the real mary-jane

okay....so i'm talking about weed, pot, marijuana....obviously.
mid 20's made leap from blue-collar home-town alcohol-based culture....to the wonderful artsy-fartsy world of the hippie arteest let loose in the big city....with a whole range of intoxicants and mood-altering drugs to explore and experiment with.
had first taste of booze at age 11, experienced first joint of marijuana 15 years later.
violence was personally an integral reality during those alcohol years.
almost all social/familial cues and messages suggested that drinking liquor and violent behaviours were virtually socially acceptable....if not romantic and desirable characteristics.

then came the initiation into the new age.
i was ripe for peace, love and let's get high.
and miracle of miracles, came the awareness that potheads didn't want to fight....most especially, this pothead didn't want to fight while under the influence of weed.
problem solved....what a revelation !
the solution was perfect....just switch recreational drug of choice from booze to pot !!!
so simple, so elegant, so cost efficient...it was amazing....how had i not discovered this sooner ?
of course there was no way of foreseeing the psychological, social, mental, emotional and spiritual consequences to come some decades later.
after all, these were soft drugs, recreational drugs, it's safe to say that most in the circles i associated with were just like me....in for the full-meal deal.
smoking up and exploring "outside the box" perceptual experiences was a common intention with marijuana use.
speaking for this dude, it seemed nothing short of boldly going where straight people refused to go !



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