Recreational Marijuana Use

Marijuana - Ganja - Cannabis - Mota and Hemp has been around for a very long time. From traditional smoking, herbal infusions to pottery & rope making human beings have a history with Cannabis use since the beginning of recorded time. In Taiwan around 8,000 BC the use of hemp cord in pottery was discovered in what we would call an ancient village dating back over 10,000 years! You can’t tell me that they did not accidentally put this into the local fire and have a few puffs. Finding hemp use and cultivation in this date range puts it as one of the first and oldest known human agriculture crops. Agriculture is not a natural phenomenon; it is a human invention. It is also the basis of modern civilization. This is a profound fact.

Let’s talk about Recreational Cannabis use.

What is recreational use? This is when you do something simply because you want to. Maybe it’s for the effect - perhaps part of a trend or for no reason at all.

• What other drugs are classified in this manner? Alcohol and tobacco are both legal for recreational use with some restrictions like age.

• How many people are using recreational Cannabis? Over 94 million people in the US have admitted using marijuana at least once. It is estimated in the United States of America millions of people everyday use Cannabis recreationally.

In Europe, Australia, Central & South America it is the same story – Everyday millions of people on our planet are using Cannabis for a multitude of reasons, the majority of this use would be classified as recreational.

In the USA here is a breakdown of States with use classifications for Cannabis.

Here are states with legal recreational marijuana use:
1. Alaska 2. California 3. Colorado 4. Maine 5. Massachusetts 6. Nevada 7. Oregon 8. Washington

Here are states with medical marijuana use:
1. Arizona 2. Arkansas 3. Connecticut 4. Delaware 5. Florida 6. Hawaii 7. Illinois 8. Maryland 9. Michigan 10. Minnesota 11. Montana 12. New Hampshire 13. New Jersey 14. New Mexico 15. New York 16. North Dakota 17. Oregon 18. Pennsylvania 19. Rhode Island 20. Vermont

Map of the US showing US cannabis laws
	Jurisdiction with legalized cannabis
	Jurisdiction with both medical and decriminalization laws*
	Jurisdiction with legal psychoactive medical cannabis
	Jurisdiction with legal non-psychoactive medical cannabis
	Jurisdiction with decriminalized cannabis possession laws
	Jurisdiction with total cannabis prohibition
*Mississippi has only legal non-psychoactive medical cannabis and Illinois has decriminalized cannabis as of July 29th, 2016 Attribution: Lokal_Profil

GETTING HIGH – RECREATIONAL USE

Let’s face it we all love having experiences and drinking has been the most accepted way of experiencing social interactions. Drinking often brings out the worst in people and has the disadvantage of leaving a nasty hang over – all part of the alcohol package. Getting high on the other hand may leave one a bit less talkative, however you will make no enemies and often social situations are easier when one is on the numb side! My marijuana experiences started as a teenager in Canada. The first time I ever smoked was slightly terrifying, exhilarating, and an all-out mind blowing experience. Who could have prepared me? I was inside my mind looking out as opposed to looking out, then formulating thought processes logically as we are all taught from a young age. Now let’s make something perfectly clear right now, NOT EVERYONE IS THE SAME, some people may not have the same experiences using marijuana as you or me - so if it’s not turning you on – then turn it off – it’s OK.

Personally marijuana has helped me immensely from medical issues to bringing me closer to nature. Later on in life I came to realize that Cannabis allowed me to make friends with myself and this has contributed to my overall happiness. Allowing me to become a more desirable, relaxed person. Smoking marijuana gives me a different perspective on a situation, allowing me to see things in a more positive relaxed way, instead of the instant panic we all experience when quick changes occur. So next time you have a situation come up that appears from the outside kind of hopeless have a smoke and take a walk in nature, I am sure you also will see a different aspect to your dilemma. Recreational marijuana use should be a right for every citizen if they so choose.

The Brain and Smoking - Part 1 © Michelle Hunter www.hunterart.com