That's like deciding to never try beer after seeing some people getting blackout drunk. Of course, it's your choice and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that but still a weird argument to make. A lot of things when taken to the extreme can lead to very negative outcomes, not exactly a good reason to penalize (I know you're not suggesting that) or judge the people capable of moderation.
It's naive, not weird, which is to be expected by someone who never smoked.
I think, the observation isn't even far off in many situations, especially with youth (who smoke and drink for peer pressure, too). Because of illegalization, there was a substantial incentive to breed extremely potent cannabis genetics, grown in tightly controlled and optimized indoor operations. Or even worse: Weed cut with synthetic cannabinoids. Because you get more bang for your bug, and in particular more bang for trafficked mass (same reason fentanyl is everywhere). There is nothing chill about your typical street dope. For a first time user, chances are they will have a bad time. Too many people do one or two puffs and find themselves already way too "high". As of now, smoking is really only enjoyable, if you have some tolerance, in my opinion.
This will change now. We will see a huge variety of weed strains in people's hands. Not only because, obviously, people will exchange home grown produce (although still illegal), but also because medical cannabis access got a lot easier too now. Meaning you get clean, controlled, defined cannabis in pharmacies, if you find a doctor to $ign the prescription. There will be less pure flower, more leafy mixes, which I believe was common in the past. E.g. a high CBD, moderate/low THC breed will offer a much more enjoyable "on-boarding" experience, but it was nearly impossible to find on the illegal street market.
The culture around weed will change. It will get less intense, but more casual, more chill, more fun. OP will see more people smoking cannabis the same way people enjoy a glass of wine.
Out of all reasons to never try beer, this actually seems like a pretty good one? If my #1 reason would be seeing a drunk driver crash, then this would be a solid #2.
I'm not one to go moralize other people's use of substances, but it's also weird for me to read your take on it. Those are very common and good reasons for people not to try substances.
Most people are perfectly capable of consuming alcohol/weed in moderation without doing any major harm to people surrounding them or themselves.
One set smoke weed and then partake in creative, explorative, or otherwise effort filled pursuits. Generally I feel that weed has likely improved their lives.
The other set smoke weed and consume... consume tv, consume video games, consume food, consume music. These people seem to fall into a slump that weed seems to participate in keeping them in. Weed lowers the bar to enjoy yourself and thus raises the bar for other activities. If weed and video games feels good, then why call up friends and go bowling? It's not addictive, but it does have a kind of gravity because it's an activity that participates in the economy of potential activities. For these people weed entertains them, at the cost of them becoming a more boring person.
That said, I feel like I drifted between the two categories you describe. Sometimes I'd chill on the couch and do nothing but consume. Others I'd feel inspired to do something productive, like work on a side project, clean the house, go for a walk, or practice guitar.
Weed makes consumption more enjoyable, therefore you consume more than you'd consume without weed, at the opportunity cost of doing other things. Which in general makes you more boring.
I've been around stoner friends a lot (for most of them it was a phase in life which they got out of before ~30) - no matter how boring / interesting they were before / after weed, during their weed days they were more boring than during their non-weed years. Weed makes you content just sitting at home while otherwise you'd rather seek some excitement outside.
People might have other experiences than you lol! Maybe someone finds watching sitcoms stoned while knitting to be the most rewarding thing in the world? Maybe they think the things you're doing are boring? It's odd to judge what people find exciting in life.
Not because of the effects it has on the consumer, but because the effects it has on the producer.
It depends on where you are, but where I am - the UK - the producers are primarily enslaved. A fact that is rarely talked about.
Recently there was a big drug bust. The headlines all described how many dogs were freed - less than twenty. But deep in the articles behind euphemistic language you could read that one and a half thousand enslaved people were also freed.
In Germany, you always had a lot of "deutsche Hecke" (cannabis grown in Germany) on the market. Lots of small operations. While still illegal, it isn't unethical and certainly doesn't involve slaves...
While more or less impossible to have legal (non-medical) weed right this moment, I very much doubt cannabis grown outside Germany will be attractive much longer. Because it's ethically questionable, because it's been in someone's butt, because it's often cut with dangerous substances, because you can't trust its quality and because you don't want to get involved with street pushers. Technically, you will have a "black-market", but it won't be the ultra criminal gangsters running the show. It's gonna be a friend-of-a-friend who's growing more than they are allowed to, selling off the extra.
There will be a questionable market for "doctors" writing prescriptions for medical weed now. A situation you find in many countries already. That's just the parasitic business you get with still restrictive legislation. Many people will go this route. Not because it's cheaper, but because getting weed this way is trusted, convenient and reliable. Medical weed costs about the same as high quality weed on the street before legalization. Prices will go down, margins will be smaller.
While slave labour is cheap, at scale a combine harvester is even cheaper.
But it's not just the raw production cost that matters. If you add a 200% levy, then ofcourse you risk tipping the edge back over to the black market.
https://www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis_effects.shtm...
In very general terms, the world would be infinitely better off if people did not cast such wide nets on their assumptions.
Cannabis is a tool, if you misuse it, you can waste your entire life - but it's heaps better than sugar or alchol, especially if you avoid smoking it (which destroys your lungs). Edibles or vapes are much better.
If you use it well, it can be a good aid to relax and improve your quality of life - or maybe to endure a hard time in in your life.
If it wasn't a hassle to buy it, I'd definitely vape some instead of drinking beer to relax.
Maybe let's not get ahead of ourselves... sugar when consumed in moderation and with enough fiber/etc. is not really an issue. Also a lot depends on how you chose to consume cannabis if you're smoking it, it's no better than tobacco (besides that you're likely to do that way less frequently).
> Maybe let's not get ahead of ourselves... sugar when consumed in moderation and with enough fiber/etc. is not really an issue
Yes, but addictiveness is the issue. In my personal experience, light drugs have comparatively low addictiveness (compared to "drugs-non-drugs" like nicotine and alcohol), while sugar (/junk food) has a much higher one.
If I happen to consume more than usual, I find sugar (/junk food) really hard to cut, but not light drugs.
Keep in mind that a vast majority of Americans are overweight or obese. Under the addictiveness angle, one can say that the majority of the American population has an addiction, and it's to junk food, more than light drugs.
> Under the addictiveness angle, one can say that the majority of the American population has an addiction
That doesn't mean that junk food is inherently "addictive" and there are many other reasons for this.
Source: https://www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis_effects.shtm.... Do note that Erowid calls hallucinations "visuals".
TV and anti-drug campaigns really do a bad job in explaining what really happens to someone on drugs. This is why I specifically linked Erowid.
There's power-creep to consider. Modern weed isn't the weed of the 70s after all the cross-breeding. I've read about high schoolers acquiring cannibus-induced psychosis.
This reaction is not representative of the general effects of cannabis smoking.
Basing one's opinion heavily on one experience, viewed from the outside, is a demonstration of anchoring bias and egocentric bias respectively. Outside perspective cannot include what personal revelations or trauma processing is going on inside the head of the "apathetic" experiencer. It overlooks the diversity of experiences and potential reasons behind the observed behaviour, and is intellectually dishonest in avoiding the other cannabis consumption methods which points to a lack of depth in judgment.
Indeed, a person with a strongly held opinion based on an anecdote, wrought with textbook cognitive biases, is the kind of person who would deny themselves the opportunity to see their cognitive bases in action because of their snap judgment. Should we value judgments made by this kind of person? What kind of person should impose rules on others?
> I enjoy being in full control of my senses
Heh. I suspect you're a lot less in control than you think you are. It took me experiencing mushrooms and LSD to really open my eyes to the ridiculous amount of processing our minds do just outside of our awareness. I'm sure this could be explored without mind altering chemicals too, but few do.
The only thing hallucinating in my place is neural language models that I do research on.
However, I do support the legalization of cannabis, as scientific evidence suggests that can reduce crime and reduce attractiveness of it as a kind of "forbidden fruit", and I think it'd be wrong to criminalize those people who were too curious for their own good. There also seem well-attested cases for medical use.