Ask a Stoner: Does Marijuana Lead to Impulse Buying?

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Dear Stoner: Everyone talks about blowing money on Amazon after too much wine, but I do that after smoking weed. All. The. Time. Is this stoned impulse buying a thing, or just me?
Khrista

Dear Khrista: Stoned grocery shopping is a dangerous game I often fall victim to. Usually it’s some stupid snack, like a Starburst-flavored yogurt or birthday-cake Oreos. Sure, they taste good. But I’m also wasting money on empty calories, much like a baked run through Target or getting on Amazon after a few glasses of wine.

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Unsplash/Victoria Heath

It doesn’t take a study to show us that a Saturday morning walk of shame was likely influenced by the mind-altering substance you took the night before, but the concept of impulsively buying home goods because of cannabis use is interesting. Given the mental stimulation and tunnel vision some of us get after smoking pot, the connection makes sense, and research at Oregon State University bears that out. According to the OSU study, marijuana users may be driven more by rewards than losses, and can find themselves in a cycle of wanting to reward that stimuli despite the negative consequences. Does that mean you’ll regret the $45 extendable cutting board that fits your larger-than-average kitchen sink? Only if you already have one.

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