Back in the 50’s we were allowed to go down town from high school. I decided i was going to be a tough guy and bought a pack. I went out in the street and lit one up. A very tough kid two years younger than I was, walked up with a cigarette in his mouth and reached out, took the cigarette from my mouth and the pack from my shirt pocket, threw them on the ground and smashed them with his shoes. he said, “You are too young to smoke.” And, kept on puffing on his own cigarette.
I was angry at the time, but that was one of the biggest favors anyone ever did for me.
I never liked the odor of cigarettes at work. But, when they suddenly told people who were hired as smokers that they had to go out into -20 degree weather to smoke, I felt it wasn’t totally fair, either. Not that anyone cared what i thought.
In Criminal Justice class, I had to do a paper and chose to write on marijuana. At that time, in one of the Dakota’s possession of one marijuana cigarette got you life in prison. I thought that was not correct.
I did a lot of research trying to find the actual evidence that marijuana was harmful. I never did, as long as it wasn’t deliberately laced to try to addict you on the expensive stuff.
In 1895, the India Hemp Drug Commission, UK studied use of marijuana in India. The scientists concluded that it should not be made illegal because alcohol was much worse.
Some years later, La Guardia of NYC commissioned a similar study and they reached the same conclusion.
And, in the 70’s. Consumer Reports did a study and could find no evidence that Pure marijuana caused any great harm.
So, why it it illegal? After Prohibition was repealed certain companies who did not like the competition spent millions propagandizing the hazards and horrors of pot. Many years later, people still believe it.
The big problem is you buy it from crooks who do not hesitate to lace it with bad stuff.
Full disclosure: I have not ever used it, even without inhaling. I have no unmet needs to be solved with mind altering substances, including alcohol. But, we are destroying lives even as we preach that we can’t legislate morality.
Yet, because of pot laws, US citizens are at risk on our highways from forfeiture laws and stupid judges.