I remember the first time I smoked cannabis, or pot as we called it. At first I was skeptical and a bit nervous as I was only 17 at the time. My boyfriend and a friend of mine with her boyfriend smoked some at the friend's apartment. I didn't feel that different afterwards, and remember thinking "what's the big deal?" The media, our government, our parents, and most of the older generation were way off base on this one!
The second time I smoked it, I did get high. It was a gentle mind opening experience. I loved that feeling. I could totally function with out being out of control. Very relaxing too. People who smoke cannabis don't usually get violent, unless they add alcohol or some other drug to the mix. Cannabis encourages creativity, calms you down, and generally provides a feeling of well-being. That is why it's so beneficial for PTSD patients. Smoking cannabis did not turn me into a vegetable like the commercials say, in fact I probably learned more after I started smoking it. I am an avid reader, and somewhat curious. Like many people, I learned more out of school, than in.
During those teen years, I drank alcohol probably as much as any teenager would, but soon learned that I could not tolerate it because it made me sick. Yeah, I could handle a couple of beers or glasses of wine, but I had found something much better...cannabis! Over the years I grew to hate alcohol because it has killed or destroyed the lives of so many people I care about. Why does our society condone...even promote alcohol when it's a known killer? Why doesn't our government abolish prohibition on cannabis?
Many cultures use herbs, mushrooms, and other plants that cause an altered reality when ingested. The plants are used to gain wisdom or find the answer to a hard question that has been plaguing them. Why is our government so paranoid about cannabis use? Besides, if you are using it responsibly in your own home, not harming anyone, what is the problem? What on earth are they afraid of? Cynically I think it's all about money. That's usually what it boils down to with most things. But our government could be making so much money from the sale of cannabis...enough to pay off the national debt! Instead we put people in prison for the most minor offense of being caught with a joint in your pocket, wasting tax payer money and ruining families, when the police have better things to do like solving real crimes. Many people who work in law enforcement don't agree with prohibition either (L.E.A.P.).
Is it going to take "an act of God" to change this law?
The U.S. Government hasn't contributed to the research of cannabis, except to try to prove something bad comes from it. Why not research the good properties as well as the bad, if any exists. Wouldn't it be ironic if cannabis were the missing link in our healthcare? Individuals have already proven that cannabis fights cancer. The drug companies wouldn't want us to know that. It might take money away from their products, many of which cause horrible health side affects, and many who give you something worse than you started out with.
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