I recently came across this person's
blog that enraged me so fiercely that I needed to post it here as well.
It’s controversial, I know. Especially in the crunchy-granola, lefty circles with which I marginally run. I am against legalizing marijuana. I’m also against penalizing people for using it in the privacy of their own homes, and I think it’s stupid to put people in jail for drug use of any kind. Let me explain my contradictory feelings:
Back when cigarette smoking was allowed, well, everywhere, I couldn’t go, well, anywhere. In my teens and early 20s, I had asthma, and later in life, I chose to stay away from cancer-causing substances. That greatly limited my ability to comfortably go out to clubs and such. I was deliriously excited when cigarette smoke was banned and even more elated when it became unhip and nearly disappeared altogether.
So now we want to bring in another substance with which people can decide to impact my body through their own choices? No thanks. Not only does marijuana kill brain cells, and not only does it create a contact high, but it also gives me a big fucking headache. You can imagine the funsies I had in Amsterdam.
Today I went to an outdoor drum circle. A big group of people were sitting around toking pot, right at the edge of the drum circle. Smoke being what it is, the marijuana spread throughout the drum circle and its greater perimeters. As soon as the toking started, I got up and tried to find various ways to still be part of the drum circle without getting pot in my lungs and brain. No such luck.
I ended up sitting way far away until the group stopped. Then I rejoined the drum circle, for about five minutes, until a woman right next to me started toking. That’s when I got up and left. I was a little bit woozy from contact high (yes I am that sensitive) but safe enough to navigate the freeway home, thank goodness.
But what if I wasn’t able to navigate my way home? It’s totally un-ok to impact my life like that, without my prior knowledge or consent.
In Amsterdam circa 2003, I was looking for an internet café where I could check my email without being assaulted by marijuana smoke. I finally found a café where people were smoking upstairs but the internet was downstairs. Elated, I sat myself down and started emailing.
At some point, I began feeling very fuzzy and had a hard time understanding anything I was reading. I didn’t initially realize what was going on. Mind you, I have a horrible sense of smell, thanks to Dristan destroying my olfactory senses back when I was a teenager. But eventually it occurred to me to look behind me. Several guys with big fat gonjas had come downstairs and were toking away. One of them gave me a huge grin when I looked their way.
I immediately logged out of my email account and went upstairs, resigned to going back to where I was staying without finishing my business. But when I got outside, I suddenly had no idea where I was. It was midnight. I was alone. I knew the place I was staying was close by, but my brain was completely unable to function and remind me where I was or how I got there.
That’s when I realized I’d gotten a pretty hefty contact high. I knew I was in danger by not having my wits about me in a strange city late at night, and I felt scared. “I can do this, I can do this,” I willed myself into getting my brain back in gear. Through sheer mental determination, I got the wheels spinning again and made it safely home. But for the rest of my trip in Amsterdam, the pot-induced headache would not go away. Every time I passed a café (and there are plenty), I got another whiff of marijuana that sent me into another round of pain and discomfort.
I was relieved to come back to the USA, where marijuana was illegal and therefore generally could be avoided. Maybe not at private parties, but at public places.
The problem with smoke is that, given its nature, it impacts not only the people smoking, but also everyone around them. And not just in their immediate vicinity, but quite far away. Remember the smoking and non-smoking sections? They didn’t really work, did they? Smoke drifts. Period.
So while I whole-heartedly support people smoking whatever they want, for medical or recreational purposes, I don’t want them doing it around me. And I am certain that if marijuana becomes legal, it will also be everywhere, which will adversely impact my life. Not a chance in hell I will support that.
And, here is my response:
First of all, kudos to you for sticking to you guns on your beliefs. But, from this point on you may choose to ignore important facts derived from Government studies. You stated, "later in life, I chose to stay away from cancer-causing substances." So, you changed your eating habits and lifestyle choices? After all most foods and beverages commonly consumed by Americans are full of chemicals that have either been proven to cause tumors, cancers, various illnesses. Aspartame, food dyes, preservatives, all ingredients known to cause major health concerns (if not cancers), but they are still on the market. Alcohol, are you one of the hypocrites who doesn't think it harms? LOTS of disease is caused by alcohol, no matter how much or how minimal. Even to have one occasional drink would make you that hypocrite. Or here's another mind blowing fact for you, do you take any prescribed medications? Have you done your research on what the side effects and the possible interactions of various medications? FUN FACT: If you look in a PDR (Physicians Desk Reference) or even a Nursing Drug Handbook you will see that with all the medications the most commonly occuring bad side effect under each drug is DEATH. Kinda funny how the FDA is more tolerant of medications that may accidently kill you, than they were perhaps 10-15 years ago. You stated, "marijuana kill brain cells", I think you meant 'kills brain cells'. Your statement which you may have had full intentions of sounding factual, is actually a myth. Government experts admit pot doesn't kill brain cells. The initial study in which you you base your life decisions on are based on a study of large quantities of cannabis given to monkeys. This study based on a handful of animal studies showed that structural changes (not actual cell death) were observed in brain cells of animals exposed to large quantities of THC. Human studies of heavy users in Jamaica and Costa Rica found no evidence of abnormalities in brain physiology."I was a little bit woozy from contact high (yes I am that sensitive) but safe enough to navigate the freeway home, thank goodness." Most medications that may make you feel tired or 'woozy' warn against driving or operating heavy machinery. Are you aware that Colorado has (or soon will, or is trying) to put THC limits on driving? The set THC driving limit is five nanograms per milliliter of blood. That means you could have driven illegally, if you were in Colorado, shame on you, that's not very responsible. Ah, but forgive me, this is where I am being unfairly sarcastic. You see I could go into more details on how studies show marijuana actually can make you a more cautious driver, but I wil save that for someone elses piss poor excuse for not liking marijuana. You also stated, "got another whiff of marijuana that sent me into another round of pain and discomfort." Did you know that recent studies show that marijuana eases pain, inflamation? I can understand where you may have felt discomfort due to a common side effect of marijuana, its called anxiety, or sometimes paranoia. "I don’t want them doing it around me." Did you also know, that most stoners are respectful of non-stoners. If perhaps you were to try the phrase, 'I'm not comfortable with pot (or I get random drug tests at work), would you please mind not smoking around me?' Most would be happy to oblige. But this does leave me to ask one major question, what was the purpose of going to Amsterdam? EVERYONE knows marijuana laws are far more lax than here in the states. And attending a drum circle. Um, no offence, its no different than any American concert, weed is rampant at musical group events- Amsterdam or not. "And I am certain that if marijuana becomes legal, it will also be everywhere, which will adversely impact my life. Not a chance in hell I will support that." If you would take a look at marijuana reform here in the States, the absolute last thing anyone wants is people toking up where ever they feel like it. Most likely you will never see anyone walking down the street smoking a joint or a blunt, driving and smoking one, dining at local restaurants with herb smokers. Also note that marijuana isn't limited to just smoking it. You can vaporize it and bypass the tar or rez, you can drink it, you can eat it in certain foods, pharmacuetical companies are even making a pill form. I wouldn't be suprized to see marijuana patch or gum in the near future. As I stated earlier, kudos for your beliefs, but research the bull you believe in before you write about your uneducated opinion and spread disinformation much like our nation has been doing since marijuana prohibition began. Patent #6630507 was made in 2003 by the US Government for cannabinoids as neuroprotectants and antioxidants - check it: http://tiny.ly/t4fY (thanks to @Cannabisstrains for this) Perhaps you may want to check out exactly what other healing properties marijuana has before you crucify the wrong medication.
