The jolly green sweet leaf
I’ve lived among conservative bigots all my life. Men around me think that giving someone a good listen emasculates them while women … err … umm … err … I’d rather not go there? 
When I tell them I support the legalization of marijuana, they look at me askance. “What?”, they say, “you support legalization of drugs?” I say “No. Just marijuana.” Today, I would like to explain why I lend my support.
Marijuana is much safer than alcohol. While alcohol causes sever motor skill deficiency making one unable to drive, marijuana only slows these processes down. I’ve never known anyone to cause accidents after smoking marijuana. Withdrawal is one of the biggest reasons it is hard to stop drinking. Marijuana however, has no physical withdrawal symptoms. Alcohol tolerance increases substantially with abuse. While with marijuana, there is close to no difference between a pothead and first time smoker. It is very difficult for Alcoholics to put the bottle down for good. In case of marijuana only 1% of its users smoke regularly. Marijuana has almost no potential for physical addiction but can be psychologically addicting. Many marijuana users get used to the lifestyle and quitting the substance isn’t the problem.
In fact marijuana helps patients suffering from debilitating conditions live a normal life. It helps ease the nausea caused by chemotherapy in cancer patients. It increases appetite to help gain weight after recovery from long term illness or operative surgery.
And most importantly, no one has ever died from an overdose of marijuana. So tell me, bigots, why should it be illegal. Just because you’ve heard people saying that pot is bad for you? Just because of the social stigma attached to it? Just because the dumb Reps said that it’ll make you melt into the sofa? Bah, get a brain of your own. Sure THC is a major part of marijuana and it does give you acidity and may make you too relaxed in life. But then again, moderated use of marijuana is known to be perfectly safe.
Remember. A conservative is someone who is afraid that someone else maybe having more fun and that is why s/he goes around passing laws that make little sense.
Sure, all very good reasons for the legalization of marijuana (which I obviously support). But how about the most important reason of all. What business it is of the government what I choose to smoke sitting in my little balcony with my feet up on the railing? None.
FTR, I am also for the legalization of other [harder] drugs.
Arnold D'Souza
October 8, 2008 at 5:54 am
So finally someone has enough gumption to comment on this post. Thanks for the response, Arnold. And yes. Why should the government preach us on what we can and cannot do? I think even the recent smoking ban is despicable. Why can’t they contraband cigarettes instead of this half-ass ban on public smoking? Ramadoss will probably get his ass handed over to him by Chidambaram if he even utters 1 word to the effect of banning cigarettes.
Anup
October 9, 2008 at 12:18 am
Yes, the reason they can’t ban cigarettes altogether is, like you said, quite simple — the government loses crores of rupees in revenue. Apart from that, it would lead a massive black market and the (accompanied) evils that go along with that.
Speaking of Mr. Ramadoss, have you read this — http://tinyurl.com/3g7cla ? The bugger’s just got a thing up his ass! Ironically, this man is also probably the only minister in the country in favor of the decriminalization of homosexuality. Everything makes sense now!
Arnold D'Souza
October 13, 2008 at 9:55 am
Hahaha … so we’re probably going to be flung back to the 15th century in terms of economic prowess! Brilliant, Ramadoss … just brilliant …. NOT!
anupmankar
October 19, 2008 at 4:18 pm