Stop the hypocrisy, legalize marijuana!

By Luis Buenaflor Jr

JUST RECENTLY Canada legalized the recreational and medicinal use of marijuana which just shows that not everything coming from that country is garbage.

Let me just remind you that in 2013 Canada shipped 50 container vans of household garbage and hazardous waste to the Philippines and as of today these vans are still at the Manila International Container Port, rotting of course.

No amount of selfies from Canada’s Prime Minister Justine Trudeau eating Jollibee “Chicken Joy” solved the problem as Canada refused to take the garbage back. Anyway that’s another story.

For a seemingly “wholesome” country like Canada to suddenly surprise the world by legalizing not only the medical but recreational use of marijuana is something worth commending.

Meanwhile in the Philippines, we have heavily armed policemen cutting and burning marijuana plants which begs this question: why are the plants also armed and dangerous? For God’s sake it’s just a plant.

Of course, moi is one of the people that support the advocacy of “medical marijuana and recreational marijuana.” Yup, you got it right. I am for the legalization of marijuana for both medical and recreational purposes. Or simply put, people should have the right if they choose to get “high” or take marijuana instead of Biogesic without fear of being arrested.

Am I offending your sensibilities? If so, then you are a hypocrite. Everyday millions of people get drunk or smoke cigarettes legally, how come you’re not offended or angry?

It is a fact that alcohol and cigarettes can kill you. Millions of people have already died from drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco while it is also a fact that nobody died from smoking marijuana.

Here are some straight hard facts to ponder upon:
According to www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/:

Cigarette smoking is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths per year in the United States, including nearly 42,000 deaths resulting from second-hand smoke exposure. This is about one in five deaths annually, or 1,300 deaths every day. On average, smokers die 10 years earlier than non-smokers.

And herb.co says:
How many people have died overdosing on marijuana? The short answer is Zero.

Unsurprisingly to marijuana lovers around the world, there has yet to be a single reported death linked to cannabis overdose. In fact, you would have to consume 20,000 to 40,000 times your average dose in order for marijuana to kill you. That would be about 1,500 pounds of marijuana in 15 minutes.

That’s not to say that taking 40,000 hits is the sole way to risk death while under the influence of marijuana. Smoking 800 joints in one sitting would put you at risk of dying from carbon monoxide poisoning. But, that isn’t exactly the plant’s fault, is it?

Yes, marijuana is a plant; it’s not a drug which makes one wonder who was that idiot who classified it as a dangerous drug!

As a plant marijuana is no different from your alogbate or talong; you can eat them. But you just can’t smoke alogbate although some people have been smoking talong (but that’s an entirely different story).

According to www.njweedman.com:
Marijuana refers to dried flowers and leaves of some strains of the cannabis hemp plant, which contains various quantities of the non-narcotic chemical THC (tetrahydrocannibinol) in various quantities. When smoked or eaten, it produces the feeling of being “high”, which lasts a few hours. 

Different strains of this herb produce their own sensual effects, ranging from sedative to stimulant.

Marijuana is not addictive. Most users are moderate consumers who only smoke it socially occasionally to relax. We now know that 10 percent of our population have “addiction personalities” and they are no more nor less likely to abuse cannabis than anything else. On a relative scale, marijuana is less habit-forming than either sugar or chocolate. Sociologists report a general pattern of marijuana usage that peaks in the early adult years, followed by a period of levelling off, and finally a gradual reduction in use.

Marijuana does not cause violence. The only crime most marijuana users commit is using marijuana. 
The US Shafer Commission report was the most comprehensive study ever undertaken on the subject. 

It found that marijuana smokers “tend to be under represented” in violence and in crime, especially when compared to users of alcohol, amphetamines and barbiturates. “The simple fact is that marijuana does not change your basic personality.” The American federal government reports that over 70 million Americans have smoked it … probably including some of the nicest people you know.”

And from a report on the WHO:
Marijuana compound is harmless and should be available, WHO says
A compound derived from marijuana has health benefits and should not be subject to government restrictions, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

“Recent evidence from animal and human studies shows that its use could have some therapeutic value for seizures due to epilepsy and related conditions and that it “is not likely to be abused or create dependence as for other cannabinoids,” it added. 

The global body’s Expert Committee on Drug Dependence specifically examined the potential risks and benefits cannabidiol (CBD), a compound that is found in cannabis plant.

It is distinct from Tetra Hydro Cannabinol (THC). Unlike THC, CBD does not have intoxicating effects — in other words, it does not produce a high.

Medical marijuana advocates point to that difference in arguing CBD should be available to patients who suffer from various ailments that include pain, anxiety and seizures.

The National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws wrote that “CBD lacks the consciousness-altering properties and abuse potential” of THC and argued there was evidence of “numerous medically beneficial properties” for people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, bipolar disorder and other conditions.

I sincerely hope that these facts presented will give you a better understanding of Marijuana other than the false myth created by totally ignorant and stupid politicians. So if you’ll “excuse me while I kiss the sky.”