I might not be sitting downtown in a railway station (Boomers will get the reference to the lyrics of the song) but I definitely support being one toke over or even under the line.
Because, my friends, reefer is not at all as depicted in the famous old film, Reefer Madness. Not at all. The film attributes all sorts of bad things to smoking weed, from suicide and manslaughter to attempted rape and even descent into madness. Not the case. At all.
So let’s back up. We’re talking marijuana, here.
California’s recreational marijuana use law is scheduled to go into effect in January 2018. That is, if our new Fuhrer and his SS don’t take away states’ rights to legislate marijuana.
Now, I’m all for recreational use. Alcohol is legal; marijuana is pretty harmless for most people and should also be legal.
Oh, I know, very earnest weed opponents will tell me it’s a “gateway drug” because most serious drug addicts smoke pot first, and I’m going to respond that milk could be considered a gateway drug because those drug addicts drank milk first, before they were old enough to toke. And didn’t most of us experience our first altered state from alcohol? Should Prohibition be back in effect? So all that gateway stuff is just smokescreen bullshit, in my opinion, used by people who oppose the herb without understanding it. That’s what I think.
Where i have the most trouble, though, is with those who want to ban medical marijuana, whose key ingredient, THC, is a treatment proven effective against a host of ailments.
I mean, GOD FORBID that cancer patients should have a few laughs while they treat their chemo nausea. Or that people with muscle or nerve pain who find relief from a cannabis salve that doesn’t even give them a buzz have access to this effective treatment. Or that migraines go away. Yes, God forbid that the host of other well-documented, helpful cannabis treatments be legal.
No, “General” Sessions (a member of our Fuhrer’s SS) says that no good people smoke marijuana. Because I’m pretty sure he’s gotten his marijuana education from Reefer Madness.
The only reason my doctor prescribed me Ativan for insomnia is that she knows that I take very, very little and only when I really, really can’t get back to sleep. Medical marijuana, she says, takes too much paperwork. But Ativan is a highly addictive diazepam, like Valium. It is my VERY FAVORITE class of drug. I like it so much better than cannabis. But I know that it’s super-addictive. More addictive than anything else I’ve taken. How interesting that I first smoked pot almost 50 years ago and am still not addicted to it.
I am NOT advocating that addicts in recovery use medicinal marijuana, just as I wouldn’t advocate that alcoholics take a snort of brandy for their sore throat. I’ll leave that to them and their doctors. I’m talking about garden variety imbibers like me, who will never get addicted. Or couchlocked. Oh, you don’t know what that is? It’s getting so stoned you can’t move. All you can do is sit on the couch and watch stoner movies. I don’t like stoner movies, for one, and I am sound asleep soon after taking my medicine. Or very, very relaxed and soon to be asleep.
So I went to get my medical marijuana card. First, I saw a marijuana doctor, who made me fill out an extensive medical history and then (ahem) counseled me before signing my paperwork. I actually did list post-election stress syndrome, besides my other ailments. Yes, I did. But you’re not surprised, right? Papers in hand, I headed to the nearest dispensary to get my medicine.
A close friend whose name I will not mention is always up for adventure and accompanied me the whole way. In our dispensary, we met with a very helpful marijuana “pharmacist”. So to speak. I told him about my insomnia and he went through the difference between indica and sativa and then, my delivery options: the weed itself to smoke, vape cartridges and edibles that ranged from chocolate espresso beans to cookies. He explained how some strains had more of a heady high and others a body high.
I bought some old-school weed–indica–with the alluring name of Sunset Sherbet, some chocolate espresso beans and a vape cartridge in Blackberry Kush, which is even better for insomnia.
I’ll be honest. I haven’t gotten past the weed and its heady high. When I light up and the aroma hits my nose, I feel like I’m 18 and back in my college dorm at Syracuse University stringing love beads and making peace armbands. Of course then, I smoked for fun and not to get to sleep. And it was far weaker weed, too.
Others are enjoying the edible beans and they report a body high that takes about two hours to hit. Me, I like the heady feeling of being on the edge of sleep. And then actually GOING to sleep. Someone else i know has found relief for serious muscle pain after a fall by using a cannabis salve that has no buzz-worthy aspects. There’s also one for nerve pain.
So where am I going with this?
I think the people in charge (pardon me while I choke those words out with the image of the Fuhrer and his SS henchmen in mind) … the people in charge need to get an education: marijuana is medicine that works. These fools need to stop demonizing an herb that has had demonstrable benefits for many health conditions. Even Sanjay Gupta, M.D. is a proponent. See this piece about diseases the weed is effective against, HERE. Why would you deny people something so effective?
You’d deny it because you’re afraid people are having too good a time on this medicine. You’d deny it because you’re ignorant of the facts. Or just not interested in science.
As for me, well, I heard someone say they planned to stay stoned for the Fuhrer’s entire term. Sounds like a damn good idea to me.
So, what do you know about medical marijuana? And why not enjoy the song, HERE.
Just to clear this up: Weed is addictive. Betty Ford has an entire wing and 30, 60 and 90- day programs for weed addicts. They have one for smokers, too. DO NOT say that it isn’t addictive, because it is, Carol. BUT, I will qualify that with the fact that there are people who can drink alcohol sensibly–one glass with dinner; or a glass or two only on weekends. I was not one of those people. I am an addict of many things. I was born with an addictive personality– drugs, alcohol, food, and I imagine, weed– if I told myself it was now legal and OK, therefore to smoke on a regular basis. I know myself well enough at 62 years old. that I can’t go there. I am 16 years sober. I know myself. But MOST people do not.And weed, like alcohol and cigarettes and sleeping pills build up an tolerance in your body and eventually, you need a bit more as time and regular use march on. I am NOT talking about gateway here, because weed and cigarettes and alcohol and the like are there own end to there own means, so I agree with you on the gateway theory. It’s a misnomer. Drugs like the three I mentioned do change your brain chemicals no matter WHO you are, and it becomes if not an addictive vice, a habit( chocolate can do the same!) So please, users, USE with caution and monitor your use. BE smart about ANY regular substance use. Know yourself, and don’t be coy with the stories you concoct with your inner hippie.
I think Walker’s point is what I adhere to. It’s not the substance, it’s the person who has the condition. Like any substance, including food. Legal weed is an important tool in the medical arsenal and we can’t let the fact that some people get addicted color its status any more than we can let food be made illegal. Or anything, really. There are so-called “sex addicts” as well. We can’t make that illegal. Well, we could. But we won’t. Probably. Could happen, though.
I smoked pot during college–a lot. Gave it up with no issues when I got married and started graduate school and no damaging effects that I can see. My children weren’t born with horns and I seem to be pretty sane at age 62. Addictive? People who use alcohol, prescriptions or pot as a crutch have a problem–but it’s not that the drug is addictive, it’s that the person using them as become attached.Growing up with an alcoholic father I have seen and experienced that side of addiction, a generational thing. It’s not quite the same as deciding to get high every now and then or using some sort of pot to easy an illness.
Anyway; I’m all for marijuana as a medical treatment. When my husband was in a nursing home they gave him so sort of pot-derivative medicine to stimulate his appetite. Unfortunately I live in Virginia.
And…one toke over the line! YES.
There are well-documented and excellent medical reasons that doctors should be able to prescribe this stuff to treat some pretty serious stuff. It can work. I am a big supporter and don’t like all this demonization of what has helped so many cancer pts, for example
When my BFF was dying of ovarian cancer and her pain was getting intense we went medical marijuana sampling. She never found one that helped her but it gave her a few laughs and some fun times and we joked about it until the end.
You know how I feel about it. It’s keeping me from being addicted to pain medications for many years. My RA Dr. is finally onboard, but of course, I live in the South where EVERYTHING is a sin and we’re not allowed to take advantage of medical marijuana. I’m definitely staying stoned for the next four years.
There are tons of legitimate studies demonstrating the benefits of medical marijuana for a boatload of health issues. And there are strains of medical-grade weed cultivated specifically for symptom relief and not getting high (THC is the compound that gets you high, cannabidiol is the one that helps with medical problems, and med-grade pot is higher–so to speak–in the latter). Interestingly, baby boomers and seniors are the fastest-growing demographic of pot users today. Between our health issues and despair over the election results, is it any wonder? Great post, Carol.
I’ve never been a fan of pot. It makes me want to crawl under a chair and hide. I only tried it a few times. However, I don’t have a problem with it being legalized. Personally, I think it’s stinky. If others want to use it, that’s cool.
Meanwhile, here in the UK: Cannabis is not recognised as having any therapeutic value under the law in England & Wales- and you could be charged for possession & supply. The cannabis- based product Sativex was separated from cannabis rules in 2013 and can be legally prescribed and supplied but in very limited circumstances.
Opium,morphine and.herion all logerymthically more dangerous than THC and all are used commonly in pain management. The most significant gateway drug and.the drug found in someform for most murders is alcohol. What are we really afraid of?
I agree 100% with Ryder that this is not for my husband who has a highly addictive personality. He is drug free and sober 26-years.
My stepson who is fighting cancer and who is also sober (10 years) Chose not to use it during his treatment although I was okay with it and told him living and not being sick was more important now and we could deal with addiction later.
I think the criminalization of pot cost too much money, ruins too many lives and over crowds prisons. That said employers have every right to not want employees who smoke or drink too much and I wouldn’t want my surgeon or my pilot smoking while on break.
My best friend fought cancer for 18-months and was in agonizing pain the entire time.It wasn’t legal for her in NC but it did help her imensly with her nausea. It didn’t help her pain.
She probably had the wrong kind…
Medicinal needs to be legalitarian everywhere and recreational too.Some will be responsible and some won’t.
I would love to get high with you:)
Carol, My husband receives medical marijuana and once in a while, gives me a little toke on the vape. Very interesting and mild compared to the “actual” stuff out there. Sounds like I’m not the only one!
I am all for any kind of medical treatment that makes people feel better, and medical marijuana is no exception. Many types of prescription drugs can be abused or be addictive. They all need to be regulated and taken with a doctor’s guidance.
I won’t ever be a recreational user (too much addictive behaviour in my family history) but from a medicinal point of view I think it’s an excellent addition to the plethora of other drugs available to us. And some of those extra methods of “application” sound really tempting.
Hi Carol! I am SO glad to be living in California after the election! At least we passed the marijuana bill! I have done quite a bit of research on cannabis and I believe that it is less harmful than alcohol and MUCH less harmful than prescription drugs. Everything in moderation! ~Kathy
Nicotine and alcohol have been proven to be more of a gateway drug than cannabis.There have been more studies showing the benefits of cannabis, and a lot more people are coming out with their stories of how cannabis is helping them with their medical conditions. Great information, thanks for sharing!
I hope with more regulation of marijuana there will be better studies to support its use for various medical conditions. It has been difficult up to this point with the inconsistency of the substance itself. It has become legal in Maine now too and we have had medical marijuana for some time. It definitely helps many people, though I’m not a big fan of legalizing recreational use.
It wasn’t until recently on a trip to Washington that I gave it a go, lemme just say . . . I slept pain free for the first night in YEARS. I opted for the half thc, half cbd and it was amazing. Helped with pain, helped me sleep, it helped with my anxiety. Medicinally I am a huge proponent. I did try one with a higher thc level, not a fan. I wasn’t sure if I was just thinking or saying things I was thinking out loud ???? Aside from that, it helped me more than the narcotics my doc was giving me for pain and the meds I was taking to help me sleep.
A blog post for our times. Yes, now the song is in my head! The few times I smoked a joint as a young adult, I mostly coughed my head off for days, but got high enough to get the munchies. I tried a teensy bit of an edible recently and it just made me sick.
Yeah, I’ve never really brought into the gateway drug thing. & I do think that medicinal benefits for certain conditions seem pretty well established. Don’t see the issue. We use medicinal heroin for plenty of treatments. I think legalisation seems to have worked pretty well where it’s done, and I don’t particularly think that it is worse or more dangerous than alcohol. The one area where I do think there has been shown to be a strong adverse impact, and which needs to be kept in mind is the link to onset of certain mental illnesses and personality issues when used by young people. But plenty of things have age limitations, don’t they?
Here in Illinois, it is VERY hard to get a medical marijuana card. Surprise, surprise, right? That said, my mom has fibro and I keep pushing her to get a card, because that is one of the FEW things you can get it for. She’s yet to do so, even though I’ve tried explaining to her that you don’t have to “toke up” to find a way that works for you. Sigh…I’m sending her this article, maybe it’ll nudge her in the right direction.
I´m happy to know that cannabis is helping more and more people.
Should be legal eb¡verywhere so people can be free to decide if they want to use it, for medical benefits or just ludic.
Thanks for sharing!
I think cannabis legalization for medical purposes is fine because cannabis has tons of health benefits. Instead of NSAIDs
and opioids with adverse effects, the right dose of cannabis provides a great relief
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I might not be 
Where i have the most trouble, though, is with those who want to ban medical marijuana, whose key ingredient, THC, is a treatment proven effective against a host of ailments.
So I went to get my medical marijuana card. First, I saw a marijuana doctor, who made me fill out an extensive medical history and then (ahem) counseled me before signing my paperwork. I actually did list post-election stress syndrome, besides my other ailments. Yes, I did. But you’re not surprised, right? Papers in hand, I headed to the nearest dispensary to get my medicine.
I bought some old-school weed–indica–with the alluring name of Sunset Sherbet, some chocolate espresso beans and a vape cartridge in Blackberry Kush, which is even better for insomnia.
So where am I going with this?
Just to clear this up: Weed is addictive. Betty Ford has an entire wing and 30, 60 and 90- day programs for weed addicts. They have one for smokers, too. DO NOT say that it isn’t addictive, because it is, Carol. BUT, I will qualify that with the fact that there are people who can drink alcohol sensibly–one glass with dinner; or a glass or two only on weekends. I was not one of those people. I am an addict of many things. I was born with an addictive personality– drugs, alcohol, food, and I imagine, weed– if I told myself it was now legal and OK, therefore to smoke on a regular basis. I know myself well enough at 62 years old. that I can’t go there. I am 16 years sober. I know myself. But MOST people do not.And weed, like alcohol and cigarettes and sleeping pills build up an tolerance in your body and eventually, you need a bit more as time and regular use march on. I am NOT talking about gateway here, because weed and cigarettes and alcohol and the like are there own end to there own means, so I agree with you on the gateway theory. It’s a misnomer. Drugs like the three I mentioned do change your brain chemicals no matter WHO you are, and it becomes if not an addictive vice, a habit( chocolate can do the same!) So please, users, USE with caution and monitor your use. BE smart about ANY regular substance use. Know yourself, and don’t be coy with the stories you concoct with your inner hippie.
I think Walker’s point is what I adhere to. It’s not the substance, it’s the person who has the condition. Like any substance, including food. Legal weed is an important tool in the medical arsenal and we can’t let the fact that some people get addicted color its status any more than we can let food be made illegal. Or anything, really. There are so-called “sex addicts” as well. We can’t make that illegal. Well, we could. But we won’t. Probably. Could happen, though.
I smoked pot during college–a lot. Gave it up with no issues when I got married and started graduate school and no damaging effects that I can see. My children weren’t born with horns and I seem to be pretty sane at age 62. Addictive? People who use alcohol, prescriptions or pot as a crutch have a problem–but it’s not that the drug is addictive, it’s that the person using them as become attached.Growing up with an alcoholic father I have seen and experienced that side of addiction, a generational thing. It’s not quite the same as deciding to get high every now and then or using some sort of pot to easy an illness.
Anyway; I’m all for marijuana as a medical treatment. When my husband was in a nursing home they gave him so sort of pot-derivative medicine to stimulate his appetite. Unfortunately I live in Virginia.
And…one toke over the line! YES.
There are well-documented and excellent medical reasons that doctors should be able to prescribe this stuff to treat some pretty serious stuff. It can work. I am a big supporter and don’t like all this demonization of what has helped so many cancer pts, for example
I think staying stoned for the next 4 years is a great plan.
With you, girl. With you.
When my BFF was dying of ovarian cancer and her pain was getting intense we went medical marijuana sampling. She never found one that helped her but it gave her a few laughs and some fun times and we joked about it until the end.
Hmmm . . . liking the idea of that salve! Going to give that a try . . .
It’s been effective for my friend. Very effective. No buzz, either.
You know how I feel about it. It’s keeping me from being addicted to pain medications for many years. My RA Dr. is finally onboard, but of course, I live in the South where EVERYTHING is a sin and we’re not allowed to take advantage of medical marijuana. I’m definitely staying stoned for the next four years.
I think it should be legalized and regulated once and for all. In all states………not just some.
There are tons of legitimate studies demonstrating the benefits of medical marijuana for a boatload of health issues. And there are strains of medical-grade weed cultivated specifically for symptom relief and not getting high (THC is the compound that gets you high, cannabidiol is the one that helps with medical problems, and med-grade pot is higher–so to speak–in the latter). Interestingly, baby boomers and seniors are the fastest-growing demographic of pot users today. Between our health issues and despair over the election results, is it any wonder? Great post, Carol.
That should be for weathering the next four years of Hair Furor…Oy!
Herr Furor! Love it.
I’ve never been a fan of pot. It makes me want to crawl under a chair and hide. I only tried it a few times. However, I don’t have a problem with it being legalized. Personally, I think it’s stinky. If others want to use it, that’s cool.
What term? Is it really going to happen? Isn’t there a miracle on the horizon? If not, I’d best move to CO and stay stoned as well!
Meanwhile, here in the UK: Cannabis is not recognised as having any therapeutic value under the law in England & Wales- and you could be charged for possession & supply. The cannabis- based product Sativex was separated from cannabis rules in 2013 and can be legally prescribed and supplied but in very limited circumstances.
Wow. That’s awful.
Opium,morphine and.herion all logerymthically more dangerous than THC and all are used commonly in pain management. The most significant gateway drug and.the drug found in someform for most murders is alcohol. What are we really afraid of?
I agree 100% with Ryder that this is not for my husband who has a highly addictive personality. He is drug free and sober 26-years.
My stepson who is fighting cancer and who is also sober (10 years) Chose not to use it during his treatment although I was okay with it and told him living and not being sick was more important now and we could deal with addiction later.
I think the criminalization of pot cost too much money, ruins too many lives and over crowds prisons. That said employers have every right to not want employees who smoke or drink too much and I wouldn’t want my surgeon or my pilot smoking while on break.
My best friend fought cancer for 18-months and was in agonizing pain the entire time.It wasn’t legal for her in NC but it did help her imensly with her nausea. It didn’t help her pain.
She probably had the wrong kind…
Medicinal needs to be legalitarian everywhere and recreational too.Some will be responsible and some won’t.
I would love to get high with you:)
Carol, My husband receives medical marijuana and once in a while, gives me a little toke on the vape. Very interesting and mild compared to the “actual” stuff out there. Sounds like I’m not the only one!
I am all for any kind of medical treatment that makes people feel better, and medical marijuana is no exception. Many types of prescription drugs can be abused or be addictive. They all need to be regulated and taken with a doctor’s guidance.
I won’t ever be a recreational user (too much addictive behaviour in my family history) but from a medicinal point of view I think it’s an excellent addition to the plethora of other drugs available to us. And some of those extra methods of “application” sound really tempting.
Hi Carol! I am SO glad to be living in California after the election! At least we passed the marijuana bill! I have done quite a bit of research on cannabis and I believe that it is less harmful than alcohol and MUCH less harmful than prescription drugs. Everything in moderation! ~Kathy
Nicotine and alcohol have been proven to be more of a gateway drug than cannabis.There have been more studies showing the benefits of cannabis, and a lot more people are coming out with their stories of how cannabis is helping them with their medical conditions. Great information, thanks for sharing!
I hope with more regulation of marijuana there will be better studies to support its use for various medical conditions. It has been difficult up to this point with the inconsistency of the substance itself. It has become legal in Maine now too and we have had medical marijuana for some time. It definitely helps many people, though I’m not a big fan of legalizing recreational use.
It wasn’t until recently on a trip to Washington that I gave it a go, lemme just say . . . I slept pain free for the first night in YEARS. I opted for the half thc, half cbd and it was amazing. Helped with pain, helped me sleep, it helped with my anxiety. Medicinally I am a huge proponent. I did try one with a higher thc level, not a fan. I wasn’t sure if I was just thinking or saying things I was thinking out loud ???? Aside from that, it helped me more than the narcotics my doc was giving me for pain and the meds I was taking to help me sleep.
A blog post for our times. Yes, now the song is in my head! The few times I smoked a joint as a young adult, I mostly coughed my head off for days, but got high enough to get the munchies. I tried a teensy bit of an edible recently and it just made me sick.
Yeah, I’ve never really brought into the gateway drug thing. & I do think that medicinal benefits for certain conditions seem pretty well established. Don’t see the issue. We use medicinal heroin for plenty of treatments. I think legalisation seems to have worked pretty well where it’s done, and I don’t particularly think that it is worse or more dangerous than alcohol. The one area where I do think there has been shown to be a strong adverse impact, and which needs to be kept in mind is the link to onset of certain mental illnesses and personality issues when used by young people. But plenty of things have age limitations, don’t they?
I like how you comment on treating insomnia because that is one benefit that is not always mentioned when discussing the legalization of marijuana.
Here in Illinois, it is VERY hard to get a medical marijuana card. Surprise, surprise, right? That said, my mom has fibro and I keep pushing her to get a card, because that is one of the FEW things you can get it for. She’s yet to do so, even though I’ve tried explaining to her that you don’t have to “toke up” to find a way that works for you. Sigh…I’m sending her this article, maybe it’ll nudge her in the right direction.
I´m happy to know that cannabis is helping more and more people.
Should be legal eb¡verywhere so people can be free to decide if they want to use it, for medical benefits or just ludic.
Thanks for sharing!
I think cannabis legalization for medical purposes is fine because cannabis has tons of health benefits. Instead of NSAIDs
and opioids with adverse effects, the right dose of cannabis provides a great relief