In an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience that mixes casual conversation with half-science, Joe Rogan took aim at nicotine’s reputation. Joined by country star Miranda Lambert, he claimed that nicotine itself is harmless and that only the delivery method causes harm.
“Nicotine is not bad for you,” Rogan said. “The delivery method is what’s bad for you.”
It is a neat line and one that mirrors the marketing language pushed by companies behind nicotine pouches such as Zyn, which have flooded the podcasting and influencer space with sponsorship money.
Rogan went on to argue that nicotine is a “nootropic” and “neuroprotectant,” suggesting it can improve memory and cognitive performance. He compared it to his former company’s supplement, Alpha Brain, claiming that studies from the Boston Center for Memory found better results than pharmaceuticals. This is a bold claim that conveniently aligns with his business interests, as that same research center has been featured in Onnit’s marketing materials.
He continued by praising nicotine gum, patches, and pouches as safer and even beneficial alternatives to smoking. “I know people who wear nicotine patches when they write,” Rogan said, presenting nicotine as a tool for productivity rather than a vice.
Lambert added that she had tried nicotine pouches herself and found them helpful for focus, particularly in creative work. The exchange sounded more like an advertisement than a discussion.
The idea that “nicotine isn’t harmful” has been circulating for years, pushed by PR campaigns from tobacco and pouch manufacturers looking to reinvent an addictive drug as a lifestyle enhancer. While Rogan’s argument may sound rational on the surface, the science behind nicotine is far more complicated and less forgiving.
Nicotine is a stimulant that increases heart rate, constricts blood vessels, and activates the brain’s reward system in a way that makes it profoundly habit-forming. It can have direct cardiovascular effects, alter hormonal balance, and contribute to oxidative stress at the cellular level.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classify nicotine as “highly addictive” and note that it can harm adolescent brain development, which continues into the mid-twenties.
A review published in the Indian Journal of Medical and Paediatric Oncology found that nicotine alone poses an increased risk of cardiovascular, respiratory, and gastrointestinal disorders, decreases immune response, and can affect reproductive health. It can also influence oxidative stress and DNA mutation, potentially leading to cancer.
Another study conducted at the University of Louisville found that nicotine salts, the form used in many pod-based e-cigarettes, caused arrhythmias in animal models and increased sympathetic nervous system activity, a known risk factor for cardiac stress. Researchers concluded that nicotine itself is harmful to the heart and directly contradicts the idea that it is harmless once separated from smoke.
Despite this, Rogan presented his personal experience as evidence that nicotine addiction may be mild, claiming he felt “virtually no withdrawal symptoms” when he stopped using pouches. That is not a scientific conclusion, and anecdotal claims of that kind can mislead an audience into underestimating the drug’s addictive properties.
In the past year, a noticeable number of comedians, podcasters, and online personalities have started echoing the same message about nicotine’s supposed harmlessness. This coincides with a surge of sponsorship deals from nicotine pouch companies targeting male-dominated audiences in the comedy and podcasting space. It raises a fair question of whether this sudden enthusiasm for nicotine’s “benefits” is genuine curiosity or coordinated marketing.
The delivery method is only part of the problem. The normalization of addiction disguised as wellness may turn out to be an even bigger one.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Health Effects of E-Cigarettes.” CDC, 2023.
Mishra, Alok, et al. “Harmful Effects of Nicotine.” Indian Journal of Medical and Paediatric Oncology, vol. 36, no. 1, 2015, pp. 24–31.
University of Louisville. “UofL Study Shows Nicotine in E-Cigarettes May Not Be Harmless as Some Claim.” University of Louisville News, 2022.
Brose, Leonie S., et al. “Adults’ Misperceptions of Nicotine Harm: A Cross-Sectional Study.” Addiction, vol. 117, no. 10, 2022, pp. 2769–2778.
