Is Snoop Dogg Done Smoking Weed? That’s why he gives up smoking
Snoop Dogg made headlines when he announced he would “quit smoking.” The artist clarified his comments on Monday.
When marijuana and addiction experts heard that Snoop Dogg decided to “quit smoking” — a statement that most people assumed referred to smoking weed — they were thrilled. They thought his decision could inspire people struggling with cannabis use disorder and give chronic smokers a celebrity seal of approval so they can feel good and start changing their behavior.
Because if Snoop could do it, “the Michael Jordan of Zaza” as some call it, then so could they.
But instead, the rapper has since revealed that the announcement was a humorous marketing ploy to promote a smokeless fireplace brand: a move that experts say may inadvertently trivialize the challenges associated with quitting marijuana smoking. Experts also say that this advertising tactic would have had the same mixed response if it had included another substance, such as alcohol. Snoop’s Instagram post has since been deleted.
“Snoop has no obligation or responsibility to society to publicly or privately quit smoking. But using quitting as a marketing ploy, especially for personal gain, can come across as disrespectful to the struggle that so many people addicted to THC go through,” said Aaron Weiner, an addiction psychologist. “It would be fantastic if someone with his reach could actually advance science and health.”
Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, a nonpartisan organization made up of health experts, lawmakers and others who oppose the legalization and commercialization of marijuana, said the “hoax” is disappointing. “I have received dozens of comments and thoughts from young people in recovery [from cannabis use disorder]or reflect on recovery inspired by his words.
Snoop Dogg has never claimed that he is addicted to marijuana, But Weiner said that Snoop “appears to trivialize the serious nature of addiction, could ultimately harm others who are actively struggling with it, and could see the message as confirmation that cannabis addiction is not a significant problem.” Before he After learning about Snoop’s List, Weiner thought it was brave of the rapper to publicly call attention to his decision to quit smoking, given the lack of public discussion and awareness about the health risks of THC, the psychoactive ingredient responsible for the “high.” “-Effect of grass is responsible.
“Hopefully the fact that this was just a PR stunt doesn’t hurt anyone that his original statement would have helped,” Weiner said.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, frequent cannabis use can lead to marijuana use disorder, which occurs when people develop an addiction to the drug and experience withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, trouble sleeping and cravings when they stop using it. Data suggests that three out of ten people who use marijuana suffer from this disorder.
Research on marijuana’s overall health effects is conflicting, meaning that some research finds links (not causation) between use of the drug and, for example, cardiovascular disease or respiratory infections, while others do not. Still, researchers suspect that the effects felt today may be worse than in recent decades because marijuana’s potency has increased. The average THC content in seized marijuana samples was less than 4% in the early 1990s; today it can exceed 15%.
Experts recognize the medicinal properties of marijuana. Just last year, President Joe Biden signed the bipartisan Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act, which facilitates access to marijuana-derived chemicals such as THC and cannabidiol (CBD) for research purposes.
The FDA has approved several THC-based drugs, including nabilone (sold as Cesamet) and dronabinol (sold under the brand name Marinol) in tablet form for the treatment of nausea in patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy and for weight loss in patients with AIDS . Several other marijuana-based medications are currently undergoing clinical testing.
Dr. Bonni Goldstein, the medical director of Canna-Centers, a California-based practice that educates patients about the use of cannabis for serious and chronic illnesses, said some of the negative health effects of cannabis, such as coughing, resolve when users quit smoking.
Dr. Ryan Sultan, an assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University and director of Integrative Psych, where he specializes in the treatment of substance use disorders, said characterizing cannabis as neither a “primary target of the drug wars” nor a “benign panacea” are accurate .
More about smoking cannabis: Toxic air pollutants from smoking cannabis with a bong are four times worse than cigarettes, according to a study
What is clear, however, is that marijuana use is increasing and the drug is perceived as low-risk. A National Institutes of Health study released last year found that cannabis use among adults ages 19 to 30 reached its highest levels ever recorded since 1988, when researchers began monitoring these trends. A Pew Research poll conducted in October 2022 found that 59% of U.S. adults say marijuana should be legal for medical and adult recreational use; 10% say marijuana use should not be legal.
As marijuana legalization increases across the U.S., including Ohio, Arizona, Delaware, Missouri and Maryland, the drug is becoming more accessible, which may make it more difficult for people with cannabis use disorder to quit smoking, Weiner said. “Unlike alcohol, we don’t have any FDA-approved medications that could help,” he added. But help is available through accredited treatment programs, therapists and support groups
In the many comments describing Snoop’s plan as a brilliant advertisement, some people mentioned that they, too, planned to quit smoking marijuana and that they were excited to witness his possible transition to edibles, which in comparison Smoking generally poses fewer risks to respiratory health, but… may increase the risk of THC poisoning.
“Snoop’s words carry weight”
Snoop’s announcement also appeared to have inspired rapper Meek Mill to quit smoking. “Snoop is starting the no-smoking challenge we’re following! For me it’s not healthy” Mill wrote yesterday on New grass contains too many chemicals and too risky to gamble with my mind!,” Mill wrote in a separate post.
Several celebrities, including Queen Latifah, Jhené Aiko and Maya Rudolph, also showed their support for him in the comments on his campaign. “You got that, Unc!!” Aiko wrote. Venezuelan singer and rapper Micro TDH chimed in: “Don’t smoke, it’s the new smoking.”
Wilfred Ngwa, an associate professor of radiation oncology at Johns Hopkins University who conducts research on medical cannabis for cancer treatment and pain management, initially thought Snoop’s announcement to “quit smoking” was “big news,” especially for someone who Cannabis has often celebrated and promoted culture in his music, interviews and social media.” Ngwa considered it an “important moment to educate the public about the potential benefits and dangers of smoking cannabis.”
However, Snoop’s disclosure that he was only joking was “very disappointing… but not surprising,” Ngwa said. “Some may actually see this as a clever and creative way to promote his company and products and show his sense of humor and personality. As a health researcher working in the medical cannabis space, I think this will strike many as irresponsible, selfish and dishonest. It could send a wrong message to the public, including the youth who might look to him as a role model.”
People who use marijuana before age 18 are estimated to be four to seven times more likely to develop marijuana use disorder than people who start using marijuana as adults.
A study published this year in the journal JAMA Open Network also found that about one in 40 U.S. teens (more than 600,000) met the criteria for cannabis dependence and that teens who used cannabis recreationally had a two- to three-year history of cannabis addiction were four times more likely to develop psychiatric disorders such as depression and suicidality compared to those who did not use the drug at all. Overall, several studies have found that marijuana use can cause learning, memory, problem-solving, attention and coordination problems in teens, according to the CDC.
Martine Helou-Allen, executive director of RIZE Prevention, a nonprofit that provides programs to combat drug use and addiction among teenagers and their families, said she often interacts with middle and high school students who focus on celebrities’ smoking habits called to excuse their own.
“Teens have a celebrity view of life, which means they base much of their decisions on what celebrities find acceptable and useful,” Helou-Allen said. “For Snoop to come back and say he’s just kidding, it further solidifies the opinions” of young people when it comes to believing that smoking marijuana is harmless and that it’s ridiculous for anyone to say that There’s something wrong with it.”
“Celebrities need to understand that there is a group of teenagers watching their every move and listening to every word they say,” says Helou-Allen. “Snoop’s words carry weight.”