*DISCLAIMER* All photos were taken in states where recreational/medicinal marijuana is legal, purchased/grown legally, and consumed by those of the legal age of 21.

Lazy, couch-locked, good for nothing, stoners.

Living off the government, anarchist hippies.

Gangs, gateway drug, devil’s lettuce.

So many stigmas around marijuana, much of it negative. Yet, the statistics coming out of states where marijuana is legal (recreationally/medicinally), are positive.

However, if you get on the internet, many people on there speaking for the marijuana community play into the lazy, couch-locked, dreaded, dirty hippy, stoner stigma. In reality, people from broke college kids, to millionaires are using marijuana in a much classier way; like a craft beer with your dinner, or better yet, medicinally.

You can get it in different sprinkles for food and cook it into your meals, in beers or wines, as flower, concentrates, cooking oil, butter… this list can go on for days.

You would expect most of us to be the last people to be stoners; we’re not open about it because of the negative stigmas. We don’t want you to clump us into those stereotypes and think negatively of us.

So here are two things I’ve started doing to help change the stigma of marijuana:

1. Be open about it

If we only let the people who fit the negative stereotypes be the voices for marijuana, the stigma will never change.

I get butterflies every time I open up about it, especially to known anti-devil’s lettuce advocates, but I have yet to get a negative reaction about it because I am the opposite of what people have in their heads as a “stoner”.

I have multiple jobs; I’m highly educated/continuing education, and I'm well respected in the community, athletic, adventurous, and always doing something to help others/benefit the community. I make sure I let this information be known, otherwise, they immediately start passing negative judgment.

Typically when people first find out I toke, they don’t know what to say… but then they start to ask the questions they’ve been too uncomfortable to ask because they are so afraid they will be judged. Now they know someone with experience who won’t judge them.

Even if you “look like a stoner,” you should still be open about it. Chances are you’re still productive with your life and aren’t what people think you are based on your looks.

I honestly have yet to meet any “stoners” who aren’t doing something productive with their life.

2. Emphasize the safety and legal importance of marijuana

One of the main worries of consumers is “THE CHILDREN!!” They are afraid we’re going to hand off our expensive edibles to children as candy to try to “drug” them, or sell them the flower, edibles, or concentrates we use.

It is important people consume at 21 or with doctor’s permission for minors, in legal states, with legally purchased/grown weed. You can go into hundreds of reasons for why this is important, but the main reason is to end that dangerous stigma that surrounds it due to decades of prohibition, by actually following the laws.

One of my favorite YouTubers helping change the stereotypes of marijuana with her classy reviews of strains and products is Positive Smash 420. She emphasizes the importance of legal consumption/purchasing of marijuana, as well as answers questions in live sessions.

Help change the stigma of recreational marijuana; many people have no access to it right now due to federal laws, and actually do need it medicinally. They shouldn’t have to uproot their lives to have access to it, or risk getting a felony and prison time for something so harmless and much needed.

We also shouldn’t feel ashamed to admit to people we use a plant to help with various things, especially unwinding after a long day.

Changing the stigma is one way to further encourage and get anti-activists to start listening to us, which will only help federal legalization.