Litnet

I see no logical reason for marijuana to be illegal. Prohibition, as history proves, doesn’t work. Especially when the controlled substance is far less harmful than most over the counter medications.

“In strict medical terms marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume. For example, eating 10 raw potatoes can result in a toxic response. By comparison, it is physically impossible to eat enough marijuana to induce death. Marijuana in its natural form is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man. By any measure of rational analysis marijuana can be safely used within the supervised routine of medical care.”
- Francis Young, DEA Administrative Law Judge

Marijuana has a myriad of health benefits. It can be used to ease depression, kills pain better than most painkillers and in many cases it makes things a bit easier on chemotherapy patients. I’ve seen people come off hard drugs easier when they’re allowed to smoke a joint. I’ve also seen the improvement in my own health after living most of my life as what doctors deemed “chronically fucked”, not necessarily in those words. A few years back I was in too much pain to get on stage without half a bottle of whiskey and a handful or two of painkillers, now I’m off both completely in favor of an occasional joint. As a musician I’ve also heard the rest of the benefits in my music collection. Bob Dylan introduced The Beatles to marijuana on the 28th of August 1964 and that ended with some great songs, man.

“Herb is the healing of a nation, alcohol is the destruction.”
- Bob Marley

I’ve been involved in a few alcohol-fueled bar fights, fuckers who feel big after a few drinks and decide to pick a fight, but I’ve never been involved in a fight or even a slight disagreement because of weed – except maybe with a dealer over prices. But: It’s still illegal. Alcohol is perfectly legal on the other hand, but will screw you up far more in every possible way.

Is it really as much of a gateway drug? Smoking weed doesn’t make you a drug addict any more than switching a computer on makes you an IT expert. The issue with some people comes in with the ways they are being forced to acquire weed because of its legal status. They end up going to a low-class drug dealer who tries to sell them a hundred other things and some people end up giving in. Hell, some people will grab any substance as an escape route, be it cough syrup or mouthwash – neither are recommended - and those people shouldn’t be smoking in the first place. Having legal dispensaries will get rid of this problem.

Marijuana has been successfully legalized in various parts of the world without a civil war or overnight apocalypse. It’s just up to the rest of the world to catch up. In South Africa, The Dagga Couple is doing a lot towards the legalization of marijuana. In fact, they’ve gathered enough support to register as a political party in the upcoming elections. I know who I’d rather be voting for.

If you still have any serious doubts, here follows a quote by one of the USA’s founding fathers, Christian nation and all that:

“Some of my finest hours have been spent on my back veranda, smoking hemp and observing as far as my eye can see.”
- Thomas Jefferson

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