Weed and longevity don't mix: Bryan Johnson's anti-cannabis take explained

India Today

2 days ago

Weed doesn't vibe with longevity. Representative image created by AI. Weed is quietly damaging your brain, your body, and even your future
Study shows that smoking weed leads to a 40% drop in blood flow
According to Bryan Johnson, "If your goal is to live longer, cannabis works against that."
Weed doesn't "vibe with longevity".
Cannabis is having its moment in pop culture, romanticised in the movies, glorified in music, and casually used in social circles. However, beneath all the haze of hype lies a harsh truth: weed may be quietly damaging your brain, your body, and even your future.
A few people are sounding that alarm louder than Bryan Johnson, the 47-year-old tech millionaire who has already spent millions trying to reverse his ageing process.
Johnson, who is now the subject of a new Netflix documentary titled 'Don't Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever', is known for living a meticulously optimised life. For him, every single heartbeat, every calorie, and even his hormones are tracked.
The one thing he refuses to touch? You got it right, it's cannabis. WEED ISN'T WELLNESS
While social media may try their best to portray weed as a harmless escape or a wellness tool (some harp about its medicinal properties too), new research says quite the opposite. Johnson recently referred to a new study that examined how cannabis affects blood flow and the results are startling to say the least.
The study, based on a marker called flow-mediated dilation (FMD) which measures how well blood vessels expand, found that smoking weed leads to a 40% drop in blood flow, while edibles (brownies or chocolates laced with it) caused a 50% drop.
These numbers are on par with the vascular harm caused by tobacco use.
In Johnson's words, 'I'm not morally against weed. But if your goal is to live longer and better, cannabis works against that. It harms your heart and shortens your life.' THE INDIA BIG PICTURE
In India, where cannabis is still illegal under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the danger runs even deeper. The use of weed is spreading quickly amongst urban youth. Whether they are on college campuses, at house parties, or even among influencers promoting it as 'organic' or 'spiritual.'
But experts are raising red flags.
'The very idea that it is a safe or gives a high that is organic is just misplaced,' says Dr. Dheeraj Lakhania, a Mumbai-based addiction psychiatrist. 'We have been seeing teenagers who start with casual use and that quickly spirals into dependency. This is a real public health issue, especially when they're unaware of the long-term harm.'
And the harm isn't just psychological. Much of the weed circulating in India is mixed with dangerous adulterants (like boot polish and sedatives) that can easily trigger psychosis, organ damage, or result in fatal overdoses.
And the harm isn't just psychological. Much of the weed circulating in India is mixed with dangerous adulterants (like boot polish and sedatives) that can easily trigger psychosis, organ damage, or result in fatal overdoses. IT ISN'T EXTREME, IT'S SMART
Johnson's approach might seem intense: 3 p.m. dinners, zero sugar, bio-data-driven sleep and so goes the list. But his anti-cannabis stance comes from a place of deep logic. In his longevity model, anything that harms cognitive function, sleep quality, or cardiovascular health gets eliminated naturally.
'The data is simply very clear. Cannabis impairs your brain, disrupts rhythms, and it compromises your blood vessels too,' says Dr. Sreeja Pandit, a Delhi-based neurologist. 'This isn't about moral judgment. It's about protecting your future.'
It may feel harmless in your twenties but the damage compounds over time, believe experts. Poor sleep, altered hormone levels, reduced motivation, memory loss â€' these are not only signs of ageing but these signal long-term exposure to substances your body doesn't need.
Johnson's advice for the youth shouldn't be seen as a lecture but as a warning. Weed isn't a symbol of rebellion, neither is it a sign of freedom. 'There's a clear connection between regular cannabis use and lowered academic and professional performance,' says Dr. Rahul Jain, a Bengaluru-based internal medicine specialist. 'The younger the brain, the higher the risk.'
That's why this message cuts through the noise. Johnson's life may be extreme, but his logic is simple: don't poison the very system that you're trying to perfect.
Weed doesn't "vibe with longevity".
Cannabis is having its moment in pop culture, romanticised in the movies, glorified in music, and casually used in social circles. However, beneath all the haze of hype lies a harsh truth: weed may be quietly damaging your brain, your body, and even your future.
A few people are sounding that alarm louder than Bryan Johnson, the 47-year-old tech millionaire who has already spent millions trying to reverse his ageing process.
Johnson, who is now the subject of a new Netflix documentary titled 'Don't Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever', is known for living a meticulously optimised life. For him, every single heartbeat, every calorie, and even his hormones are tracked.
The one thing he refuses to touch? You got it right, it's cannabis. WEED ISN'T WELLNESS
While social media may try their best to portray weed as a harmless escape or a wellness tool (some harp about its medicinal properties too), new research says quite the opposite. Johnson recently referred to a new study that examined how cannabis affects blood flow and the results are startling to say the least.
The study, based on a marker called flow-mediated dilation (FMD) which measures how well blood vessels expand, found that smoking weed leads to a 40% drop in blood flow, while edibles (brownies or chocolates laced with it) caused a 50% drop.
These numbers are on par with the vascular harm caused by tobacco use.
In Johnson's words, 'I'm not morally against weed. But if your goal is to live longer and better, cannabis works against that. It harms your heart and shortens your life.' THE INDIA BIG PICTURE
In India, where cannabis is still illegal under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the danger runs even deeper. The use of weed is spreading quickly amongst urban youth. Whether they are on college campuses, at house parties, or even among influencers promoting it as 'organic' or 'spiritual.'
But experts are raising red flags.
'The very idea that it is a safe or gives a high that is organic is just misplaced,' says Dr. Dheeraj Lakhania, a Mumbai-based addiction psychiatrist. 'We have been seeing teenagers who start with casual use and that quickly spirals into dependency. This is a real public health issue, especially when they're unaware of the long-term harm.'
And the harm isn't just psychological. Much of the weed circulating in India is mixed with dangerous adulterants (like boot polish and sedatives) that can easily trigger psychosis, organ damage, or result in fatal overdoses.
And the harm isn't just psychological. Much of the weed circulating in India is mixed with dangerous adulterants (like boot polish and sedatives) that can easily trigger psychosis, organ damage, or result in fatal overdoses. IT ISN'T EXTREME, IT'S SMART
Johnson's approach might seem intense: 3 p.m. dinners, zero sugar, bio-data-driven sleep and so goes the list. But his anti-cannabis stance comes from a place of deep logic. In his longevity model, anything that harms cognitive function, sleep quality, or cardiovascular health gets eliminated naturally.
'The data is simply very clear. Cannabis impairs your brain, disrupts rhythms, and it compromises your blood vessels too,' says Dr. Sreeja Pandit, a Delhi-based neurologist. 'This isn't about moral judgment. It's about protecting your future.'
It may feel harmless in your twenties but the damage compounds over time, believe experts. Poor sleep, altered hormone levels, reduced motivation, memory loss â€' these are not only signs of ageing but these signal long-term exposure to substances your body doesn't need.
Johnson's advice for the youth shouldn't be seen as a lecture but as a warning. Weed isn't a symbol of rebellion, neither is it a sign of freedom. 'There's a clear connection between regular cannabis use and lowered academic and professional performance,' says Dr. Rahul Jain, a Bengaluru-based internal medicine specialist. 'The younger the brain, the higher the risk.'
That's why this message cuts through the noise. Johnson's life may be extreme, but his logic is simple: don't poison the very system that you're trying to perfect. Join our WhatsApp Channel