Cannabis Myths Busted: What the Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know

Cannabis Myths Busted: What the Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know

By Vanessa Jarvis-Findlay – Cannabis Advocate & Activist, Industry Expert & Founder of NEKED Cannabis Café

Let’s be honest—when it comes to cannabis, misinformation has been puffed up and passed around for far too long. From dodgy propaganda films in the 1930s to outdated legislation still choking the truth today, the myths surrounding cannabis are sticky, stubborn, and surprisingly profitable for some.

But it’s time to clear the smoke.

As the founder of one of South Africa’s premium craft cannabis cafés, I’ve spent years diving deep into cannabis science, culture, and history. What I’ve found? The facts tell a very different story.

Here’s what every cannabis-curious (and cannabis-cautious) South African needs to know:

1. The “Gateway Drug” Theory Is Rubbish

Ah, the old chestnut: “If you smoke weed, next thing you’ll be dancing with heroin.” Nonsense.

The gateway theory suggests that cannabis use inevitably leads to the use of harder drugs. But decades of research say otherwise. Most cannabis users never go on to try substances like cocaine or heroin. In fact, the link has less to do with cannabis and more to do with the environment in which it's consumed.

Let’s look at the Netherlands—cannabis is decriminalised there, and yet their rates of hard drug use (including heroin) are dramatically lower than in the U.S., where cannabis remains federally criminalised. Why? Because Dutch users can access cannabis legally, without exposure to illicit drug markets where other substances are sold.

Prohibition creates the so-called gateway. Regulation shuts it.

2. Cannabis Is Not a Narcotic – Legally or Scientifically

Let’s be precise with our language. In pharmacology, narcotics refer to opioids—substances like morphine and heroin that act directly on the central nervous system. Cannabis? It doesn’t belong in that club.

Yet cannabis remains legally mislabeled, and its U.S. Schedule I classification (shared with heroin) is based on politics, not pharmacology. This misclassification has had global ripple effects, fueling stigma and blocking research.

The roots of this mislabeling are rotten. In the 1930s, U.S. drug policy was shaped by Harry Anslinger, a man whose campaigns were soaked in racism and fear-mongering. He claimed that “marijuana” caused insanity, violence, and deviance—especially among Black Americans and Mexican immigrants.

That’s how cannabis got lumped in with dangerous opioids. Not because of its chemistry, but because of colonial panic and systemic prejudice.

3. Nobody Dies from a Cannabis Overdose

Here’s a fact you probably won’t see on your nightly news: there has never been a verified fatal overdose from cannabis alone.

That’s right. Unlike alcohol, opioids, or even over-the-counter painkillers, cannabis does not depress respiratory function. It won’t stop your breathing. It won’t stop your heart. You cannot fatally overdose on THC.

Yes, too much THC can be unpleasant—causing anxiety, paranoia, or nausea. This is what’s called “greening out.” But even in extreme cases, the effects are temporary and non-lethal.

To put it in perspective: alcohol kills over 2,200 Americans every year from overdose alone. Cannabis? Zero.

4. So Why Was Cannabis Prohibited in the First Place?

Let’s follow the trail—because it doesn’t lead to public health.

Cannabis prohibition has always been political. In the early 20th century, it was used to target Black communities, jazz musicians, Mexican migrants, and anyone seen as a “threat” to the white status quo. Policies were built on fear, not fact. And the machinery of prohibition was too lucrative to stop.

Today, prohibition still benefits a select few:

• Pharmaceutical giants, who fear losing market share to natural medicine.

• Law enforcement and private prisons, who thrive on minor possession charges.

• Politicians, who use cannabis laws to posture while ignoring science.

Meanwhile, the people most harmed are those who could benefit most—patients, small businesses, and historically marginalised communities.

Final Puff of Truth

At NEKED Cannabis Café, we’re committed to dispelling the myths and honouring the plant’s true potential. Cannabis is not a dangerous drug—it’s a medicine, a ritual, a connector, and in many ways, a liberation tool.

It’s time we stop criminalising the truth and start embracing evidence-based policy.

If you’re ready to learn, heal, and explore the world of premium, small-batch cannabis in a safe and sophisticated environment, come visit us in Clarens or shop online www.neked.co.za

The revolution is green—and it’s already here.