Cannadid Qs: Conservatives, Christians, & Cannabinoids!
Here at Cannabis Magazine we’ve been getting some great questions about everyday issues and uncertainties that people encounter with cannabis. We are all learning. Heck, even researchers don’t have it all figured out. So, we have decided to share our insights and show you how to navigate these confusing conundrums so you can make informed decisions!
Here are a couple of the Cannadid Questions that Cannabis Magaine readers had for us this week:
Cannadid Question #1
Hey Cannabis Magazine,
My younger brother has social anxiety and I think he could really benefit from using medicinal marijuana. But my parents… they’re pretty conservative. I know I can convince them to let him try it if I have some solid facts, but I’m not sure about how to approach them. Any advice?
–Concerned Sibling
Hey Concerned Sibling,
It can be frustrating to understand why cannabis is met with such opposition from conservatives. However, to understand why your parents believe cannabis can be dangerous, you have to understand the history of misinformation they’ve been fed.
Most people would point to the war on drugs as a cause for our current issues – but it’s actually buried much deeper in our history.
In 1970, the Controlled Substances Act was passed. This act listed substances like heroin, LSD, and cannabis as dangerous drugs with no accepted medical use. They were also said to be highly addictive.Today we know that cannabis isn’t anything like heroin, but that can’t be said for the people of the 70’s.
The first anti-drug laws were targeted at immigrants and minorities. People felt that many minorities were using drugs (that were common in their cultures) to take advantage of women and ‘ruin’ the youth.
Actually, a lot of the early drug laws were created because people thought that cannabis smokers were more prone to enter into mixed race relationships or engage in other socially deviant behavior. Go figure.
By the time the War on Drugs came about in the 1980’s America already had some *ahem* interesting perspectives on substance use, especially marijuana. Our leaders threw all of their resources at keeping cannabis out of America– at the rate of nearly $500 per second!
And as if that weren’t enough, they created a law saying that studies showing the benefits of cannabis couldn’t be published!
When you talk to your parents, start by talking to them about the history of cannabis in America. Ask them about their personal perspectives on cannabis – and be sure to ask for specific reasons as to why they feel the way they do.
When you’ve established that most of their evidence is entirely circumstantial or caused by misinformation, talk to them about how cannabis actually works in the human body. The endocannabinoid system is amazing – definitely something they should know about before making a final decision. You can find more information about what it’s capable of doing by reading our feature on Joe Dolce.
And if that isn’t enough to convince them?
Ask them why the government classifies cannabis as a dangerous, debilitating, and addicting drug, yet sends Irvin Rosenfeld 300 pre-rolled joints every month – something that started over 30 years ago! If my math is right (and it is) that puts the start date right around the climax of the war on drugs.
What a coincidence….
Best of luck to you and your brother!
All the highest,
Cannabis Magazine
Cannadid Question #2
Dear Cannabis Magazine,
Now that marijuana is getting legalized my church has dedicated sermons to talking about how weed is bad. A lot of it seems to just go in circles, so I’m wondering if it really is bad, or if they’re just misinformed?
What do you guys think?
–Uncertain Parishioner
Uncertain Parishioner,
Matters of religion are always sensitive. However, since the church’s argument against marijuana is founded in morality, it only makes sense to start there.
Specifically with Plato.
You see, although very few people realize it, much of the church’s philosophy is derived from Plato.
Plato turned to virtue when reflecting on ethics – and I recommend that you do the same. Followers of virtue ethics believe that the idea of ‘good’ is not dependent on our actions, but on the person that we are at heart.
Plato’s interpretation of this was that the ideal person (and therefore good person) was someone who had ‘arete’ – virtues that would help anyone become the ideal person over time. Plato spent much of his life trying to determine exactly what arete was. He spent years puzzling over virtues that led to an ideal individual versus virtues that were naturally part of becoming an ideal individual.
What’s important for you, is that Plato decided that arete was simply pure knowledge – though luck and wealth certainly helped!
Unfortunately, the church – like everyone else, was given inaccurate knowledge about cannabis for the majority of the 20th century. When you understand this, you can understand why the church has taken the stance that they have. They’re simply victims of misinformation, like many other citizens today.
If you want to confirm for yourself what many people have already discovered, delve into the information about cannabis we have readily available to us today! I think you’ll find that cannabis is something that can be used to improve the lives of both medical and creative users.
It’s time to embark on a search for true arete!
All the highest,
Cannabis Magazine
Cannadid Question #3
Hey Cannabis Magazine!
I smoke marijuana to help relieve pain from sports injuries and tired muscles. It really helps me relax and recuperate, but sometimes I get really paranoid when I smoke. Some of my friends have the same problem, so I know it’s not just me.
Do you know why this happens, and what I can do to prevent it?
–Tired Athlete
Tired Athlete,
It sounds like you might be suffering from too much THC consumption! This is actually a common occurrence and it happens to the best of us – just listen to what Quincy Taylor has to say about his experiences!
Your paranoia is likely caused by THC overstimulating the neural pathways in your brain. It works like this:
When THC enters your system, it attaches itself to neural receptors in your brain. Most of the receptors THC interacts with are located in the amygdala.
So what is the amygdala responsible for? Good question!
The amygdala is responsible for processing the brain’s emotions and creating responses like fear, stress, and – wait for it – paranoia.
When you get a lot of THC in your system, it can sometimes overexcite your amygdala – resulting in fear or paranoia.
So how do you fix it?
Simply cut back on your THC consumption. Go to your local dispensary and ask one of the budtenders to help you find a product with low THC and high CBD. You’ll still reap the benefits of cannabis’ healing powers, without having to deal with an uncomfortable high.
All the highest,
Cannabis Magazine
Thank you for your Candid questions this week! You are all AWESOME.
Submit your Cannadid Questions to our Cannabis Magazine Facebook page! Send us a message with Cannadid Questions at the top, or post on the page with the hash-tag #CannadidQuestion so we know to get it to the right team member. Check next week to see if we answer your Cannadid Question, here on cannabismagazine.com !
