We all remember that guy in high school who smoked a lot of weed and never really ended up doing much with his life, right? You know, the one everyone in your hometown calls a “burnout.” People who smoke weed must all end up like that guy.

Even if you don’t believe this judgmental statement, the stereotype perpetuated by television, movies, and some of your high school buddies is that the typical stoner is a bit of a couch potato, needing to peel their atrophying muscles off the couch to walk to the kitchen and grab some munchies, which they probably don’t have because they’re too lazy to go to the store. And while some potheads are lazy, so are plenty of straight shooters. Likewise, plenty of weed smokers go on to become ultra-successful, just like that your square classmate who never did anything cool but runs a Fortune 500 company now.

Loads and loads of successful people have smoked pot, and we’re not just talking about the obvious ones, like Wiz Khalifa and the pizza-grubbin’ Ninja Turtles. Presidents and comedians and legendary athletes like LeBron James and Michael Phelps have taken plenty of bong hits to the face, while uber-rich Michael Bloomberg enthusiastically enjoyed indulging in some dank buds. The list goes on and on.

Let’s keep it real—if you’re regularly ripping gravity bongs and smoking more blunts than Snoop Dogg, you’re probably not doing your lungs any favors.

First and foremost, the act of putting any kind of smoke in one’s lungs is going to be unhealthy. The belief that heavily smoking marijuana isn’t damaging your lungs, to some degree, is just plain silly. That’s not to say, however, that all smoke is created equal, and many studies have concluded that tobacco is far more harmful to one’s organs than weed. According to Robert Melamede’s article “Cannabis and tobacco smoke are not equally carcinogenic,” published in the Harm Reduction Journal, cannabis smoke hurts lung function and may knock lung cells into a pre-cancerous state, even if it lacks the direct causal link to cancers offered by tobacco. Marijuana, while presumably not as bad as tobacco, is still bad, as “the burning of plant material in the form of cigarettes generates a large variety of compounds that possess numerous biological activities.” Maybe you should look into vaping, bro.

Furthermore, using marijuana in any form can potentially have harmful effects on one’s brain, particularly because of THC—the stuff that gets you high. In the opinion of Dr. Sushrut Jangi in the Boston Globe: “Each hit of THC rewires the function of this critical cognitive system.”

It’s clear that marijuana has potentially harmful effects on one’s body and brain. So do alcohol, cigarettes, energy drinks, and candy. Thinking any of these things is harmless is just plain stupid. It’s all about moderation.

Ever had the bright idea, while stoned in your friend’s basement, of moving to the Netherlands or Portugal, just so you can smoke weed without the hassle of cops and whatnot? Well, you can—but it’s not technically as legal as you think.

In the Netherlands, cannabis is not legal, despite what many people commonly believe. The Dutch just officially turn a blind eye, having no interest in enforcing laws against shops and cafes. Growing your own plants, selling on the streets, or importing weed are all illegal offenses in the Netherlands.

Portugal is another story altogether, although some incorrectly think all drugs are legal there. Drugs in Portugal are not, in fact, legal—rather, personal use is decriminalized, punished with fines instead of jail. So smoking pot isn’t really going to land you in prison. Growing and selling weed, however, definitely will.

So, if you’re planning on moving to Holland or Portugal to smoke some weed in freedom, go ahead. Just know that it’s not entirely free, and have some extra cash saved up for that inevitable fine.