Yeah, it’s finally here! April 20th is back! Bust out the pipes, boys. It’s time to get hiiiiiiiiiiiiigh.
Excuse my sarcasm but I wanted to remind everyone that tomorrow, April 20th, is something of a national holiday for marijuana enthusiasts. I’m sure you all know that and probably know a few people who are quite excited for tomorrow. I know several people that will spend the 20th being completely, utterly blazed. I could care less. There are far worse ways to spend a day. Did you see those Tea Parties last week?
I’ll be honest: I’ve always been kind of torn about weed. I’m not a pot smoker but I know many, many people who are. I was born and raised in Humboldt County, California. To this day, when I mention my place of origin to people, I am asked how much weed I smoke or how good the pot is up there. I usually just smile, nod and say “Good. People say it’s the best.” And it’s true, people do say that Humboldt County creates unparalleled weed. I just never got into it.
Which is fine. People in Humboldt aren’t pushers. There are a lot of completely sober folks up there. At the same time, weed is a lot more prevalent there than it is here in L.A. There will be great clouds of smoke in Humboldt tomorrow. There are festivals and parties thrown in the parks. Cops watch from the sidelines and do very little. In fact, for one day, weed is more or less legalized.
I think marijuana should be legalized in America. While I may not be a smoker, I can see that it’s hardly a drug. As well, taxing and monitoring the commerce of weed would be beneficial to the country. Would it pull us out of the recession? No, but it surely wouldn’t hurt. I also buy into all those other reasons people list: it’s not addictive, it’s more seductive when illegal, it’s far better than smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol. Okay, fine, you got me. Legalize weed. I have no problem with that.
At the same time, the people getting really, really excited about tomorrow seem incredibly silly to me. They (and they are small in numbers. Most casual smokers could care less about the 20th) get so pumped up about tomorrow. “Yeah, it’s our day!” I heard an enthusiast say. Your day? What? I know smokers and let me tell you that the the last thing they need is a reason to smoke. They’ll smoke for literally any reason at all. ANY!
The typical pothead is a stereotype. I know many people who are functional, normal, presentable and still smoke weed. At the same time, I do know a lot of potheads. Red eyes, bobbing head, constantly smelling like dope. That’s fine, do what you want. At the same time, if they are truly fighting for the legalization of weed then they should get their acts together. If you want weed legalized, you’ll have to go head-to-head with Congress. Those guys don’t take too kindly to lazy ne’er-d-wells. And while you shouldn’t change who you are for others, that’s something to consider.
It’s going to be awhile before weed becomes legal. While I think it shouldn’t be against the law to smoke (just like smoking cigarettes), I don’t feel inspired to take up the fight and write my congressman. There are plenty of other causes to get fired up about, like legalizing same-sex marriage or outlawing babies in movie theaters.
But I hope people enjoy their day. I will be waking up late, watching Wilco’s live DVD and playing Ocarina of Time. Damn, I really do sound like a pothead sometimes.