People who regularly smoke cannabis are just as likely to exercise as non-users, study finds

People who use marijuana are not lazier than non-smokers of the class B drug, researchers claim. 

Filmmakers often portray cannabis smokers as laid back, lackadaisical and sloth-like individuals, but experts from the US found this to be a misleading trope. 

Instead, data from more than 20,000 Americans revealed that marijuana users are equal to, or even more likely to exercise than non-users.  

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Filmmakers often portray cannabis smokers as laid back, lackadaisical and sloth-like individuals, but experts from the US found this to be a misleading trope (stock) 

The plant from which the drug is derived is being increasingly recognised for its medicinal properties. It is now used to help treat many conditions, such as arthritis, PTSD, chronic pain and multiple sclerosis. 

‘While certain health benefits of marijuana use are generally accepted among physicians and other medical care providers, clinicians often balance these benefits with the potential harmful effects,’ the researchers write in their study, published in the journal Preventive Medicine.

Some of the side-effects of cannabis can include mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and suicidality in some users. 

Many places around the world are beginning to relax their stance on the drug, with some states in the US among those to decriminalise and legalise the drug. 

CBD products, which do not contain the psychoactive compound THC but come from the cannabis plant, are now also sold over the counter.  

Researchers used data from two waves of a long-running study in America which occurred between 2008 and 2009, and 2018 and 2020. 

Participants ranged in age from 24 to 42 during this period and they were quizzed on a host of topics, including exercise levels and drug use. 

Researchers looked at how much exercise they had done in the last seven days, including cycling, team sports, running, golf and walking. 

This was then compared to self-reported levels of cannabis use in the last month. Participants were graded as a non-user, light user, moderate user or heavy user depending on their answers. 

Statistical analysis found no significant connection between marijuana and exercise levels, indicating the habit has no bearing on a person’s activity levels. 

The researchers say this is ‘counter to conventional wisdom that marijuana users are less likely to be active’.

 The plant from which the cannabis drug is derived is being increasingly recognised for its medicinal properties. It is now used to help treat many conditions, such as arthritis, PTSD, chronic pain and multiple sclerosis

The researchers from the University of Miami actually found cannabis users may be more active than non-smokers, even among heavy users who admitted to smoking cannabis at least three times a week. 

While the data suggests a weak link between cannabis use and being more active, the scientists caution against reading too much into this as it is most likely due to ‘strong associations than causal inferences per se’.

The researchers say their findings should inform discussions about the legalisation of cannabis as it discredits the stereotype that cannabis leads to laziness.

‘Behavioral health researchers, government officials, policymakers, and public health advocates should consider these rigorous and objective findings and support further research on the topic as they debate the merits of liberalization of marijuana laws at the state and federal levels,’ they write. 

‘In particular, claims that marijuana legalization will lead individuals to become more sedentary, less active, and therefore less healthy are not supported by our empirical findings. 

‘However, it is difficult to draw clear policy implications until further research has been conducted.’