoking outdoors is regarded as a public annoyance, and offenders could be arrested and fined, said the authorities. However, the government hopes that creating a local marijuana trade will improve tourism and agriculture

Minister Anutin, on his social media accounts last month, said this is a chance for individuals and the state to gain revenue from hemp and cannabis. On his Facebook, he shared a picture of a chicken dish prepared with marijuana, including that anybody could sell that type of dish provided they followed the guidelines, of which the primary one is that products must have lower than 0.2% of THC, the compound that produces the intoxicating feeling.

Having a tropical climate throughout the year, Thailand has had a long history with marijuana which a lot of the citizens normally use in making traditional drugs. Starting this month, households will be eligible to grow up to six marijuana pot plants in their home upon registering with the authorities, and firms as well can cultivate the plant with a license.

Customers will also be able to request marijuana-infused drinks and dishes in restaurants. Hospitals over the nation can also more willingly offer marijuana as a treatment. Thailand, back in 2018, became the first country in Asia to make the medical use of cannabis legal. Under the agenda, the government announces it also intends to free around 4,000 convicts found guilty of marijuana-related offenses.

A broader draft law on marijuana management is presently being evaluated in the Thai parliament. Supporters think that these next years could bring a gradual relaxing of the regulations governing the use.

RECREATIONAL CANNABIS

Canada and Uruguay are the only two nations to have completely legalized the recreational use of cannabis. In 2018, the use and possession of marijuana became legal in Georgia. A Supreme Court verdict last year in Mexico could pave the way to legalization over there. And quite recently, in late 2021, recreational marijuana for personal use was legalized in Malta, making them the first country in the European Union to do so.

Still, some territories have gone in a different direction, like the Thai government, which is still adamant about the restrictions placed on the recreational use of cannabis, especially in public places. This week, the government of Hong Kong declared its plans to outlaw the export, import, manufacture, possession, and sale of products that contain CBD, a chemical obtained from cannabis that does not induce intoxication and is sold to handle sleeplessness and anxiety.

THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION

There tends to be confusion about the situation in Thailand. Has cannabis been legalized or not?. As the Thai tourist economy comes out from its lengthy Covid nap, a lot of travelers will wonder if the recent liberal administration governing marijuana means that they can smoke a joint anywhere and anytime they want.

The government’s response is no, you cannot smoke cannabis in public, and extracts containing more than 0.2 percent of the key psychoactive ingredient THC are still unlawful to sell or distribute.

According to an analysis by Johnathan Head from BBC News, the official aim is for the nation to get an edge over its neighbors in gaining a large piece of the profitable market for health therapies making use of marijuana derivatives, especially the less severe compound CBD. However, there is an alternative motive, which is to decrease overcrowding in a few of the most overcrowded jails in the world.

All this, in theory, means that with the growth of the plant now totally legal, the law enforcement agencies are now unlikely to apprehend people just for marijuana possession. The government claims that manufacture and consumption are only allowed for medical purposes and no form of recreational use, but in practice, the border between the two has already blurred.

BOTTOM LINE

The Thai government being the first to legalize cannabis for any purpose in a region known for very strict drug ordinances, is trying to maintain their firmness on the use of the plant recreationally while attempting to gain the benefits of the plant in the medical sector and gaining an economic edge over its neighboring nations.

THAILAND GOES GREEN, READ MORE…

THAILAND LEGALIZES MEDICAL MARIJUANA, READ THIS!