When I start writing a piece, I sometimes try to come up with a working title that sums up what I am trying to get across. Helps me figure out the tone I am going for. A few I came up with for this one included “Lie Lie Lie: Border Crossing,” “Silver Linings: At Least the Border Guy Was Cute If Someone Has to Look at My Nude Selfies,” and “Hardened Criminals.” I went with the most straight-forward though, “Why the Fight Against Prohibition Matters.”
So I’m sure we have all known a “brain-dead stoner” or two, but for as many of those types out there, there are also the opposite: the highly conscious, freakishly intelligent, enlightened pot smokers. So why the difference? How do some people seem to make the plant work for them — to have both marijuana and intelligence — while others don’t? I thought this would be an interesting dichotomy to look into.
I have been known to attempt to self-medicate my problems away. I have done ever since I was able to find someone old enough to hit the liquor store for me and I discovered that smoking pot helped me forget my problems. Now, before you shut down this article because that sentence put booze and marijuana in the same category, hear me out: when it comes to mental health, self-medicating with marijuana and alcohol are comparable.
Mar
11
I have two kids: a daughter who is seven and a son who is six. I am a single parent with split custody of them. And I am a recreational pot smoker. When my children were small, I didn’t worry over what I would tell them about weed. As a new stoner parent answering kids’ questions, I wasn’t ashamed of my use and I knew that I would be frank with them about it.
But as they get older they become more and more curious about it, and their questions are more direct.
Oct
23
I really love my life, I have great friends, great kids, and a great boyfriend. I have a stable home, I eat healthy foods, even my pet is well cared for. I am able to be playful and creative in the workplace. And then I get the icing on the cake: playing laser tag with my co-workers.
We’ve been working on an upcoming show for pot.tv called Toking Tuesdays. It’s based on doing fun things but with a healthy mix of protest. A pretty great gig if that’s your deal — and it’s mine.
I get to smoke a lot of marijuana in my industry but if you know me, you know I know my limits and stay within them. I roll my small joints. Pass on my turn. Dabs are something I do only once in a while.
Still, I really do enjoy my edibles. I know they affect people differently than smoking so I try to do them accordingly. You know, at the beach or a Netflix night or, if they are a bit lighter, maybe at a social gathering. I’ve tried countless varieties of baked goods and other treats: pills, pixie sticks, candies. You name it, I’ve probably tried ingesting marijuana that way. I’m not a champ or anything, but I have a pretty great tolerance of edibles.
Or so I thought.
If you had asked me a year ago if I thought that I would soon be involved in marijuana advocacy, chances are I would have laughed at you. That said, I have always been for removing prohibition on the drug. I’m a lifelong recreational smoker and I have never passed out in a ditch, slept with a stranger, or forgotten to feed my kids because I smoked a few joints. I figure, if alcohol is legal — considering its addictive qualities and health-care concerns — the fact that marijuana isn’t makes no sense. So when I was afforded this chance, I jumped at the opportunity to seek information and provide an insider’s view for the casual, recreational smoker. Because our voices will be the tipping point in full legalization.
Someone who believes (1) any problem can be fixed by smoking marijuana, and (2) any activity is more enjoyable whilst stoned.
We often see medical marijuana users smoking a joint in newspapers and news sites as more and more people stand up for their medical needs and rights. But what about the rest of the cannabis community?