Legal Remedies - A Call To Action. | CLEAR

Legal Remedies - A Call To Action. | CLEAR

The winds of change – The changing attitudes and tolerance of cannabis.

I never thought when I first started smoking Cannabis, age 15, that it would be become such a great life passion for me and indeed such a huge part of my life.

A friend of mine had bought some “Red seal hash” and invited me for a smoke behind the local recreation ground, I’d actually been quite eager to try weed for a short while but never knew where to get any.

Within minutes of my first hit on the bong, I cracked up into sheer hysterics and wasn’t even sure why, all I knew was for the first time in my life it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders that I previously wasn’t even aware was ever there & this euphoric happiness filled my entire being .

From then I was surprised to find we never really had to go far to get hold of some, there was always someone who knew someone and maybe they knew another someone if required.

However as a naive teenager trying Cannabis for the first time, was I aware that one day I would be writing this article? Or campaigning for legalisation alongside other likeminded people, great people from all walks of life?  Trying to educate those who have little to no understanding of this wonderful plant, other than the propaganda they read, hear and watch every day, spat out by the vile mainstream media.

Of course not, and I still ponder how I found myself here.

One thing is for sure I have no regrets about it, I truly believe that it’s worth it, the scientific results of Cannabis’ worth is absolutely incredible, as a Wiccan I have always been taught to respect herbs and plants for their medical uses, and always knew Cannabis had incredible properties, but never in my wildest dreams could I have ever imagined, a potential cure for cancer, the Endo-cannabinoid system, CBD an anti psychotic?

It truly is awe inspiring.

The thing is there is no denying that more and more people are finally opening their eyes to the reality of cannabis and shaking off the old stereotype that is solely the domain of “wasters, hippies and junkies”.

Of course there are still plenty who will stick to these ideals while they tank themselves up on alcopops and spirits because it’s “socially acceptable” and of course (That old Chesnutt) Legal!

These people are however relics of a dying age, we know the war on drugs is a failure and every day more people are realising this fact.

At my cousins wedding recently, I sat and had an in depth conversation about the merits of Cannabis and its versatility with my great Aunt and Uncle, who I never thought in a million years would even want to talk about such a subject, needless to say I eventually felt confident enough to actually smoke a joint in front of them the pot smokers present including myself had previously been sneaking off to have a crafty spliff whenever we could) without complaint, or even so much as a disapproving look,  from anyone, which actually felt like quite an achievement a fact that when I look back at the conversation still amazes me that I could have ever learned so much.

Now I know you may be thinking “so what, you’re a grown man, you can do what you want”, the point is my family can be incredibly judgemental, not always the most supportive, daily mail readers yet nevertheless they took into account everything I told them, including the fact that I use it to help with back pain and to fend off my manic depression.

The fact of the matter is, they made an informed judgement on something an hour before they knew very little to nothing about, my point here is that a person on an individual basis, or even a small group will make an educated decision based on the information given to them and to hear a different viewpoint based on scientific understanding and a little subtle philosophy can go a long way to helping remove the stigma that has been spoon-fed to us by the government and the mainstream media for far too long.

Sure it’s not easy going, one person at a time, but for each person educated with a new perspective it’s another step forward in the right direction.

If there is one thing right now that I do find disappointing, it’s the amount of pot cannabis smokers I know, who will happily toke every joint you pass them but won’t rally towards the cause for fear of persecution, hiding the fact that they smoke pot from their families, co-workers, non-smoking friends etc. Some would say that I am somewhat blaze’ in my openness of my cannabis use, but the truth is I honestly don’t care.

How can someone supposedly love or respect you, then change their entire attitude towards you just because you have a different drug of choice to theirs.

Funnily enough, anytime that I do face inquisition from someone about my smoking cannabis, the first question I always ask them (as I’m sure many of you do) is; “Do you enjoy an alcoholic drink?”

This question can occasionally be surprising and anyone who says no, gets a thumbs up and a “good for you, you have no vices then?” unfortunately most people tend to let themselves down after this with a reply such as “well I do like a glass of wine or two with a meal” or “well I do go to the pub sometimes with my mates”, That’s isn’t being alcohol free then is it and let’s face it, we’ve see the damage that alcohol can cause and as I said to my family (a rip off from Katt Williams I’m afraid, but the point remains effective) better that I enjoy something that makes me, hungry, happy and sleepy if I have “too much” than something that can turn even the most civilised of people into complete thugs!

The point is, we only need to look at the changing attitudes of governments around the world and the ever increasing amount of positive scientific studies to realise that the winds of change are finally about to blow upon us, and personally I am glad to be a part, no matter how big or small that may be.

Many thanks to Nuff Said for allowing me to writ this for Ismoke magazine, and to Howard Marks, Peter Reynolds & Alun Buffry for being such an inspiration.

And of course you the great people who are making this change become a reality.

Peace, Wild Child