Depending on how old you are, you could have been fortunate enough to have parents from the Flower Child era. In that case, you probably don’t need to read this. For many other people who have dealt with the frustration of having your mom go ape-shit on you for finding your stash, or had to have “a talk” about why your car reeks, here are 10 ways to help your parents get with the times.
- Talk about recent cancer studies
Cancer treatment has been the backbone of the earliest federally-approved studies regarding medical marijuana use, and the research has exponentially increased as well as the potential results. At the very least this will shut down the Reefer Madness perspective.
- Legal for recreational or medical use in a majority of states
In many states, any 21 year-old can legally purchase a huge array of cannabis products (as I’m sure you know if you’re reading this); clearly this isn’t about to start a zombie apocalypse.
- Does not lead to violence, waking up in a drunk tank, or other embarrassing moments like alcohol
Virtually every risk associated with alcohol is obsolete when comparing its safety and health issues to weed use. Not only is it not harmful, it clearly IS helpful, especially for common ailments such as pain relief, insomnia, and irregular appetite symptoms.
- Hemp has many environmental uses
Just by supporting cannabis use, we’re all supporting hemp cultivation by default which can prevent a lot of current abuse to forests, oceans and rivers, and virtually any landscape that we’re currently exploiting for paper, plastic, and petroleum products.
- The FDA wants to remove it from the Controlled Substances Act
The FDA, who actually cares about our well-being, publicly announced that they do not want cannabis to be a controlled substance at all. The current opposition is the DEA and international treaties, but at least we have one highly influential government agency vouching for the legitimacy of recreational use.
- Obama openly admits to past use
Speaking of government, former president Barack Obama has talked about his liberal enjoyment during his younger years. If it’s fit for a president…we’ll be fine.
- It has uses for virtually every industry
From treating chronic pains and insomnia, to proving healthy food options like hemp seeds and hemp milk, to now being promoted in mainstream skincare products from huge companies like Sephora, there are so many ways that practically anyone can experience concrete benefits that derive from this special plant, and many of these perks can be separated from the psychoactive effects of THC. “Getting high” is truly the tip of the iceberg. It was just a matter of removing so many legal restrictions to see what else we could achieve.
So here are 7 strong starting points to talk to your parents or any other close relatives that still have a strong negative perspective on your choice to consume weed in any capacity. Many arguments against it simply don’t hold up anymore. Of course, everyone has a choice of what they want to support or not, and it’s not about forcing anyone to do what they don’t want, but it definitely sucks when someone passes judgment on you for something that isn’t harming anyone and is also gaining momentum on a huge cultural, economic, and legal shift in this country.