Smoking marijuana may actually make you lazy, suggests new research from the University of British Columbia.
Researchers trained 29 rats to perform different tasks for sugary treats, according to a release from the school’s website. The rats chose between two levers, with one lever initiating a hard task and the other an easy task.
After being given a dose of THC, a main component in marijuana, many of the rats chose to do the easier task, according to researcher Mason Silveira.
However, he noted, “even though [THC] made rats less willing to engage in these more difficult tasks, their accuracy or their ability to do them was actually unaffected.”
Silveira said its important to study the effects of cannabis because so many people are using it.
“We just need more research across the board about how its going to affect people on a day-to-day basis,” he said.
The release said that new research could allow scientists to “block” out negative affects of marijuana to “enjoy the possible benefits of cannabis without the less desirable cognitive effects.”
Silveira said the test on rats is only a starting point because rats share a similar neurochemistry to humans.
“Its almost like comparing different versions of an iPhone—the rat is the first edition iPhone and then the human is the more souped-up version,” he said. “We hope that with the reforms in Canada’s laws it will be easier to do this kind of research so that we can know how cannabis is going to affect your mind and your body.”
Hunter Campbell, a Carleton University student who smokes marijuana, said he thinks the study doesn’t prove cannabis makes humans lazy.
“More people are coming stoned to work, coming stoned to class and still doing everything they need to do,” he said. ““Very few people are lazy just because of the marijuana.”
Silveira said that like any drug, there are therapeutic benefits.
“Cannabis does help a lot of people treat things like their neuropathic pain or relieve stress,” he said.
