Does smoking weed make you stupid? Does marijuana affect intelligence? Decades of state sponsored propaganda would like you to believe it’s true and that the effects are all negative. This campaign has been so effective and widespread that to this day major scientific research and study is still devoted to the subject. The idea that marijuana and IQ are intrinsically linked goes as far back as the earliest anti-drug messaging and it is a thought that has permeated the consciousness of a wide range of people in society.
Those of us that smoke regularly aren’t particularly bothered by all this hullabaloo about how smart we might be and are simply trying to enjoy ourselves or medicate but that may be beside the point. This may be anecdotal but personally I consider myself about average in my intelligence level but I’ve never met a particularly intelligent person who was concerned with IQ scores. When someone announces to you their impressively high IQ score typically the only thing people in earshot feel is secondhand embarrassment and certainly never shock and awe.
Marijuana & Intelligence
The link between marijuana and intelligence is not factually established or rather a consensus opinion on the matter is not yet formed. This is likely because like many topics these days there are many heated opinions in direct conflict with one another and they tend to get political which means it seems it is up to you as an individual to decide which to incorporate into your own reality.
The most basic distillation of the arguments at play is essentially the same one that has been raging since marijuana was first discovered and used. Is it bad? Is it good? How will we ever know for sure? On one side are those who believe sternly that it is very bad and it must make you very dumb. On the other hand there are those who enjoy using cannabis or simply understand it’s useful purposes and utilize it to increase their health and expand their minds or medicate for vast array of physical and mental conditions.
I don’t know about you but when it came time for me as a young person to choose which of these two people I might become it was a no brainer to hang out with the cool and unique people with a wide variety of interests. Discovering the medicinal benefits of cannabis years later was simply icing on the super cool cake. The weirdos who were obsessed with a “high score” number that they could use to prove to other people they are in fact very smart despite anything else they may say or do always did me the favour of announcing themselves at least so they became easy to avoid.
Let me put it this way: if you are afraid of using cannabis products because you think they may make you stupider but you are googling “does weed lower IQ” or “marijuana IQ loss” or filling out online IQ quizzes you don’t need to worry yourself about getting any dumber. Cannabis is more likely to expand your horizons and give you a newfound curiosity about the world around you; which has never had a negative effect on anybody’s level of intelligence in human history, rest assured.
Marijuana & IQ Loss
To understand why trying to suggest that marijuana and IQ loss are linked is silly on its face and indicative of a lack of understanding and imagination we first need to debunk the big lie of the standardized IQ test. This might come as a staggering shock to some who are devoted to the idea that a single standardized test can produce a number indicating a level of total intelligence and comprehension a person is capable of. No test could ever factor for all the diversity and possibility of human intelligence. The notion is absolutely absurd on its face.
Does the IQ test consider street smarts? Does it ask questions relative to the experience of a person living in all the countries of the world, in every possible profession and lifestyle? Of course not. No such thing is possible. If you are clinging to the idea that your IQ score has a meaningful bearing over your abilities you are only limiting yourself by holding yourself to someone else’s arbitrary standard.
The human mind is a wonderful and complex organ capable of incredible wonders and vastly stupid mundanity. One of the most simultaneously brilliant and necessary but often also stupid and mundane traits of our minds is our tendency to need to categorize and understand things. It makes people generally uncomfortable if things – including people – don’t all conform to their particular place or standing in the greater schema.
Thus we invent class systems, IQ tests and every other kind of hierarchy imaginable and routinely obsess over them as though they are the only real and true options. People devote their entire lives to these illusory ideals with nothing tangible to prove them but the nodding agreement of the others desperate to have a label or a category for everything.
Someone who you might consider stupid, slow or even completely backwards may very well have a rich inner life that you know nothing about. If their lifestyle is enhanced by the use of cannabis products to expand the mind or to sooth the aches and pains of physical and mental existence then your judgement or concern over their level of intelligence suggests a lot more about you then it does about them.
Expand Your Mind
More often than not the people who are most concerned with the idea that marijuana lowers IQ are people either afraid to experiment with cannabis products or people who have had or have witnessed other’s negative experiences with becoming a stoner. While it’s certainly true that some people who aren’t very smart also happen to use cannabis products that doesn’t necessarily indicate it was the cannabis that made them that way.
This negative association in pop culture of the stoner as a slacker and deadbeat is slowly starting to dissolve as more and more people discover for themselves the benefits of regular cannabis use in their lives. Whether it is used for pain relief, relaxation or to quiet the nerves and calm anxieties there are a wide variety of very intelligent reasons to consider using cannabis products. What’s more expanding your worldview and understanding generally has a net positive effect on your overall intelligence and ability to function in the wider world at large.
The alternative position of trusting the urban myths and propaganda that has been spewed forth by a variety of concerned organizations and individuals in our society and rejecting cannabis based on the idea it will hamper your intelligence is a flawed one at best. Anyone able of complex critical thought should be able to evaluate this for themselves and will likely come to a similar conclusion.
There is no learning in being afraid of something and outright rejecting it. Shutting down your willingness to learn new things when they contravene your dearly held beliefs is I’m sorry to say not among the signs of a highly intelligent and dynamic mindset. A willingness to try new experiences and understand them even when they scare you or contradict what you thought you already knew is a trait worthy of respect. Rejecting cannabis whole cloth out of fear of an imagined link between marijuana and IQ loss is silly behavior by simpleminded people.
Reject Fear
If you are an adult of sound mind and able to make your own decisions then consider that viewpoints other than your own may have some merit to them. If you think that everyone who smokes or enjoys cannabis products has to be some sort of deadbeat lowlife and are honestly concerned over how much does marijuana affect intelligence then maybe it is finally time to try some for yourself and find out.
After all human beings best learn something by experiencing it firsthand! Fear will keep you rooted in one position unable to move or adapt. It is only when we embrace the new and the misunderstood and explore all they have to offer us that we can deepen our level of understanding.
Of course this advice isn’t the same for everything but when it comes to a substance as positive, live affirming and relatively harmless as cannabis it is safe to say that the time for hysteria, propaganda and misunderstanding is long past. In this new era of legal and widely available recreational cannabis lets all try and learn new things and let go of our old prejudices and misunderstandings.
If you’re ready to take the plunge and expand your mind we have plenty of fantastic options for you in store! At Haute Health there are always great deals on a wide range of top quality cannabis products which are great for anybody from the novice first timer to the high tolerance THC sommelier! Currently we are featuring the Red Headed Stranger strain, the Slymer strain, the Blueberry Pie strain and the world famous strain Presidential OG! Pick up yours today and begin your mind expanding journey – just be sure to leave your old notions about intelligence at the door!
FAQs
Does long-term cannabis use impact cognitive performance?
Long-term heavy use, especially starting in adolescence, can lead to small declines in IQ and deficits in memory, learning, and processing speed, as seen in some longitudinal studies like Dunedin. However, recent 2024 research on midlife adults shows no overall decline or even less age-related cognitive drop in users. Effects vary by age of onset, frequency, and individual factors, with many studies finding deficits reversible or minimal in adults.
Are adolescents more vulnerable to IQ changes than adults?
Yes, adolescents face greater risk because their brains are still developing, with heavy use linked to IQ drops of 5-8 points in studies like Dunedin that persist into adulthood. Adult-onset users show little to no lasting IQ change, even with persistent use. This vulnerability ties to impacts on hippocampal volume and executive functions during key neurodevelopment years.
Is there evidence linking THC to memory changes?
Yes, THC acutely impairs short-term and working memory by affecting the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, causing issues with encoding and retrieval during intoxication. Chronic heavy use can lead to residual deficits in verbal memory and learning, though often mild. CBD may counteract some of these effects, but high-THC strains pose the main risk.
Can cannabis effects on IQ be reversed after abstinence?
Many effects, especially in adults or lighter users, reverse after weeks to months of abstinence, with verbal memory and attention often improving. In adolescent-onset heavy users, some deficits like IQ decline may persist long-term per Dunedin follow-ups. Recovery depends on duration of use, age started, and abstinence length—longer breaks yield better outcomes.
Does CBD impact cognition differently than THC?
Yes, CBD generally has no negative acute effects on cognition and may even enhance attention or protect against THC-induced impairments. THC causes memory and executive function deficits, while CBD shows neutral or positive influences, like reducing anxiety without psychoactivity. Balanced THC:CBD ratios often minimize cognitive downsides compared to high-THC alone.
How do frequency and dosage influence cognitive outcomes?
Higher frequency and dosage, especially heavy daily use, link to greater deficits in memory, attention, and executive function, with dose-response effects clearest acutely. Light or occasional use shows minimal long-term impact, while chronic high-dose exposure risks more persistent changes. Tolerance can reduce acute effects in frequent users, but cumulative heavy use amplifies risks.
What types of studies support or disprove cannabis-IQ claims?
Longitudinal studies like Dunedin suggest declines in adolescent heavy users, but twin controls and recent cohorts often disprove causation, attributing differences to confounds. Cross-sectional studies show mixed small associations, while meta-analyses find minimal clinical impact in adults. Prospective designs with pre-use baselines provide strongest evidence, leaning toward no major adult IQ loss but vulnerability in youth.
