The Recreational Use Of Marijuana

IF THE FONT CHANGES BLAME MONSIEUR BECAUSE IT WASN'T ME

        The recreational use of marijuana has been furiously debated. A survey from March of 2013 concluded that 47% of adults who had admitted to using pot had done it for solely recreational purposes. (1) However, are these people aware that their usage can potentially be unsafe?I take a look at both sides of the case.

      1. The leisure use of cannabis allows an underground community to grow bigger and closer. These regular consumers are starting to be recognized by the rest of the population by forums (see weed-forums.com/) and videos. marijuanamermaid (2) is a WeedTuber (a YouTuber whose channel revolves around cannabis) with over 11,000 subscribers. Her videos inspire multiple discussions that provide space for education and debate. Here is one of her videos, Top 10 Stoner Problems, a clip that finds to relate with other pot users.

        I think that making a whole section of the Internet dedicated to people with this interest isn't a bad thing. After all, the Internet is plagued with Justin Bieber fans (just kidding!). So, to have many people be able to come together and quite literally fangirl over their hobby is pretty cool.

     2. Side effects of having THC in the bloodstream include euphoria, enhanced sensations, and hallucinating.(3) A regular cannabis user gives further explanation
here. For some, this may be their ideal good time. I find it similar to people having beer as they watch a sporting event. They don't need it because they watch the game and eat snacks anyway. The beer simply has the power to enrich this energetic environment. So, if something fun (sports) is combined with something that makes things even more fun (alcohol/weed, in this case), it just makes for lots of fun. Lots of fun is always necessary, in my opinion. Go big or go home kids! Have fun while you still can and if I watch a sporting event and weed kills me, at least I died happy.

        I'd say case closed, but I have to keep going FOR A GRAAAAADDEEEEEE.

        Anyway, moving on.

        There are issues people find problematic enough to stop them from using marijuana for fun.

        1. The community of people that I acknowledged above may not necessarily be a good influence. Some people who use marijuana in the motive of enjoying themselves are from undesirable backgrounds and their unstable upbringing can make them negative, generally unlikable people. (4) I don't like being around unlikable people, so this is something I need to pay attention to. 

        2. A fraction of THC's side effects have been already enumerated. Depending on the source of information (as this is a wildly undiscovered thing I'm talking about), reactions include a quicker heartbeat, disorientation, anxiety, dry mouth, a hot or cold sensation in the skin and, if overused, can lead to fainting. (4,5,6)

Well, a little fainting never killed anybody! As I said before, go big or go home. My attitude might just be due to the type of person I am, but I am rather optimistic, I say that's a good thing, and I say WE SHOULD ALL BE OPTIMISTIC AND TRY NEW THINGS.

You probably shouldn't take take advice from someone who has 6 milk and 4 sugar in their coffee, or who is very sensitive to the effects of sugar and coffee, but who said I was that person?!

ANYWAY. 

        Dr. John Cline: "Cannabis is an exceedingly complex drug preparation, and its effects depend on the variety of the plant, the composition of chemicals in any given sample, the route of administration, the setting in which it is used and the psychological state of the user."
       
        Cline said it best. Weed is not a plain concept. There are strains and flavours and potencies (4) and maybe those who shy away from it haven't found the right type for them, as Frances had said in one of her videos. I cannot deny, nevertheless, that this may not be for everyone. Those who do not condone it should simply leave the rest of the world to get stoned in peace.

       3. In marijuanamermaid's Top 10 Stoner Problems, Frances speaks reluctantly about the smell of weed and how it clings to hands, clothes, etc. This may fend off people from approaching stoners. (4) I know from experience that weed doesn't exactly smell like flowers, even though it is one (2, 6). It's pretty disgusting and unattractive and if you're wondering what it smells like (nothing like the incense at Green Earth in the mall), walk down Riverside Drive and you'll get an idea.


        4. Even though Stein (3) says that weed had never made him want to try anything else, he is but one person. I believe he is referring to the physical aspect of it, that weed never left him shaking out of his skin. If weed was not considered a gateway drug, why is it classified along with heroin and ecstasy? (5) Miseducation? I believe that at one point, a portion of potheads will want something different from theirs highs and transition to those harmful drugs. Based on this, consumers are right when they say that the plant itself doesn't make them want other drugs, and the people against it are partially right when they sort it with other drugs and call it a gateway. Could it be the repetitive use of cannabis that develops cravings for other stronger drugs? Cline labels marijuana as a drug and says its effects depend on the mentality of the person. Could looking for another illegal substance be part of a bad mentality? Are some people's mental stability better than others (they're fine with weed), whereas others need stronger substances? Searching for something else may easily be due to experimentation and not to a certain mental state, but their poor moral judgment causing them to try these damaging drugs can come from disrupted thoughts! This topic is incredibly debatable. Then again, I constantly debate things in my head. Whatever. I will have much more on marijuana and mental health in an upcoming blog post.

          To conclude, concerning recreational use of weed, it does not affect me. I would even try it despite the disgusting smell. Me being a daring person, I would search for whatever joy the 47% did and proceed if I succeed. If not, a bit of weed should not kill me! I am destined for an early death anyway (I live in a cancer cluster), so why not live large? It would be cool to connect online with a group of people that share my interest. I would undeniably use weed alone in spite of weird, bothersome people. But, I find highly disrespectful the rumours that those who use weed are consequentially bad people. Miley Cyrus said it best: "Going out doesn't make you a bad person, just like going to church doesn't make you a good person." Using this substance should not make anyone a bad person. Our habits do not make us bad people, it is our bad actions and what we give out to the world. My usage would not be as public as Frances or Snoop Dogg, it would be more of a reward, like how college kids get smashed after exams (4). As for it being a gateway drug, I think I am morally equipped to see what is clearly wrong and somewhat right and act upon those presumptions. After all, there would not be talk of authorizing this plant if we did not see a positive. Who is considering the legalization of LSD? Exactly! If we are up to this point, if Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington are up to this point (7), then the recreational use of marijuana may not be as horrendous as our society perceives.

(1) http://www.pewresearch.org/daily-number/marijuana-use-increased-over-the-last-decade/
(2) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8L1BplQGxZ_FhGc6nzAZ8g
(3) https://www.quora.com/What-is-it-like-to-be-high-on-marijuana-or-other-sources-of-THC
(4) I know people.
(5) http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/marijuana/the-harmful-effects.html
(6) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_(drug)
(7) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_cannabis_by_U.S._jurisdiction