When I was a kid, marijuana was illegal. Seemingly as illegal as cocaine and heroin.
I’ve never used marijuana in any form, but as a kid, it was the kind of thing you only did if you were willing to risk imprisonment.
The world is very different today. Recreational marijuana is legal in 24 US states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the US Virgin Islands.
Connecticut, where I live, and every state bordering Connecticut are included in those 24 states.
So I see it a lot. Dispensaries. Advertising. The use of marijuana in public.
Also signs like the one we saw in Queens last week:
Snacks
Bongs
Sandwiches
Smoothies
And More
Bongs.
The world sure has changed quickly.
It’s interesting to note that the dangers of smoking marijuana — similar to the risks of smoking tobacco — seem to be ignored entirely. Perhaps this is because people don’t smoke marijuana as often as someone addicted to nicotine, but increased risks of cancer, emphysema, and other airway and lung damage occur when smoking marijuana.
I’ve always felt that lighting something on fire and sticking the other end in your mouth is a stupid thing to do, regardless of the thing on fire, and it’s probably true.
Years ago, a successful author asked me to join him and his friends as they smoked cigars on his porch.
I passed. Smoking cigars also strikes me as stupid. Standing amid people smoking cigars also seems stupid. I’ve also found most cigar smokers to be the kind of people whom I don’t like, and they tend not to like me.
The author was annoyed with me for passing on his offer, which proved my point.
Not my kind of guy.
I’m happy people aren’t imprisoned for marijuana use anymore.
I support the decriminalization of marijuana.
I’m thrilled that it genuinely helps some people medicinally.
I still think recreational use — lighting something on fire and sticking the opposite end in your mouth — is kind of stupid.
