Nowadays everyone smokes cannabis. The legalization movement is in full force and the public perception of marijuana has finally shifted for the better.... mostly. Weed used to be widely viewed as a destructive drug which ruins lives and is just as addictive as a substance like heroin or meth. Anyone who has the level of intelligence required to actually think for themselves and research these things knows this to be untrue, and thanks to the recent shift in how the media portrays the substance. So does the rest of the world. There's been an over correction though, a harmful one.
Cannabis is now seen as a completely benign drug which could never cause any level of harm. Becoming an all day everyday pot smoker has replaced social drinking as the "coming of age" ritual for teenagers, and it's portrayed as the cool thing to do. This is a problem. It's time to stop being delusional people. Weed absolutely can have a detrimental effect on ones life. The fact that it's so widespread and widely seen as a good thing causes many kids to become regular smokers. Weeds a plant, not a drug or I don't smoke tobacco, I care about my health too much. I just blow through 3 grams of kush a day.
Yes Gary Johnson, studies have absolutely shown marijuana to increase the risk of having a heart attack. Yes self righteous stoner, it's definitely not good for your lungs to inhale smoke of any type. Regardless of if it's weed or tobacco. Although it is worth noting that the latter is without question worse. What concerns me the most is the effect this has on middle schoolers/highschoolers. From a very young age (8th grade) I fell for the widespread belief that this drug is completely harmless. In the past I believed it to actually be good for my body. Reducing the risk of contracting cancer, and curing it if I ever did get it. I thought everyone who told me anything to the contrary just didn't know what they were talking about, that it was good for the heart, and made you smarter by increasing artistic intuition and critical thinking.
I wasn't aware that it's been shown to alter the brain development of youth users. I didn't believe anyone who told me that smoking outlandish amounts of plant matter was in any way bad for me. I fell for the trap. It's time to put an end to this. Because the direction things are headed in isn't a good one. It's already gotten to the point where it's almost socially acceptable for a 16 year old to smoke weed everyday.
The point of this post isn't to demonize the plant. I was once a daily user and still do partake on occasion. I have a deep appreciation of the substance and I believe it to be much less harmful than the majority of drugs. I just think that pot culture at wide is delusional. People will be completely reliant on weed to eat without feeling sick, to sleep, and to stay happy through the day. But god forbid anyone points out that they have a problem, because apparently it's impossible to be dependent on cannabis. It cures cancer!! The government doesn't want us thinking outside of the box!! Smoke up all day everyday! Fuck drugs, weed is all we need! I say this as someone who was once one of these people, and it's a dangerous mindset to have because in your mind there's no need to practice moderation since It's just weed bro.
While weed is most certainly less harmful than the vast majority of recreational drugs, it's not without it's risks. I think that to move forward as a society and to remove the ridiculous stigma around this plant, it's important to acknowledge that and exist in the realm of reality.