Marijuana has been demonized for so long, with such an ugly stigma and stereotypes attached to it, I’m afraid it’ll be another generation or two before weed has any chance for all out legalization on par with alcohol.
This sucks, because for myself, pot’s got more benefits over risks going for it than almost any other drug out there. I realize it’s not for everyone; psychoactive drugs affect people differently.
Weed’s effects can be intense, but I don’t think any more debilitating than alcohol. When I’ve toked, it seems to mellow me out, focus more, and even enhances (subjectively) just about anything… music, movies, hanging with friends, food, creativity (I’m an artist), and even abstract thought (though, not necessarily always useful
).
The negative side-effects are there (sleepiness, munchies, dry mouth, lethargy. paranoia), but not too hard to overcome. Better than a hangover! Plus no real physiological addiction, and little, if any, withdrawals.
And what’s more, as far as I know, it’s typically fine (health-risk wise) to use it in conjunction with other medication. But, certain mixtures can be uncomfortable (e.g. I don’t like the effects of alcohol and marijuana at the same time).
This is a compound that seems almost too good to be true. I can’t believe the social stigma it has over alcohol. And as always, moderation is key.
P.S. So many people smoke weed, it’s ridiculous. Chances are you’ve already bumped into someone who’s stoned over the last day, and you didn’t even notice.