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As the legalization of cannabis has started to spread across the United States, the prohibitionists and their propagandists are grasping at straws while looking for novel ways to continue to demonize weed. They talk about "scary new trends" that are more than a century old (extracting the "weedy" goodness out of cannabis with a chemical process, for example). Not surprisingly, they lie or abuse misleading truths to try to justify their continued resistance to the process of legalization. In this new wave of falsehoods has come the ridiculous concept of "marijuana overdose." This lie is particularly insidious not only because it slanders the substance itself but, also, because it devalues the term, exploits the victims of real overdoses, and serves to distract attention away from the actual perpetrators of these real overdoses.
In the sake of fairness, it is worth mentioning that it is possible to get too high. Anyone who has eaten too many edibles or hit the dabs a little too hard knows this to be true. Being more stoned than you expected can be very uncomfortable or even frightening. This effect of a high dose cannabis experience has even led a few people to needless rush off to the hospital; only to discover that their treatment is to rest in a quiet room for a few little while. It may be unpleasant but this type of buzz is not an "overdose." To my mind, an overdose is an emergency situation and this definition does not fit with the reality of being too high. The word implies that there is a danger to the user. When one overdoses on a substance such as heroin or Tylenol, for example, he or she could potentially die if he or she does not receive real medical treatment. This is not the case with cannabis. Cannabis is one of the benign substances known to humanity in terms of lethality and there is no evidence that a user can conceivably consume enough to endanger his or her life.
The safety of cannabis is well known, even to the prohibitionists but they misuse the word "overdose" in an attempt to pulls at the heartstrings of a society that is currently struggling with a real overdose problem (caused by pharmaceutical drugs and heroin). Right now, people are experiencing from the effects of opioid overdoses. More than a few families have lost loved ones and this tactic of the prohibitionist is carefully designed to exploit their pain. It seeds the idea that cannabis is a dangerous drug in the public consciousness by targeting people who empathize with the victims of real overdoses. They are shown the suffering from opioid overdoses and that suffering is then falsely associated with cannabis. It is as though prohibitionists are saying something like the following: "Look at how bad these opioid overdoses are! By the way, cannabis causes overdoses." The propagandists, knowing that people are emotional creatures, hope to turn these well-intentioned individuals into blind soldiers for their war against cannabis. Simply put, they seek to weaponize the good will and empathy of the public.
There is a dark irony in this issue because some of the biggest driving factors in the opioid overdoses that are plaguing this country are the availability and potency of legal prescription pain killers. These drugs, that do actually kill some of their users, are produced by companies who donate very large sums of money to the anti-cannabis organizations that push contrived concepts like the "cannabis overdose". We can see that the "marijuana overdose" lie serves a duel purpose and that is not an accident. It generates fear around a harmless substance which benefits the prohibitionists and it diverts attention away from the real source of the overdose problem which benefits the pharmaceutical companies.
Fortunately, most people (including non-users) realize that the idea of a "cannabis overdose" is ridiculous and probably won't go off to fight the drug war but this falsehood has a second and, perhaps, more damaging effect. Specifically, the repeated misuse of the term "overdose" weakens the power the word holds. The abuse of this word makes the concept of overdosing seem less serious. People, who may not know any better (because of the lack of proper drug education), will be less likely to take proper safety precautions if they choose to try a drug that actually does carry the risk of overdose. One may think something like what follows: "I 'overdosed' on weed three times last week and everything worked out fine, so I can have as much heroin as I want" With cannabis, having a little more than you wanted may mean a night of feeling a little panicky. With heroin, having a little too much may mean that the user dies. Words have a specific meaning for a reason. We need words to have semi-solid sets of interpretations attached to them, otherwise language ceases to function. If we abuse words too harshly and too often, we lose the ability to communicate complex ideas. When the word "overdose" stops meaning "you might die" and starts meaning "I felt a little icky," people could literally lose their lives as a result.
Peace.
This was another installment of my continuing series of Drug War Stupidity posts. If you liked this post, please feel free to visit my page for more similar content.
Unless otherwise credited, all the images in this post were sourced from the free image website, unsplash.com.
Another great post man !! Hopefully through reading your posts and other peoples and doing their own research they will realize how the media is lying and anti-cannabis are just saying a load of BS, but with all the money Big Pharma are making on prescription drugs no wonder they're trying their best to make sure it has a bad image.
Truth.
Thank you. Things are getting better but they always try to come up with some new nonsense whenever people start catching on to the older lies.
Happy 420 =3
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drugs are injrius to health
I live in Japan. The government, media and schools continue to push the insanity that marijuana is a "toxic" substance. This is in a country where you can buy alcohol in vending machines and there are still TV commercials for whiskey and other "toxic" substances. These, though, are grossly promoted by the media as benign sources of relaxation and pleasure. Hell, the Japanese government still holds around 50% of the tobacco industry. They used to have a slogan (until just a few years ago): smoking clean. What the f_ck does that mean? Recently, though, there has been a lot of bad press about tobacco. As a result, the sales have been decreasing, which has created a growing e-cigarette market. But, or course, marijuana is still "toxic" and you can be incarcerated for decades if you are caught partaking of it. A perfect example of the Drug War Stupidity, eh?
Truth. It isn't much different here. They usually know better than to say that it is toxic but they come close. The big one that they like to use (which I haven't covered yet) is the gateway drug argument and in doing so they completely ignore the fact the first drug most people use is alcohol. Plus it's a slippery slope fallacy.
Yes, they do ignore alcohol, milk, or even air for that matter. It's all such bullshit and so anal. I'm amazed at how so obsessed some people are to regulate what an individual puts into his/her own body. Mind control by the media is bad enough, but control of our respiratory and digestive systems as well. Give me a friggin' break!
Truth. I actually argued that getting high is a human right in my most recent (steemitzombies) post for that reason.
Good points, thank you. The one you make on the way it seems overdosing seems less dangerous is solid; it only makes the step towards really addictive drugs (or medicine) seems more logical for cannabis users.
If they legalize weed, there will be hardly anyone in jail. Then what is the government gonna leech off of? Let us dismantle the government peacefully! Adam Kokesh 2020!!
drug war is fake war. The US government is the dealer to supply drugs to the masses. thats how basically every country government makes money. its simple economics. The fake media with fake news are just plain stupid thinking humans havent got brains. well to be honest most of the human sheep dont have brains. and no body overdoses on Cannabis
https://steemit.com/life/@banditqueen/how-to-un-fuck-your-self
Truth.
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A cogent summary of the issue. Well penned.
Thank you.
Wonderful post ..Best of luck friend ✫
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Thanks for covering this. As someone who has been caught up in the healthcare system over the past 7 years I know too well the power big pharma has over multiple facets of health treatment. For the first time, since I started taking meds, I am now weaning off of everything. And, boy it's rough. I can't count the number of docs who told me that I wouldn't develop dependence. Obviously, not the case.
Unsurprisingly, it is cannabis that encouraged me to wean off. Cannabis relieves pain and doesn't carry nearly as many side effects.
But, anyways, I'm sure I'll be intertwining some health-related stories in my blog.
I just watched a high quality short documentary series on Netflix called Dirty Money. I think you'd like it.
We're on the brink of a healthcare revolution. I'm not sure when it will gain traction, but it's inevitable. I just hope it comes sooner than later.
Thank you. I will have to check that out.
Yeah I think the medical effects of cannabis is one of the reasons that it is kept illegal. It is bad for these businesses and they don't to lose the income to it.
Things do seem to be getting better, at least. I think it will take 10 or 15 years but we will see full legalization.
Genius is a great post, so you countless
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waw good
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Oh man, there you go with another stellar post. And a timely one, right in alignment for tomorrow's holiday. Thanks for spreading the good word, brother. I'm upping and resteeming.
Thank you.
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Nice post. You can overdose but not from smoking it. Eating weed on the other hand is different. Just like using butane to make wax its not thc anymore. So the effects are different.
Eating weed mixed with the stomic acid change the reaction it has on to body.
So overdose is possible but I do agree its a way to be fud. And its how they will drive up the price you watch.
Godbless and heres a pic of my weed lip balm I makr. Im lazy and dont feel like typing MJ.
Haha. I never tried weed lip blam but I like the idea lol.
Indeed, It is not the drug that kills, the DOSE does.
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No problem and thank you for providing your service. I like the idea of a weed related resteem service.
Indeed, this write-up hits the nail on the head. Controlled usage is not fatal and abstinence is not immortality. well done and a well written piece @artisticscreech
Thank you and well said.
I love your school of thougt sir. Keep it up.
Thank you. I appreciate the compliment.
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