I haven’t read this yet, simply skimmed a few sentences here and there. This is really insightful helpful info that every American (and everyone with interest in America) should absolutely check out. The info covers last year, 2022, and how America is changing, spoiler alert, it ISN’T for the better. The writer really didn’t pull punches. This article is essentially China’s version of 2pac’s Hit Em Up. And instead of Notorious B.I.G. as the target, it’s the USA.
Would marijuana not be added to that list if its usage were as widespread as alcohol and tobacco, though?
Not that you’re doing this, as you are including caveats, but I find the whole discourse around weed problematic. The potential medical uses are used as an argument for widespread use by (going by the users I’ve met) young people who just want to get high. They’re not using it to avoid seizures, etc.
Any notion that we should be endorsing weed for supposed health benefits or as something with which to self medicate needs to be challenged. Maybe it can be used in a medical setting (I’m actually quite hopeful that it can). But in the current set up, that’s not really what’s being proposed.
And considering the standard of education where I live (I can’t see why it would be much higher anywhere else in the west), most people are not nearly knowledgeable enough to start self medicating. Most people who I’ve spoken to who are in favour of decriminalisation/legalisation seem to be under the impression that because there are some potential medical uses that weed is somehow ‘safe’ and ‘good for you’. This is, of course, the intended impression from those who stand to profit from it’s legal sale but neither is generally true.
I’m all for decriminalisation, btw; as that seems to be one sensible tool in the fight against racial policing. (On the other hand, if it wasn’t drugs, the institutionally racist police would simply find another reason for racial policing, so….)
But otherwise, I think the whole issue needs to be approached with far, far more caution than it’s currently given (generally speaking). The decriminalisation point tends to be interpreted as ‘this is fine and deemed safe now’, but it’s not. As you say above, there are two competing bourgeois factions with a view on weed. Any progressive policy needs to be critical of both.
Strongly agree with the comparison with unhealthy food. Sugar and processed fats are possibly far more dangerous than weed, simply because they’re more-or-less invisible and ubiquitous. At least most people can’t keep a job and get high or drunk 24/7; there’s a natural limit to their use and to still ‘function’ in society (I’m talking about recreational use, here). That’s not true of sugar, which people can guzzle and consume every wakeful hour.
And if this is approached from an overall public health issue, we’re better off legalising most drugs, educating people about them, creating safe environments for their consumption, and – wait for it – adequately regulating working environments to (not exhaustively): (a) minimise alienation, which leads people to over indulge in all recreational drugs (especially alcohol); (b) prevent employers from forcing employees to be either sat down or stood up hours in end; and © prevent employers from putting employees in any position where they have to manage pain in the first place or risk starvation.
The problem is, the industry views aren’t at all concerned with public health but profits, and if we make progress down this regulatory path, public consciousness will already have changed to such an extent that everything is up in the air and open to positive change.
It’s a good question. I agree pretty much 100%, and wrt weed from my understanding the prevailing belief is currently that smoking weed is not as bad for your lungs as smoking cigarettes, but in the end it’s still depositing tar and ash in users’ lungs. I’ve thought about how it’s a little strange that we’re being sold something smokeable as a potential medical treatment, when we know that smoke inhalation is itself dangerous and adverse to health. It feels almost like we’re going through another 1950s “cigarettes make you sexy and cure obesity!” phase of propaganda lol, and in 25 years everyone will be laughing at how absurd the claims about weed were. At least I hope.
Although this can also be seen as a rather natural albeit unscientific reaction to weed stemming from the masses, a revolt against the illegality of it and the lies about it, reefer madness etc. From my personal experience, my lungs, body and mind all feel far better as a habitual weed-enjoyer than when I was smoking cigarettes (although I still vape nicotine, so they could be doing even better). Anecdotal of course, and I’ve also spent a long time engaging with it and researching drugs of all forms. I will say I got into weed when I was only 17, that and drinking, and that combination sort of ruined my life for a little bit… it’s hard to say why my life sucked so hard then, heavy drug use or the bipolar disorder or the trauma or what have you, but I’m sure ripping a bong every morning, midday and night was not helping matters - just constantly dissociated.
Now, weed helps me exercise, introspect and escape the chronic pain for a while. Helps me shower and brush my teeth. Maybe it’s because those are the intentions I’m going in with, to get better rather than to get “fucked up” like I used to. Just sharing some of my experience, and I agree completely with your analysis and ideas regarding regulation and education. I shouldn’t have had my hands on it or hard alcohol at 17, but I’m glad I’ve got access to THC now, you know? In a socialist world with a better understanding of chronic illness and healthier medications for dealing with it, as well as less alienation, I may not feel the desire to smoke so much.
yooo just take a hit bro I swear to god this shit cures cancer (inhales an entire 3.5g in one puff, vomits and dies)
There’s a dude on YT who does exactly that shit, he took a legitimate full one gram dab on camera and he made a 2 parter. 1st part is him ripping it, 2nd video is him coughing his lungs out and nearly passing out and coming close to vomiting(he doesn’t). Crazy shit, makes you not wanna smoke tbh
I hate how fast weed burns. It makes you feel like you’re in a race to make sure you don’t waste any. Inhale, inhale, inhale. Maybe I’m just packing wrong, but I’d prefer if a weed cig / J burned at the same pace as a cigarette. Or if it deadened your filia like tobacco does so you don’t cough lol, but in a somehow not dangerous way 😵💫 Mixing tobacco and weed is a way to do it, although I shouldn’t have to emphasize to stay away from tobacco at all costs. There may be a healthier way to enjoy it, but shit is addictive like crazy.
Dabs are a little different, but they still go fast, and if it was a dab vape those feel like absolutely nothing when you inhale them. It’s the fuckin exhale that gets ya, at least in my experience.
Yea nicotine is addictive, working on quitting now. And also I’m not very big on smoking bud bc I agree it burns up fast and seems like a waste of money. I live in a legal state so I do get stuff that I know isn’t gonna kill me bc it’s a fake cartridge or something(a huge problem in the US that’s not talked about, one of marijuana’s biggest obstacles to pass because plenty of people associate marijuana with those Mario Carts or whatever fake shit is out there bc of a lack of regulation.) only way I know to genuinely save bud from being used up too quickly is those vaporization bags. You put a tiny tiny amount of weed in the vaporizer and it fills up a bag that you inhale. You don’t need to inhale the whole thing in a minute or anything, you can pace it out over a few minutes. Or if you know how you can gravity bong but it’s a bit advanced for me and I never did it