Public Perception of Marijuana: Then vs Now

A Then vs. Now look at the public perception of marijuana:

When Ralph W. Emerson went on to describe it as “a plant whose virtues have never been discovered”, marijuana was “nature’s worst mistake” and its use second only to blasphemy. The 1960s witnessed raging altercations on the use/abuse of weed between the cantankerous older generations and the subjugated yet unrelenting youngsters. Since addiction and ruin were the only results that seemed to be on the horizon, the oldies claimed victory. And naturally growing cannabis was audaciously deemed “illegal”.

Decades later, humanity once again is at crossroads. With the United States of America legalizing marijuana, the debating camps are active yet again. However, this time scientific research and their maneuver has added much weight to those backing marijuana. Though most nations continue with the ban they cannot but acknowledge its potential utilization.

What was earlier discarded as a source of youth distraction and a “thing of rave parties” has metamorphosed into a medicinal wonder. It is now a marijuana doctor’s delight given its ability to maintain pain, depression, Multiple Sclerosis, Bipolar Disease, treat migraines and melancholia, as a sleeping aid and even as herbal therapy. Medical science also seeks it a pharmaceutical substitution along with the legal steroids for chemotherapy and other similar painful treatments.

Naysayers contend that the potency of marijuana has increased from mere 0.2-4%in 1990s to more than 20% now. They are perhaps unaware that today’s cannabis undergoes lab testing and is subject to regulation. So while the potency of yesteryear’s pot may have been lower back then, arguably so was its safety.

Statistics show that there is a numerical increase in not just weed smokers but also patients warming up to its medicinal use. This paradigm shift in public perception of marijuana with more people in favor of legalization is because more than 50 percent of people think alcohol is more damaging to a person’s health than pot. Consequently, countries like the Netherlands are specifically growing marijuana seeds for medical use along with hybrid strains to serve the purpose.

State’s incapacity when it comes to uprooting underworld drug traffickers and failure in preventing psychological addiction among youngsters must not blanket the multitudinous advantages it can render. Also, a legal cover would add transparency to this shoddy sector since the government will be able to penetrate the long swathes of cross-border illegal supply chains that consumers have access to. States should consider avoiding severe minimum sentences for drug crimes that are not violent and should focus more on providing treatment rather than wasting time and energy on prosecuting drug users.

Coming to strains, black diamond strain the most conspicuous variant. A powerful cross between flavor-engineered Blackberry and Diamond OG, a hybrid derived from OG Kush, this strain delivers a sedative high that allows for mental lucidity, making it great for concentration and conversation. This plant is widely embraced not only because of its tranquilizing effect and stress releasing properties but also the irresistible flavor it renders and a fragrance that sends one in a trance. Provided one is cautious with dosage and remains hydrated, this strain has so much to offer.

Policymakers with a balanced viewpoint must evolve a strategy that neither propels our youth into a “permanent high” nor turns blind eye to a sufferer when there is a feasible remedy at hand. Capitalizing cautiously on marijuana would be prudence and necessarily so.

People can now obtain marijuana and it’s related products from various medical marijuana dispensaries or any online dispensary.