i actually just caught it online. although there were many things that were i did not like how they were presented, i thought it was a decent show. of course, the way to NOT portray it is to discuss the positives without mentioning the negatives (even if they were refutable). i figure people wont take this show seriously if they say ganja is good for all these things, but its illegal - so whats wrong with human beings? people dont like to hear what they do not believe in (because they were raised to not believe something their whole life & its hard for them to admit that their beliefs are flawed).
so, i thought it was a good stepping stone. it seemed like the audience clapped more for the pro-ganja than the anti-ganja. in fact, some of the crowd that were anti-ganja were yelling & acting immature when some of the pro-ganja speakers were talking. that just shows how adamant the anti crowd is...they can hear reason over & over again, but it just doesnt matter. DOGMA is better for them...but i seriously didnt hear many good arguments for anti in this episode, and i hope that viewers that are undecided (unlike most of us here on FC) could at least weigh the both sides for themselves and realize that the benefits > costs.
about the psychiatrist (hot persian lady doctor) treating LA cardholders that are "addicts", i actually knew a person or 2 who claim that they are addicted in LA...they dont have self-control obviously, but they dont have physical withdrawal symptoms either. i hope i dont offend anyone by saying that i believe that they are "weak-minded" people who claim they are "addicted", but then again, i have never been addicted to anything in my life so i dont know the feeling (never even drink coffee or tea). sure, i have cravings for a good vape, pizza, ice cream, a night out with friends (drinking alcohol usually), watching TV, going to get fast food, SEX, etc...but i understand that they are cravings that i either choose to fulfill or ignore. i think a weak-minded person is one that gives into their cravings when they know that they shouldnt, while an addict is someone who physically NEEDS to fulfill their cravings. thats why i believe that addiction is a disease, not a choice.
i did not like how the anti-mmj doctor (chubby lady in red) kept stating that "a medicine should not be smoked" and that is why mmj should remain illegal. why did NOBODY bring up the other methods of delivery like EATING it, for instance? that would have shut her right up. yes, it is a plant that can be ingested in a variety of ways, and some people choose to smoke it...but its not the ONLY way that should be mentioned & its not the absolute safest way either. one time i was hanging out with this girl i met at the gym (at her house) and we had a few drinks, were talking, etc...somehow, she got the idea (i felt that she did it many times before) to take a pill of adderall, crush it up, & SNORT IT!!! first time i ever saw that happen. obviously adderall is a pill to be taken orally, but she CHOSE to powder it & inhale it through her nose yet this way is NEVER mentioned for adderall (or even taking some tylenol like this is never mentioned but im sure people have done it before). so different methods of delivery into the body are there for many things - its up to a person to choose to go against what a doctor recommends. do not hold the substance accountable for how people choose to ingest it. you can drink alcohol, or you can inject it into your bloodstream (do not do this because you will die quickly from poisoning). but basically, ganja does not equal smoke.
if people call marijuana a gateway drug, could tobacco be called the REAL gateway drug? how many coke snorters have smoked a cig first? how many alcohol drinkers have smoked a cig? how many ganja smokers have smoked a cig? but there are ALWAYS others who have not! i never smoked a cig and never did any other "party substances" other than ganja and alcohol. how the FUCK does that argument still exist even? and, yes, the argument you hear from our (pro) side is that those people who move onto those things are prone to try them whether they used ganja or not...well, that does make sense, but id say that cigarettes is what was their gateway to all substances, in the first place.
i didnt really like the arguments made by the oncologist (male doctor) from San Fran...he kind of got owned by dr. oz at one point. by talking about other addictive substances, he kind of implied that marijuana fits into that category. i really hate hearing the word "addicted" when it comes to ganja. following that argument, every straight man is "addicted" to pussy (not just tiger woods)...there i said it.
what else...hmm...well i guess that i believe that everyone who wants to use ganja (recreationally or medicinally) should GROW it. i dont have the luxury to do that myself & have never seriously tried to grow a plant to harvest, but i want to the first chance i get. for personal use (not profit), or even for a few friends that are too lazy to do it themselves. max 3 plants for me...that way i KNOW that my stuff is as untainted as i make it & do not have to worry about any safety issues.
im not sure what else i wanted to say because i honestly didnt plan on analyzing the episode like this, but it obviously wasnt made for US...it was made for more of the people who are uneducated about this subject matter. at the VERY LEAST, it made it seem a SLIGHTLY less dangerous to those who had all those other arguments in their head...right? the only thing it didnt handle well was that they should have discussed "how people are 'addicted' to it" & how it can be used WITHOUT smoke inhalation. that would have put it in a better light and a more honest light about the actual plant instead of concentrating on the dangers...because, whats really NOT dangerous if you think about it...i mean, even water can drown you if you dont know how to use it properly...
i just wish bob was right when he sang "every man got the right to decide his own destiny" (from "zimbabwe" by marley). well actually, mr. marley, its more like "every stranger has the right to decide what man should be allowed to do - even though the stranger probably has no qualifications to make this choice on the behalf of someone else"...catchy tune!
anyone have any more specific feelings about the show other than the frustration (understandable, but we should all be used to this by now, right?) it brought about?
peace, guys! honestly didnt mean to offend anyone if i did unintentionally...