Growing up all children are told “drugs, and especially marijuana” is bad. As children, one never gets to understand why they are given such caution especially when they do not know what drugs are and the effect they have on individuals and society. But rules are to be followed regardless. As one gets older, they are faced with the grave realities of what adults told them especially when they see the devastating effects drugs have on those who use them uncontrollably. The rude shock sets in when people everywhere seem to enjoy the use of drugs such as marijuana, others say they enjoy using it just like anyone would enjoy listening to good music, hiking, watching a favorite movie series. Then one wonders why it is not legal in the first place, if people are feeling good when they use it, after all if it makes people happy then it should not be illegal. It is for that reason that marijuana should be legalized especially for recreational purposes; especially when it is going to help people rediscover themselves and become creative, bring them closer to their peers and find a feel- good activity that will send their insulin levels high up the sky and make them test their limits.
Sometimes it takes a personal journey, never taken before for anyone to get to know themselves. Many are the times when society influences how people behave and interact with each other, there are rules to be followed and popular culture that is only acceptable and morally right. If anyone steps outside of the line then they will sure be outcasts. One of the things that have been made to look so bad is the use of marijuana for fun or recreational purposes. One wonders why it could be ideal to have a particular identity that has been curved by society and not a person. In one of the articles that talks about conformity to a particular way of life, the author creates an impression that society forms social structures that act as the reference point for what is acceptable or not. For instance, cutting one’s hair short and dying it pitch- black made the speaker an enemy (Graffin 1). When a person goes against the norm they are labeled outcasts. That can be equated to stepping out as homosexual in the 1950s. If there is one thing that marijuana will do is make a person step out of the ordinary and make them think differently.
The legalization of recreational marijuana can go a long way into bringing friends and peers together in a very creative and imaginative way. Smoking pot takes a person into a different reality, and when a group of people do it together, they get to think and speak freely with others. When smoking of marijuana is done in a group openly without fear of the law or feds; the people involved get to drop personal inhibitions and freely converse with their peers or fellow smokers. It is just like going to a religious retreat where attendants are told to fear no one, open their hearts and share their personal stories with others. It is like stepping into a confession box and tells the priest everything, even the most hidden secrets. In the essay Why We Crave Horror Movies, Stephen King says that people can do anything “when they believe no one is watching” (Rosa & Eschholz 461). Given a chance legalized recreational marijuana can make a sad event hilarious.
Recreational marijuana can be used as a tool for people to create the much needed ‘me’ time that everyone expected to have to soul- search. Marijuana is not only meant for patients but anyone who might need to get to rediscover themselves by boosting their creativity, become focused or even feel lazy and rest for a while. It is also wise to have someone energize their senses especially when someone feels de- motivated. For a long time, people have had to take coffee to energize and daring oneself to go for challenges just like watching a horror movie makes a person feel as though they can face anything including nightmares (Rosa & Eschholz 461). Legalized marijuana for recreational purposes can bring to the front, divergent ways of experiencing life.
The debate has been long, the challenges unending but one thing is for sure, legalizing marijuana for recreational reasons can go a long way into positively impacting people’s lives.. Users can have easy time to unwind and spend time making inner- dialogues that can be therapeutic. They can embark on a journey of self- discovery and dropping of the hard crusts that cushions people from becoming themselves under normal circumstances. Who knows, Americans might find a renewed sense of creativity, spirituality and even develop more centered perspectives on life. When Americans will be in a position of exhibiting their inner emotions freely because they have had a joint of pot, they will have achieved positive reinforcement because they will have began to understand one another.
Work Cited
Graffin, Gregg. Anarchy in the Tenth Grade: Bad Religion’s Greg Graffin Explains Why Being A Punk Made Him A Man As Published in Detail’s Magazine, July 1996. PDF File
Rosa, Alfred & Eschholz, Paul. “Why We Crave Horror Movies”. Models for Writers: Short Essays for Composition. 8/e. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martins, 2004. Print
