The 4 of you are all making excellent points. It seems this thread has evolved from a legalization of MJ discussion to a worldwide movement resulting in changes to the very foundations that the world community (as individual entities but essentially on a global scale) is based upon. Pandemics, revolutions, plagues; these things have occurred in our world’s history, and ultimately an individual or small group has risen to lead the masses towards a perceived (or marketed) “greater good.” And from there, what started out as a movement for the masses has evolved (or should I say devolved) into efforts to control the populations based on the beliefs- or greed and self-serving agendas- of the few. The United States was started because those people, among many other things, got tired of supporting a political agenda that did not serve the needs of the people in the colonies. And where is the US today? No different from what they broke away from.
Information technology and the movement of information is having a major impact on the world. It has happened in our lifetime. But it still has a long way to go. Information will need to move instantaneously to have the effect that would be required to initiate great change. And it must get to everyone! Not hyperbole, opinion, or propaganda, but information. I think that is still a ways away.
The thought or belief that we are all essentially the same or have common innate beliefs is probably true, I don’t know. But we are all products of our environments and all of our environments have differences. Some people in this world believe that someone is different, sometimes inferior, to themselves simply because of the color of their skin or their religious belief or even the way they speak! As foreign and disgusting as that is to my sensibilities, those people believe it. It is an essential component of who they are. My brother recently changed religions, and is now so convinced that he has found the “right” belief, the rest of us are ignorant because we believe in something different. This is a rational, educated person- but he is right and we are wrong. Education. Baby steps. Information!
MJ has been lumped into the class of “Drugs”. And our population is and continues to be inundated, from a very early age, with the “truism” that “drugs” and “evil” are synonymous. Education, as has been said, is the key here in my opinion. Is MJ not evil, but cocaine and heroin are? Where is that line (the one that keeps getting moved)? Recreational use and medicinal use are two completely different arguments. That for medicinal purposes MJ is illegal is an abomination. For recreational use, as my use is, is a different issue. Am I hurting myself by using it, I’m not sure, probably, but then what doesn’t hurt us on some level, but it helps me (or perhaps I just enjoy it) and therefore I continue to use it. That is my choice and I risk the consequences of my actions. Oh to enjoy that freedom!
Baby steps. We must educate, and be educated, about MJ and its risks so that we may make our own informed decisions. Ignorance is rampant on this issue, as many of you have stated. When that education gets to the masses, then there will be change.
As posted by Dadgumit:
“If we could get everyone who participated in this march to dress professionally (as if going on a job interview) and conduct themselves accordingly, we would visually debunk the myth that marijuana smokers are either: burnt out, haven't-bathed-in-a-week, long-haired freaky people or gang-banging, thug-life living, threats to society as we have been stereotyped. We need to conduct it more like a political convention rather than a "get together with fellow users" because that's what they think we do with all of our free time anyway!”
Count me in! Thank you all for your thoughts and posts. This thread alone shows that we, the evil users of MJ are actually an intelligent group, regular people, no different from anyone else. As Potus said: “Show the world that we aren't the villains that the establishment makes us out to be”. I am obviously not as well informed as some of you are, but thank you for the opportunity to voice my thoughts. This has been a great read.