Day 111: 420

Well, this could be one of those posts where I lose a few followers.  And a few followers is all I have...

So today is April 20th, or 4/20.  In Boulder, Colorado and a few other places across the country it's "420" which urban legend, wrongly, describes it as police code for marijuana.  Go ahead and Google it and you'll find a number of origins for the term but suffice to say it's currently recognized as a day to celebrate marijuana, weed, pot, maryjane, wacky weed, etc. 

I was hoping to head into Boulder today to take some pictures of sketchy looking Bob Marley wannabes but that never panned out.  I understand "the man" is cracking down this year so the cops and school officials are putting the kibosh on this smoke-fest.  Oh well, perhaps I'll just have to make another trip to Amsterdam.

I guess I just don't get what all the hubbub is about.  What's the stigma around pot?  You know what?  Pot is like that slutty girl you knew in high school and the only reason you knew she was a slut was because someone who knew someone who knew someone said she puts out.  Of course the only reason she got that reputation is because she wouldn't put out for her would-be boyfriend so he took it upon himself to tell the world she's a sexual freak.  Back in the day, pot was linked to Hispanics and blacks during a time when a very white nation was doing all it could to stem their expansion in white heavy communities so why not put the blame of our woes on pot and the people that use it.  Today the government still considers pot a "gateway drug", meaning, anyone that tries pot is very likely to move on to other harmful narcotics such as coke, meth, heroine or dark chocolate.  I've tried pot on several occasions and not once has it ever occurred to me that I should delve into coke, meth or whatever.  Honestly, pot just reaffirmed my desire for drinking more beer and wine.  It's just not for me but hey, to each his own. Pick your poison. 

So here's my take, and many of you have probably already heard this from me.  We've got alcohol, tobacco and hemp.  Two of the three are legal and are legislated out the ass.  The third carries the stigma of being the devil's veggie.  Have you ever seen the movie "Reefer Madness"?  It was made back in the 30's and the portrayal of pot smokers would be considered comical if it wasn't so tragic how it helped to create an image of pot smokers that is grotesquely inaccurate.  Apparently women who smoke pot become promiscuous (huh, I wish).  Men who smoke it become violent sociopaths.  I don't know about you but every person I've ever met that smokes pot is about as easy going as they come.  They're more likely to steal your last slice of pizza than raise a hostile finger.  If pot is illegal, then so is the use of tobacco and alcohol.  You just can't convince me that pot is so much worse than the other two.  Scientist have proven that cigs and booze are addictive and screw up your body in all kinds of wonderfully harmful and painful ways.  Not nearly as much can be said about pot.  I'm sure there are some negative side affects but none that are any more horrible than what 50 years of smoking or drinking can do to you.

Look, don't get me wrong, I can't stand stoners any more than I can stand drunks or folks that belch out nasty cigarette smoke in confined places.  They can all be disgusting in their own way.  But conversely,  I love having a few drinks with friends and many folks who I love and admire dearly are smokers.  It is what it is.  I don't judge and I hope they don't judge me. 

But it kills me that even though hemp has been proven to be a highly durable, cost-effective substance, more environmentally friendly then anything we have on the market today, it's considered illegal in this great nation or ours.  Our founding fathers grew the stuff, for crying out loud.  Hell, our founding fathers also made their own hooch.  So why the heavy?  We waste so much money on law enforcement, court actions and incarceration costs on people that grow or use pot when we should really be going after the criminals that hide out on Capital Hill. 

Look, I'm not a "told you so" kinda guy.  Just accept the fact that pot is just another adult stimulant that if properly regulated and taxed could be another source of revenue that the one tenth of one percent of our population could exploit to make themselves richer and the rest of us that much more resentful.  So come on, blaze one up for freedom!  

PS - And just so you know, I wrote this while nursing a nice glass of wine (actually two glasses).