Reefer Madness
As the parent of teenage boys, I walk a fine line. I have had a running conversation with my boys since they were three, maybe even earlier, about the taboo subjects – sex and drugs. I do my best to be honest. I don’t think pretending that I am some pristine goody two shoes would ever wash with them. And when they ask, they haven’t yet, but I’m waiting, I plan on being painfully honest with them.
I don’t think it’s a good idea, as a person forming during the teen years, to mess with one’s body chemistry, altering it with any kind of drug, as you will never know what you could have been had you allowed nature to take its course in your development. That said, I look squinting in perplexed disbelief at the throwing of the legal book at marijuana users. To me, throwing addicts in jail is the most boneheaded idea ever. It’s stupid and pointless. No one wants to be an addict. No one wants to be a slave to a drug. Anyone who says that it’s a moral choice or a willpower issue has never been addicted and has no empathy or compassion for anyone so they need to sit down and shut up. Addiction is a prison in of itself. I know it’s a dirty word right now but rehabilitation is the only way to break the debilitating chains of addiction. Period.
But when it comes to marijuana I cannot understand the rationale for criminalizing the use or the possession of this substance. The public service ads on television are laughable, obviously created by someone who really didn’t inhale.
A grandma sitting at a table full of food, waiting for the grandson. “Just tell your grandma that you were too stoned to remember to come to her house for dinner. She’ll understand.” Oooooook. Let’s set the record straight on this one. No stoned guy or gal is going to pass up the opportunity to consume large quantities of good cooking. Ok? Ever heard of the munchies? That means, you eat a lot of stuff.
Then there are the guys ordering food at the fast food place (believable), laughing hysterically (again, believable), and then peeling out hitting a small child on a bike (buzzer! Wrong!). Have you ever driven behind a person that’s stoned? If they are driving 10 mph in a 30, they’re stoned! Marijuana users don’t speed! They think they’re speeding, but they are actually going really, really slow. Marijuana users aren’t violent, they aren’t aggressive. They are paranoid, goofy, seem to have a heightened appreciation for music and the taste of food. They are laid back and appreciate a good laugh, or giggle.
To paint marijuana as a gateway drug is unreasonable. The real gateway drug is alcohol. Why? Because parents have that sitting in a designated cabinet or refrigerator and demonstrate it as a social norm by consuming it either on special occasions or on a regular basis. My x has rolled up to pick my son and his friend up from the movies completely hammered. This action demonstrates to the teens that this is an acceptable thing to do. You can talk until you are blue in the face about being old enough to consume alcohol, but your actions speak volumes. Don't want your kids to drink - don't drink. But more importantly, start talking now, when they are toddlers and keep it up. If you wait until they are older you are missing serious foundation pouring. While you have that absolute focus that toddlers and young ones have on their parents, you have the opportunity to impart valuable knowledge into the very foundation of that child's personality and frame of reference. You also show that you are the person to come to when they want to know about any of this stuff. Anyway, there are always siblings and friends or even strangers that will buy alcohol for minors. It is sold legally in stores. This drug does have a history of being directly connected to violence, car accidents, fatal mistakes and horrific acts of bad judgment (remember the Exxon Valdez disaster?).
And that is sold legally. Yet a naturally growing plant, that God provided, that causes serenity, pain reduction, increase in appetite as well as many other medically proven positive effects is illegal. What’s the reasoning here?
How many drugs made by the pharmaceutical companies have killed people? Yet they are protected. Man-made drugs are legal, yet God’s plants are illegal? Why? It makes no sense. Scientists all over the world have proven over and over again that marijuana has incredible benefits to people from MS to cancer to epilepsy, yet we would rather outlaw that substance and allow them to be medicated with narcotics that pharmaceutical companies can charge the customer out of billions of dollars. Think about it. What possible reason would the very influential drug corporations have to allow legislation through that would permit the average citizen to grow his or her own medication? These same corporations have pushed through legislation that forbids us to go to Mexico or Canada to pay up to 2/3’s less for our prescriptions. Whose interests do they really have at heart? Really?
This is not a free country people. I’m sorry to tell you. The pharmaceutical conglomerates along with the other corporate superpowers own this country. They dictate what we can and cannot have. They don’t want you to know that becoming a vegetarian or vegan will improve you health to the point that you don’t need all their drugs. Why would they? They advertise medications on television – in every available media outlet – to get the public to push the doctors for these ridiculous medications. And the doctors and hospitals get a cut of every pill sold. It’s business.
Our health, like our education, should be a fundamental need fulfilled by our government - which is for and by the people. That translated is – the people put money into a central fund that is to be allocated to everyone to ensure that all the people are healthy and educated. Healthy and educated. Can you imagine? What a relief to know that if you get sick, you are covered. Covered! Don’t worry, we, the collective citizens of this country will make sure that you are well. Wow. That would be amazing.
It is time to start backing away from the hysteria of the drug wars – another ludicrous yet lucrative industry for those in power – and start paying attention to the studies. Not the fake, government run by the corporations’ studies – but the ones done in every other country. It is time to open the cell of those incarcerated for drugs. Locking people away who were holding or using drugs is the embarrassment of this nation. Get them help, clean them up, get them back on their feet and they can start moving in a positive direction for themselves and society. Don’t lock up any more people to waste away or worse in prison. Give people the basics – health and education – and watch how the country can improve. Legalize the drugs that help us and allow us access to reasonably price medications. It's time for us to be able to have a lot more control over our lives.