Thank You, Weed

When I was younger, I only dabbled in pot a couple of times. It was an enjoyable experience, but the shady methods that we had to use in order to obtain as well as use it really wasn't worth it to me. But back then, life was perfect, there was relatively no stress, each new day seemed to bring new experiences and acquaintances, etc. There was really no need to "escape".

I've been in my profession for something close to 5-6 years. My first job involved a lot of travel, which kept my mind busy and curiosity high. I had still yet to smoke weed, but drank socially . But then I took a job in a corporate environment, which involved mind-numbing repetition, deadlines, stress, and sitting in a cubicle without sight of another human being for hours on end. Those who I did encounter were practically non-expressive robots. I think such stress, anxiety, and isolation did a number on my body, and it ached throughout its entirety and blood pressure was sky-high at day's end.

Alcohol was easy enough to obtain, and seemed to calm my nerves and numb my brain, as well as putting myself in a more "social", gleeful frame of mind. Once or twice a week was manageable enough, but I got to a point where I was drinking half a fifth of bourbon every other day (at my current age, hangovers from such an indulgence are brutal). I always regretted it the next day and promised to stop, but when the night rolled around, out came the vice grips on my spirits and seemingly every muscle on my body. I could tough it out each day, but I preferred the easier solution of drinking, which was almost worth the hangovers.

I recently moved closer to my family, and have a brother who is basically always stoned. I felt like my body couldn't take a beating from the drinking anymore, so through his sources, I bought enough to give it a test run for a week. Long story short, it was one of the best decisions I had ever made. The aching throughout my entire body disappeared, and instead of my mind simply being disengaged, it was being utilized in ways that it wouldn't be at a typical day at the office. Also, I'm seeing a big difference in my physical appearance, namely my skin and the bags underneath my eyes.

I am a bit of a solitary person, and don't typically like to lounge around, but I was basically forced to with the amount of exhaustion I was experiencing, and the alcohol didn't help. Being high took away the physical (and likely mental) restraints, as well as giving me inspiration to be active. I am also a musician, and haven't been inspired in years, but song ideas were coming to me nonstop, and I was feeling more connected with the material that I was writing. I recorded a lot of them and did the "sober test", and they passed with flying colors. This was likely the most thrilling part about discovering weed-it seemed to bring back much of what I lost while becoming a corporate zombie. Also, no hangovers. If anything, I felt better the next day due to the relaxation and sleep aid that weed provides.

The only downside is that my desire to socialize seems to take a big hit- though social activities like listening to music, watching movies, videos, playing games, etc. seem to be taken to a new level (Weed+ Projector=Unbelievable Time). It's a great thing to do while taking an easy night with friends, which is more my style than going hard. A very surprising upside is that it is a natural appetite-suppressant, which goes against the logic of many who claim to get the munchies. If it didn't make food taste so great, I could probably lose a lot of weight by smoking.

I work in a conservative area (though pot is basically decriminalized), and work with a lot of older, religious types. Nobody would ever take me for being a "pothead", and it is clear now that all of the negative connotations are derived from many of the aimless, lazy types who just happen to smoke weed, instead of the actual effect that it has on your body.

The fact that Marijuana is illegal (despite the obvious fact that "medical" is used in front of it) and alcohol is not is asinine. Alcohol takes away the voice inside your head that tells you not to partake in certain things, as well as being a "downer", and it takes a huge toll on your body. I believe Marijuana enhances this voice, as well as your enjoyment of life, is fairly tame, and many domestic violence and accidental deaths could be prevented if the government pulled their heads out of their a**es.

I'm using marijuana as a "gateway" back to being sober, and it has worked. I'm no longer too tired or hungover to make it to the gym, and my caffeine intake (another drug which is more harmful than weed, IMO) has seemed to decrease, as well as my stress levels. I'm looking forward to getting myself back to the time in which I thought that life was too great to be inebriated. However, I'll always be thankful that I discovered this magical plant, and still plan on lighting it up for inspiration or a worry-free escape. Hopefully, legally.