ILLUSTRATES: romolo
Anyone who has seen the cartoon knows: Scooby-Doo and Shaggy were always overjoyed. Did cannabis have anything to do with the story? Character designer Iwao Takamoto stated in his biography that there was never any reference to drugs in the design. But even Warner Bros., owner of the rights to the cartoon, has already made fun of the theory. In the movie Scooby Doo, from 2002, there is a scene in which, to the sound of Bob Marley, strange smoke escapes from the windows of the van used by the duo, but later it is revealed that they are just having a barbecue inside. And, in an episode of the adult cartoon Harvey the Advocate, a police officer arrests the pair for “suspicious behavior”. In 2011, the MUNDO ESTRANHO reporter tried to contact Warner Bros. Animation, which owns the show, to talk about it. Even after 6 calls and 10 emails, the company did not respond.
JOY OF LIVING OR DAMNED WEED?
5 evidence that Scooby and Shaggy smoked weed
1) HIPPIE CULTURE
The design emerged in 1969, in the midst of the hippie wave, and borrows many icons from the movement. Among them, the use of the van (one of the favorite means of transport for the crickets, who valued the community) and the psychedelic decoration, with strong colors, exaggerated curves and flowers. Was marijuana use also on that list?
2) MUGS
Have you noticed how they are always hungry, invading other people’s kitchens and serving themselves at will? The active ingredient in marijuana blocks the substance that tells the brain that the body is full. Hence the eternal desire for food, especially carbohydrates – like those present in the sandwiches that the duo loves
3) LAUGHTER ALL THE TIME
They’re always up for dark adventures and chased by monsters, but they take it all in the best of humor. They are always laughing! It is a typical behavior of marijuana users, as the active principle of the herb causes the brain to release endorphins – the substances responsible for the sensation of pleasure in the brain.
4) PANIC SYNDROME
Even after bumping into creatures from beyond several times, the duo continues to tremble in fear of enemies. Fred, Velma and Daphne maintain their composure. A study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry claims that marijuana use can cause panic and schizophrenia in some people.
5) HALLUCINATIONS
Marijuana can cause, to a greater or lesser extent, illusions related to elements in the user’s field of vision. This would explain why the ghosts and monsters always appeared to the duo first – and why these appearances were so much more supernatural and over-the-top than when they happened to the rest of the gang.