Chapter 33 Help End This Scandal

Marijuana is one of the dangers in a free society, piggy-backing on the good-willed efforts of advocates for medical use and personal freedom. Surely the very basis of civilisation, the reason why the human species has advanced so far, is because we’re capable of communicating our knowledge and experiences, not only to each other but to future generations. Even parents find it necessary to guard their offspring from life’s pitfalls.

Cannabis corporations aren’t doing this in good faith, genuinely believing they help mankind, especially now as addiction to super strong weed is widely studied. Perhaps in its initial stages people genuinely believed that marijuana educated people on relaxation, but authorities know that’s a fallacy. No dispensary makes genuine claims about education. The only claims made are about the super high THC strains and new ingenious ways to get intoxicated.

The sheer hypocrisy is incredible: as a society we otherwise get uptight about school bullying and protection of developing brains. Compared with today’s weed, these problems are mere pimples. Numbers of those addicted climb to new heights each year, spending quality time zoning out instead of socializing, learning, or being productive, at the expense of their health, motivation, energy and time. It’s by far the biggest killer of ambition and drive, and hundreds of thousands of lives are stalled every year because they get hooked. Cannabis corporations don’t need to advertise in mainstream publications — they don’t need to, our biological urges lead us to the thresholds of their well stocked dispensaries, giving out free pre-rolls like the local drug dealer. Nowadays, the delivery services don’t even require users to leave home to buy.

How clever that marijuana companies have medical disclaimers and dosage info as the deterrent for underage users, though some don’t even bother to do that. Marijuana affects everyone at all ages. “We warned you of the danger, so it’s your choice,” is their attitude.

Why the phony standards? Why are heroin addicts seen as criminals, yet can register as addicts and get methadone and proper medical treatment to assist in getting off it? Just try registering as a marijuana addict - if you go to your doctor for help, they’ll either tell you: “Cut down on using, try moderation,” which you already know won’t work, or will prescribe medication to address your ‘depression’ or ‘anxiety’. Worse is the advice to replace it with alcohol or other drugs - seriously? Have they never heard of users who find weed better and do it behind their partner’s back? Some people just don’t understand.

Scare campaigns don’t help users to stop, they make it harder. All they do is frighten users, which makes them want to smoke even more. They also do not prevent teenagers from becoming hooked. Teenagers know that weed kills their motivation, but they also know that one joint won’t do it. Because the addiction is so prevalent, sooner or later the teenager - either through social pressures or curiosity - will try just one joint. Because weed has such high THC levels, it’s likely they’ll become hooked.

Why do we allow this scandal to go on? Why don’t governments come out with proper campaigns? Why aren’t we told that marijuana is an addictive drug and killer poison, that it doesn’t relax you or give you confidence, but destroys your motivation, taking just one puff to become hooked?

We can educate the younger generation. If they can step around cigarettes and alcohol when shopping, they can do the same with cannabis. We’re already seeing societal shifts such as people speaking openly about marijuana addiction and abstinence. The user doesn’t have the choice any more than the heroin addict does. Users don’t decide to become hooked, they’re lured into a subtle trap. If they had the choice, the only users tomorrow morning would be adolescents just starting out, believing they could stop at any time if they wanted to.

There is a wind of change in society regarding cannabis. A snowball has begun rolling down the hill and it’s hoped this book will help turn it into an avalanche. You too can help by spreading the message.

As such, to ask - if you see anyone struggling using willpower, or attempting to quit weed, kindly point them towards this method. However, the real task at hand is changing the narrative around marijuana in general. Please consider making a habit that if you see weed's normalization first-hand, you aim to respectfully educate and free them.

Occasionally, you might get a negative reaction, but sometimes a comment is all that's needed. As many have done before you, you can expect to receive messages from grateful people thanking you for their freedom.