So, you smoke cannabis. Welcome to the club. This of course is a non-exclusive club, and consists of around 12 million Americans who have consumed in the past month, and over 83 million who have smoked at least once in their lives.
Smoking cannabis, despite what propaganda claims, is entirely normal and safe.
However, this might not mean much to you if you have friends, co-workers, or loved ones who may look down upon it; or in some cases, depending on your living situation, even forbid it. This is a tough situation faced by many, and isn’t an easy one to handle. Many of us want to maintain the respect of the ones we care for and don’t want the conflict that could ensue. But at the same time we’re all human, and just because we decide to consume an herb doesn’t mean we should be treated negatively.
Putting the awkwardness aside, maybe you’ve decided that you’re coming clear about your consumption of this plant (as if it’s something that should need to be “admitted”), and maybe you’re not sure how to approach it. Although we can’t tell you how whoever you’re speaking to will respond, we can give you some information and pointers to use if in that situation, to make sure you’re as prepared as possible to defend your stance. Here we go:
1. Be prepared to come at this from an angle that what you’re doing isn’t wrong and is safe. Point out the hypocrisy of prohibition and how propaganda is the sole cause for all of the ridiculous laws surrounding the plant. We don’t see many scientific studies on the benefits of marijuana, mostly because the DEA doesn’t allow it, not even for scientific purposes:
- http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/19/health/policy/19marijuana.html
Prohibition on scientific discover leads to a lack of knowledge. Prohibition began before we had any scientific understanding of the plant and during a time when cannabis was cracked down on because of its prominence in minority cultures. If looked at from a subjective lens, it’s hard to justify cannabis prohibition and the stigma attached to its use.
2. Make it clear that cannabis has NO lethal dose, meaning that it is physically impossible to overdose from, and is responsible for literally zero deaths annually. Cannabis is a safe substance. Stick with the facts, and don’t be afraid to site some sources:
- After all, Harvard studies show us cannabis has the potential to help cure cancer and cuts tumor growth: http://www.nowpublic.com/thc_marijuana_helps_cure_cancer_says_harvard_study
- The Washington Post reported that The University of California conducted the largest study of its kind and concluded there is no link between even heavy cannabis use and lung cancer: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/25/AR2006052501729.html – Not only did it conclude that it didn’t lead to this type of cancer, but they found smokers may actually be less prone to it than non-smokers, something the head of the study found surprising himself.
- In a 1997 study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and published in the American Journal of Public Health. Vol. 87 No. 4, they found that no degree of marijuana use had any effect on mortality, continuing with the known fact that cannabis is responsible for 0 deaths annually.
All-in-all, cannabis has never been scientifically proven to cause any amount of serious long-term harm to the brain or body, and has never been properly linked to any form of cancer or brain damage.
3. Be ready to combat the lies. Depending on who you’re talking with, you may find them digging deep into the propaganda handbag, claiming that “you’re killing your brain cells!!”
When all is said and done, that just isn’t true:
- http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20030701/heavy-marijuana-use-doesnt-damage-brain
Don’t let them hit you with the “but it’ll make you stupid” argument either -
- http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5105
- An American Journal of Epidemiology study in 1999 reported “no significant differences in cognitive decline between heavy users, light users, and nonusers of cannabis” over a 15-year period.
If the issue of how it effects the brain even comes up, make sure to throw in the fact that it may even delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease:
- http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15145917/ns/health-alzheimers_disease/t/marijuana-may-help-stave-alzheimers/
4. Don’t be afraid to revel in your accomplishments. The fact that you even have to “prove” you can function when smoking marijuana is absurd, but the propagandist mind will often be thinking along these lines. If you’re still holding a steady job, still volunteering in the community, still a normal person that can make your own choices…..make it known! Remember that you have no reason to be ashamed of your decision to use cannabis.
If cannabis use isn’t negatively impacting your life and is possibly something that is improving your life then once again, make it known. If it’s said that you’re addicted to it or could be, let them know there is less of a chance of that then someone getting addicted to their morning cup of coffee (which you can point out has a lethal overdose level, which of course cannabis doesn’t http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/821863-overview ). Make it clear that you are happy with your choice to use cannabis, and that you find it to be beneficial.
If you’re interested in more studies to site, dig deep into the statistics of what we truly know about cannabis, and what are lies and based off of false claims. This is an issue where truth tends to be on our side, and minds can certainly be changed.
TheJointBlog
