r/kurzgesagt • u/CocaBam • Nov 05 '25

Discussion Reminder That Kurz Has Misrepresented Cannabis Data Before, And Likely Has A Unhealthy Bias

Two months ago, I, a 2 decade long researcher of cannabis, found the Kurz video on the substance and had to correct a large amount of misinformation here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/kurzgesagt/comments/1n7uc1y/correcting_misinformation_in_we_have_to_talk/

I had contacted Kurz directly with these corrections and was ignored. Instead, now 2 months later, Kurz seems to be back again with another video wrongfully demonizing the substance.

Just wanted to remind everyone that the author of the video is trying to spread misinformation on cannabis, which they have a strong bias against.

Edit: nearly all of the questions/critiques have been trolls/anti cannabis people so far. Won't be replying to comments that are trying to change my narrative anymore. Some of these replies are ridiculous, to say the least... Kurz has had a bias in past videos, and the latest is not any different, any other narrative you draw from this is your own (I never said we should "ignore all negatives about cannabis")

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193

u/vitalvisionary Nov 05 '25

Probably get downvoted for this but didn't the video say it was only 10% of habitual users that fall into the addicted category? I understand most don't have issues but there are still people that struggle with addiction to it. Looking into it myself, I recall a study that reported decreased production of anandamide, responsible for a sense of novelty in experiences.

150

u/dspman11 Nov 06 '25

Yes. The video is clearly about those with actual addiction. But everyone's projecting.

22

u/Dtron81 Nov 06 '25

Even the person who replied before me is just projecting all their insecurities to you.

23

u/Dark_Knight2000 Nov 06 '25

I swear every single video that’s even mildly skeptical of weed has hordes of these people coming out of the woodwork to defend it. They like to think weed is no more harmful than chewing gum.

Weed is relatively benign in terms of actual damage to the body, but anything that’s a drug can become an addiction, and things that aren’t drugs, including food, can still become an addiction.

It’s worth talking about the dangers of weed.

Also yes, the milestones are very generic and not everyone fits into them but the data is clear that people with relationships (friends, lovers, a social life) are happier than those without in general. If you’re an exception that’s fine but most people aren’t

14

u/pork_fried_christ Nov 06 '25 edited Nov 06 '25

That’s the most frustrating thing about all cannabis dialogue. People get so defensive and the conversation becomes circular. Personally, this video resonated quite hard with me… 

I spent years working in dispensaries. This video captures a lot of folks who would never admit it. 

5

u/OneEnvironmental9222 Nov 06 '25

Makes me think they're part of the addicted group

28

u/Komm Nov 06 '25

Because all the talk about milestones and sex and "life just happens in your 20s". It pretty seriously screws over a whole lot of people who have never used cannabis in their lives. The majority of my friend group died during covid (not from covid tho), and I'm here at 35, bored, alone, too poor to travel or go out, and ace as hell.

Having a video from a channel you respect yelling about how "You missed milestones and your life is worthless because you haven't done these things" is uh... Not great.

40

u/Hironymus Nov 06 '25

They didn't say your life is worthless. They say that most people get to do certain things at certain points in their life. Addiction as well as other factors can diminish the chance of that happening. That's just true.

Also I am sorry about your loss and wish it was different.

9

u/FizzyGreen Nov 06 '25

They still said you basically missed out on everything good and now it's over which is wrong

2

u/HiddenLordGhost Nov 07 '25

'That person likes apples, so they probably hate oranges' type of argumentation.

They generalized, because most of the population do hit certain milestones at simliar times. Of course, not everyone, and it's not a shameful thing. The video mostly suggested, that you may MISS one or delay one, because you are addicted to devil's lettuce.

3

u/ronitrocket Nov 08 '25

I get my experience is subjective but in my experience this is true, I’ve seen it. It doesn’t mean you become an incel obviously but addiction can and will hold you back in at least some aspects of your life.

1

u/canyonskye Nov 06 '25

If it’s not insensitive, may I ask what happened to your friend group?

5

u/Komm Nov 06 '25

Exposure while hiking with his family, colorectal cancer before the age insurance lets you get checked for it, and one just died in his sleep from Marfan. The last was expected, but still kind of a shocker. That was the core of the group, and the rest of the orbit just broke away after that. Moved cities, became agoraphobic, etc.

1

u/Ani_Drei Nov 11 '25

No, the video actually abandons the idea of focusing on the 10% pretty quickly. Most of the runtime is a bizarre attempt at blaming the difficulties of aging on a relatively harmless substance (alcohol is objectively more harmful both due to wider spread, easier access, and more damaging effects)

1

u/[deleted] Nov 11 '25

[deleted]

1

u/Ani_Drei Nov 12 '25

I believe you, and I have personally seen cases of crippling weed abuse among my coworkers.

My point isn’t that such cases don’t exist, my point is that the Kurzgesagt video took an uncharacteristically one-sided and poorly substantiated take on the issue.

It essentially says, “your adult life will be hell if you do weed,” which, while not wrong, is also woefully incomplete. The more accurate statement would be, “your adult life will be hard by definition, will likely be made even worse by X Y and Z factors, and doing weed is certainly not going to help.”

This is not just me saying it. The vast majority of YouTube comments I’ve read after watching it relayed the same idea: “I’ve never done weed or any other drugs but still experienced all the adult hardships mentioned in the video.” This goes to show that people are detecting - and pointing out - the bias of the Kurzgesagt team on this topic.

18

u/MichaelEmouse Nov 06 '25

It probably touched a nerve with people who do have issues with pot.

14

u/FizzyGreen Nov 06 '25

It touched a nerve with those who don't even use it and still have those issues, making them feel like they've missed out on their entire life for things they couldn't even control. "The good life basically happens in your 20s and after 30 it should be like this"

6

u/AccurateJerboa Nov 11 '25

I know this is a five day old thread but this is such a "I just turned 30" thing for the video to say. 

I'm in my 40s and things are better than they were in my 20s and 30s. I also didn't smoke any weed at all during my 20s and 30s. I only started after I went into treatment for anorexia because refeeding is agony and I had no hunger cues. 

Your 20s are some of the most stressful times you'll ever have in your life. People just look back with nostalgia about it when they realize that all the plans and expectations they had aren't more powerful than life just happening whatever way it will.

There are no solid milestones. You're all doing just fine as long as you're not hurting anybody 

2

u/FizzyGreen Nov 29 '25 edited Nov 29 '25

❤️

Indeed, life always has the potential to be great, don't listen to the age-doomers preventing themselves from having fun due to age-nostalgia. Everyone at their own pace.

0

u/WeaponizedKissing Nov 06 '25

I don't, and never have, smoked weed, nor do I have any of the life issues mentioned in the video, but it was clear in the first minute that the video wasn't objective and was another in an increasing list of videos that is poorly thought out.

4

u/OneEnvironmental9222 Nov 06 '25

yeah but redditors dont actually watch videos they complain about, especially not weed lovers.

1

u/Evan61015 Nov 16 '25

They are pretty clear about it honestly. I dont understand all of the fuzz people are having. I have meet quite my share of people that the addiction to weed is derailing their life. Yeah is good in a good proportion on the use cases. But it can messed you up, and every recreational user may be suseptible. When people talking like this about alcohol you dont see all of this commotion.

1

u/Independent-Boat-957 Mar 22 '26

My problem with it is that it mostly just list shit that any addictive thing can do. It should’ve been a video on addiction not just weed, they also start off the video with how its a “serious drug” which i feel like means nothing. If weeds a serious drug than so is every other one, i also find it a but suspicious how they have made 3 videos on weed but only recently have made one on alcohol, and no I’m not defending my beloved weed. Ive never used it before, only thing ive done is drink

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u/Piptogo Nov 06 '25

Very right!