Food. Sex. Religion. Wine. Exercise. Sleep. Hobbies. Sunlight. Shopping.

All of these things have an effect on neurotransmitter levels in the brain, thereby affecting our moods and/or altering consciousness. In moderation, they can bring us joy, balance, and pleasure, but when used either too often or for the wrong reasons (escaping reality, fitting in with the crowd, etc.), they have the potential for harm and/or overuse.

I'm a firm believer in the saying, "Everyone has their drug," whether it's an illegal substance ingested for its physical effects is of little consequence. The same people who denounce marijuana often have other problems with excess and may be overweight as a result of overeating, be compulsive gamblers, use organized religion as a way to numb their pain and explain every single detail of their lives, thereby avoiding taking responsibility for their actions, or have unhealthy relationships with any number of substances or activities.

It's a lot like the question, "do guns kill people or do people kill people?" Is it marijuana that's causing a person's problems, or is it their RELATIONSHIP with marijuana that's out of whack? Seeing as how marijuana is neither physically addictive nor harmful/toxic to the body, this is a pertinent and fair question. In order to become dependent on a substance or activity, a person first has to have one or more of the following:

--an addictive personality
--a disrespect for the power that substance/activity has
--a disregard for its potential for abuse
--a lack of balance/ability for moderation in their lives

If it was a physically harmful substance like methamphetamine or a self-destructive behavior like cutting we were talking about here, you could say that the problem is the substance or the behavior and that "NO amount of it was beneficial and that ANY amount was harmful", but it's cannabis we're talking about here...a common weed that's been used since the beginning of time for any number of reasons--medicinal, creative, religious, nutritional, relaxational, and recreational.

Queen Elizabeth smoked marijuana for menstrual cramps. Bob Marley used it as a religious sacrament, a common practice in the Rastafarian lifestyle. Allen Ginsburg, Andy Warhol, Louis Armstrong, and countless other artists, literary geniuses, musicians, and cultural icons smoked marijuana. Present-day actors like Woody Harrelson and Susan Sarandon are advocates, as are comedians such as Dave Chapelle, George Carlin, Tommy Chong, and Chevy Chase. Even political leaders including Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, and George W. Bush admit to having tried marijuana. If itwas really the scourge on society that some are making it out to be, these people wouldn't have such hugely successful careers and millions of fans and supporters, let alone be able to think and function on a day-to-day basis.

Don't get me wrong--I'm not saying that because these "famous" people use or have used marijuana that someone else should do it, but I am saying that some of the most powerful, influential figures of our time have been avid pot smokers.

Cannabis used to be included in hundreds of over-the-counter and prescription medications prior to 1937 and routinely given to children with no brain-damaging effects. The Model T engine was designed to run on unrefined hempseed oil. The government actually released 2 films encouraging farmers to grow hemp for the war, one of which was entitled, "Hemp for Victory", in 1934. Hemp fiber was the main alternative to cotton for making clothes. It was only when high profile Black jazz musicians and Mexican immigrants began using marijuana for its mind-altering effects that legislators decided it was a problem. Do you have any idea of the role racism played in criminalizing marijuana? Commercials and films depicted Black men smoking marijuana and raping white women; it was used as an excuse for driving LEGAL Mexican immigrants out of the country. There was surveillance of prominent jazz musicians including Louis Armstrong and Cab Calloway by the Federal government and even an attempt to OUTLAW jazz music! Because many minorities used marijuana, it became an excuse to harass and demonize them in an already largely racist nation. A number of sensationalist films that blatantly lied about the effects of marijuana were released, including "Reefer Madness" and "Keep Off the Grass".

But why the big anti-marijuana campaign? Wouldn't a substance this insidious already be recognized as such by the American people?

No. In fact, during the early years of the attempt to outlaw pot, a majority of people saw it only as a common ditchweed that grew in every state in the U.S.

The point here isn't to argue or disrespect anyone's opinions, but to simply share a little bit about the history of marijuana and my views on the topic. I actually agree with the observation that many people become dull, lifeless zombies who spend too much money and time on marijuana. Like anything else in this world, it has the potential for abuse, and I've seen it firsthand. I respect everyone's right to make their own decisions as long as they're not hurting anyone else and feel that judging others for their beliefs would be contrary to my own. I also think the attitudes toward this subject are slowly shifting, and for that reason alone, it's an important issue that deserves discussion.