I consider myself, for the most part, to be open minded and able to grasp abstract and complex ideas, but - when I am faced with something I can't understand - I find it difficult to relax my mind until I either find an answer or realize that there simply is no explanation. What I am about to describe mainly affects me when it is with regards to someone close or important to me, but the idea in general is one that concerns and troubles me to no end.
Most people with liberal views like myself would probably consider the legalization of marijuana as a logical step in the direction of "social liberation" or whatever one might call it. If I were put in a position to vote on the matter, however, I would have a more-than-difficult time deciding whether to vote for or against it.
On one hand, I do believe people should be able to make their own decisions in many situations, and be free do engage in such activities as long as no one else is negatively affected. On the other hand, although it may seem (and may really be) harmless at certain points in a person's life, there comes a point where it can begin affecting others. This may be uncommon, but it still happens, and I'm unsure if it is a risk worth taking. I also can't help that I do worry about people even if I might not know them.
I guess it's fair to say that, for me, the issue goes beyond legality. It's not important to me whether or not it is legal (people will use it either way), or whether or not it's dangerous or unhealthy. My problem is what it does to people's minds and to their overall thought process. My problem is that people become incapable of dealing with issues and stress independently after a while. My problem is that with such a short time to live, how can someone justify devoting so much time to nothingness when every person has the potential to go somewhere if they just choose the right roads to walk down?
Now, I know that not everyone wastes every hour of the day in a cloud of pot smoke. And I know that some people carry themselves well and are productive and whatnot. But not everyone is, and not everyone can handle something like that. The mind is a powerful and amazing tool and a healthy one requires no chemical assistance to function properly.
Another issue I have with pot smokers is that not only do they believe everyone on earth smokes pot, but they push anyone who doesn't use it to join them. Why? If there's nothing wrong with it and it and everybody is doing it, why is it necessary that a non-smoker be convinced to adopt the habit? Is it that a smoker is intimidated by a person who can function without it? Or is it that a smoker feels less insecure, less stupid, when they are not alone? Why?
I'm sure any answers I can provide myself for these questions will be rhetorical and will just cause my mind to turn over and over. And any answers I've ever gotten from other people simply allude to the fact that there is no reason; that this is one of the things in life that has no explanation and just happens because it happens. People do things to make themselves feel better and sometimes they just lack the imagination and strength to contemplate activities that give them such feelings so easily; it's just easy. Oh well. I'll survive either way. This has been my rant of the century.
2 comments:
Marijuana really is no different than alcohol. The point is that the escapism put forth by its usage is too good to overcome. You and I can go without it and not care with its occasional usage, but there is a responsibility lacking in its usage. Just like alcohol.
I agree that it is no worse, but it's the view held by its users that bothers me; I suppose that's a natural opposite reaction to the strict views on the substance by American society. It's hard for me to explain what bothers me about it in few words because I don't entirely understand why it bothers me myself. I guess it's that the marijuana user uses it more frequently than someone (aside from alcoholics) would use alcohol and, with some(but by no means all) people being stoned replaces the need (and desire) for creative thought. Someone with no problems may use it because they enjoy being "doped" all the time. I have no right to say that they can't do that, but I still think it's bad.
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