Rejoice, Stoners, Because You Have Statistically Lower BMIs Than Non-Smokers

We’ve all seen movies and sitcoms that depict a “stoner” friend who doesn’t do anything but wander around aimlessly looking for food. As an admittedly biased consumer, these stigmas are getting pretty old. Luckily, the stereotype that stoners don’t do anything but bake themselves into oblivion and eat bag after bag of potato chips on their parents’ couch is almost completely out the window. Tell your mothers.

A study out of the Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics looked at over 13,000 people’s pot habits over the course of six years, and compared this data to the participants’ BMIs. They adjusted results for habits that effect weight, like eating, exercise, and alcohol habits. They ultimately found that women who use marijuana daily have BMIs that are about 3.1 percent lower than women who don’t smoke. This isn’t the first study to prove that marijuana is linked to lower BMIs. Correlation doesn’t always equal causation, so it’s important to remember that this doesn’t prove that smoking pot helps you lose weight. It does, however, prove that the idea that you’ll gain a shitload of weight and become an immobile piece of shit if you start smoking is mostly a bogus myth. What we’re probably seeing here is that people who choose healthier lifestyles also choose to smoke weed. Which might blow your mind, if you continually choose to ignore the many health benefits, both physically and mentally.

Not that anyone under the age of 30 still buys into bullshit stereotypes when it comes to pot. Anyone who takes the time to learn their shit can tell you that half the strains out there are sativa, which gives you an energy burst equivalent to a cup of coffee. So smoke up, ladies. Your skinny jeans will thank you. .

[via Cosmopolitan]

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