In man's search for God, there's no wrong path so long as it's filled with peace and honesty. We’ve allowed fear and misinformation about marijuana onto our paths, which have created obstacles and disrupted a peace and honesty that once existed between man and this particular part of nature. To commune with God is to use that which He has given and provided, to strive to understand the meaning of a connection that clearly exists in nature.
God created the heavens and the earth, man and beast, fish and fowl, tree and shrub, bush and plant. In short, He created everything on this planet, including the planet. Try as we may, and some do try, we cannot escape His creations. The natural world around us—including natural man—is all His handiwork.
Cannabis Sativa, commonly known as marijuana, has been in existence since the beginning. Ancient civilizations documented their understandings of this plant, its medicinal, nutritional, and spiritual uses, and its naturally-occurring plant cannabinoid, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.
Sadly, this ancient knowledge seems to be lost in most cultures today. In fact, in some countries around the world, possession of marijuana is punishable by death. In Oklahoma, in the United States of America, a person can be sentenced to life-in-prison for selling even small quantities!
So, what is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, and why is it important to this topic? Primarily, the reason it's important is because it's the gold in the pot at the end of the rainbow.
THC is the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana that causes a person who has ingested it to feel "high" or "stoned". It's the reason for the plant's immense popularity around the globe. Sure, there's a lot more to the marijuana culture than just the THC, but let's not fool ourselves about the appeal of marijuana any more than we would about the appeal of alcohol in a whisky sour.
But what is it about our bodies that allows—or causes—THC to have any affect whatsoever, let alone a desired effect for countless millions of recreational users of marijuana? It's actually no secret at all. Natural man is readily equipped with cannabinoid receptors. These receptors, known as CB1 and CB2, respond to the presence of cannabinoids.
Cannabinoids are chemical compounds naturally occurring in cannabis plants, or chemical compounds that simulate the naturally-occurring compound found in the cannabis plant. These chemical compounds inside the body include endocannabinoids, found in our nervous and immune systems.
It is these cannabinoids that activate the cannabinoid receptors, which in turn cause us to feel a certain way, and to experience certain occurrences and events throughout the duration of the influence of the THC on the cannabinoid receptors.
Anecdotal experiences range from the mildest of possible responses, 'I felt little to no change', to a more standard response of, 'I felt a little lightheaded, but relaxed, but my mouth was a little dry and I felt kind of sleepy', to experiences that include both auditory and visual hallucinations, often perceived by the individual as some form of spiritual experience or cathartic enlightenment.
I see no great mystery here. God made man with cannabinoid receptors, which is actually only the beginning of the interesting part, but He made us with them, nonetheless. He also made a plant, cannabis sativa, as a natural source of cannabinoids. It's hard to not at least think that some connection between the two would be reasonable, but here's the interesting bit in all this: He strategically placed these receptors in our bodies in two distinct, separate, and important locations: CB1 in our brains, and CB2 in our immune systems.
The human brain is, of course, the control and command center for every man, woman, and child on Earth. Every experience is logged there for future reference, and then dissected in any number of different ways to suit the end-user. Right, wrong, or somewhere in between, our individual experiences are our truths. Perception is reality for each of us thinking, breathing human beings.
In what is a grossly simple description of events, THC causes the CB1 receptors in the brain to relax their naturally-present inhibition suppressors. We loosen up a bit and start to relax.
We can't ignore the fact that the inhibition suppressors are naturally occurring, which means we're also meant to operate in that state of mind. Flip side of this same coin suggests that a relaxed state of mind, body, and spirit is also an appropriate state of mind when naturally achieved, hence the existence of naturally-occurring cannabiniods to tickle our cannabinoid receptors.
This is also why the most typical response from someone who's ingested THC is that they feel relaxed. They're a little less shy, a little more talkative, a bit more outgoing, etc. All to be expected since their baser, more real "self" has been allowed to shine through.
In the early days of America, hemp (a strain of cannabis sativa) was grown on nearly every farm. Millions and millions of acres of hemp dotted the landscape. It was the #1 cash crop in America, and its health benefits were renowned back in the day. Hemp seeds are still a natural source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, all of which our bodies put to good use.
When our various internal systems and organs are working in harmony, this is when we're at our healthiest. This is also when our immune system is at its strongest and most balanced. The CB2 receptors in our immune system respond to the presence of cannabinoids, often introduced through ingesting THC in a variety of different ways, including specially prepared foods and other edibles.
I consider it a given that God don't make no junk; that we have the bodies we have—and their component parts—for myriad reasons.
I also consider it a given that we don't yet understand the full potential of our minds and bodies, of our capabilities both physically and mentally.
I also consider it a given that until we set out to discover why God created natural man with CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors, and why God created cannabis sativa, a plant with the most plentiful source of the naturally-occurring plant cannabinoid, THC, we're doomed to continually misunderstand our existence.
God made the two complementary items for some reason, and I find it telling that all these many eons later, man and cannabis are both still part of the scene. With an open mind and a willing spirit, we may one day discover that man has always been appealing to marijuana, but we do know this today: Marijuana is quite appealing to man, and it's on a level that transcends mere altered states of being.
Many users of cannabis express their entire relationship with the plant—often from seed to final product to complete the life cycle—as spiritual, harmonious, even religious. Considering God created natural man and natural plant with complementary components, I don't find these self-described experiences as unreasonable.
As a nation we seem to be headed in the direction of re-legalizing cannabis in its many forms. Might not be tomorrow, but a scant few years from now is looking more and more probable with each passing day.
For those who currently use marijuana, and for those who will in the future, I see no downside in suggesting they strive to give reason and meaning to the relationship that surely exists between natural man and the natural plant, cannabis. Who knows? They might surprise humanity with the answers to some very important questions.
Copyright @ 2011 Lincoln Wilder
Monday, September 5, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Marijuana Prohibition: The True Gateway
For decades, even before this 40-year war on drugs began in 1971, prohibitionists have held fast to the mantra that marijuana is a gateway drug. What's never included with this proclamation is the caveat about how easy it is to obtain marijuana. Also missing is the honesty that comes with acknowledging that the prohibition on marijuana is the leading cause of marijuana being so readily available and accessible to teens and young children.
From 2002 through 2008, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Center for Health Statistics compiled reams of data gleaned from household interviews regarding drug use in this country. Their survey included only the civilian, non-institutionalized population. Their findings should surprise no one.
According to their research, 1% of children aged 12-13 have smoked marijuana. By age 15 these numbers leap to a numbing 5.7%. By age 17 that number more than doubles to 12.7%.
Still years away from being able to legally purchase alcohol, why have so many of our children tried marijuana? How do they know where or how to buy it, or even use it for that matter? The answer is simple: local drug dealers.
Operating illegally, some prefer the shadows while others deal in plain sight. These dealers of illicit drugs are in our schools, our churches, and our neighborhoods. Some are armed with handguns, while others are the high school class president. Some have local gang affiliations and some are the girls who babysit our children on Saturday nights. No matter their background, they all have something in common: They have no policy requiring them to ask your child for his or her identification. In these circles, cash is king, and the age of their buyer is irrelevant.
From the statistics cited above, it's easy to conclude that while our 12-year-olds might not know very much about marijuana or how to obtain it, by age 15 all bets are off. These statistics don't include any other drug use, which suggests that for many drug users, particularly the youngest among them, marijuana is the first drug tried. When a person chooses to try other drugs after using marijuana, what are we to make of the assertions of the prohibitionists that marijuana is a gateway drug?
On the surface it may feel like it's hard to offer up a sound and reasonable rebuttal. After all, for many it is true that the use of other drugs—casually or otherwise—started with one drug, marijuana. However, when we consider that marijuana has been illegal in the United States for the past 74 years, we're forced to consider the role prohibition plays in drug use among children and teens.
We've seen this scenario played out in the past. The 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act established alcohol prohibition in the United States that lasted that lasted 13 years—from 1920 to 1933. It was eventually repealed by the 21st Amendment. The prohibition, however, did nothing to quell the desire for alcohol, which led to organized criminals taking control of the then-illegal alcohol.
Like today's drug cartels, the crime syndicates that operated during prohibition made billions of dollars, killed people with impunity, and in many cities had politicians, judges, and police officers on their payroll. Alcohol was serious business for criminals then, and marijuana is serious business for criminals today.
Fast-forward to 2011 and there is no organized crime syndicates involved in the alcohol industry. Why should there be? A person of age today is free to make alcohol purchases from any number of outlets, many state sanctioned.
Ending federal restrictions on the cultivation, distribution, and use of marijuana in favor of letting each individual state make its own decisions about marijuana would have the same effect that ending the alcohol prohibition did, namely dismantling the criminal element.
It should be noted, however, that this is not the same as legalizing marijuana across the board. No state would be obliged to make any changes to its existing drug laws. However, those states that will inevitably choose to regulate and tax marijuana like alcohol will set into motion several positive changes for their state.
Gone will be the exorbitant profits enjoyed by drug dealers. These profits are used to purchase other drugs, weapons, and frequently human trafficking rings. Gone also will be the violence often associated with the drug cartels. When a product like marijuana can freely be purchased in any location licensed by the proper authorities, the black market necessarily dries up. Retailers will also seek proper identification when making sales to anyone even suspected of being underage, a policy not currently endorsed by drug dealers.
It's time to make real policy changes in America. It's time to seriously think about our children and admit that prohibition has created a violent, dangerous monster that preys on them. Ending the war on marijuana, and thereby crippling dangerous drug cartels and their armed street soldiers, is policy we can all support because it does protect our children.
From 2002 through 2008, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Center for Health Statistics compiled reams of data gleaned from household interviews regarding drug use in this country. Their survey included only the civilian, non-institutionalized population. Their findings should surprise no one.
According to their research, 1% of children aged 12-13 have smoked marijuana. By age 15 these numbers leap to a numbing 5.7%. By age 17 that number more than doubles to 12.7%.
Still years away from being able to legally purchase alcohol, why have so many of our children tried marijuana? How do they know where or how to buy it, or even use it for that matter? The answer is simple: local drug dealers.
Operating illegally, some prefer the shadows while others deal in plain sight. These dealers of illicit drugs are in our schools, our churches, and our neighborhoods. Some are armed with handguns, while others are the high school class president. Some have local gang affiliations and some are the girls who babysit our children on Saturday nights. No matter their background, they all have something in common: They have no policy requiring them to ask your child for his or her identification. In these circles, cash is king, and the age of their buyer is irrelevant.
From the statistics cited above, it's easy to conclude that while our 12-year-olds might not know very much about marijuana or how to obtain it, by age 15 all bets are off. These statistics don't include any other drug use, which suggests that for many drug users, particularly the youngest among them, marijuana is the first drug tried. When a person chooses to try other drugs after using marijuana, what are we to make of the assertions of the prohibitionists that marijuana is a gateway drug?
On the surface it may feel like it's hard to offer up a sound and reasonable rebuttal. After all, for many it is true that the use of other drugs—casually or otherwise—started with one drug, marijuana. However, when we consider that marijuana has been illegal in the United States for the past 74 years, we're forced to consider the role prohibition plays in drug use among children and teens.
We've seen this scenario played out in the past. The 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act established alcohol prohibition in the United States that lasted that lasted 13 years—from 1920 to 1933. It was eventually repealed by the 21st Amendment. The prohibition, however, did nothing to quell the desire for alcohol, which led to organized criminals taking control of the then-illegal alcohol.
Like today's drug cartels, the crime syndicates that operated during prohibition made billions of dollars, killed people with impunity, and in many cities had politicians, judges, and police officers on their payroll. Alcohol was serious business for criminals then, and marijuana is serious business for criminals today.
Fast-forward to 2011 and there is no organized crime syndicates involved in the alcohol industry. Why should there be? A person of age today is free to make alcohol purchases from any number of outlets, many state sanctioned.
Ending federal restrictions on the cultivation, distribution, and use of marijuana in favor of letting each individual state make its own decisions about marijuana would have the same effect that ending the alcohol prohibition did, namely dismantling the criminal element.
It should be noted, however, that this is not the same as legalizing marijuana across the board. No state would be obliged to make any changes to its existing drug laws. However, those states that will inevitably choose to regulate and tax marijuana like alcohol will set into motion several positive changes for their state.
Gone will be the exorbitant profits enjoyed by drug dealers. These profits are used to purchase other drugs, weapons, and frequently human trafficking rings. Gone also will be the violence often associated with the drug cartels. When a product like marijuana can freely be purchased in any location licensed by the proper authorities, the black market necessarily dries up. Retailers will also seek proper identification when making sales to anyone even suspected of being underage, a policy not currently endorsed by drug dealers.
It's time to make real policy changes in America. It's time to seriously think about our children and admit that prohibition has created a violent, dangerous monster that preys on them. Ending the war on marijuana, and thereby crippling dangerous drug cartels and their armed street soldiers, is policy we can all support because it does protect our children.
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