Four Twenty Two

On this 420 day I would like to remind you all that weed is not a victimless substance. 

I have heard a 19 yo confess that for a period of time they spent $240 per month on weed, out of their $800 minimum-wage part time job.

I have seen people who won't take any job that requires a drug test even a random one, and unable/unwilling to stay off of it for 30 days just to pass the test.

I have seen the irritability, the mood swing, the unchecked emotion and anger because of the withdrawal. I have seen people got really furious when they were not allowed to have it.

I have seen people jump right back after restrictions on them was lifted. I have seen people who think I am being extra because I do not like it and do not wish to partake. 

"But that's not me. I am careful. I am responsible. I am not taking it when I shouldn't take it, and I am not making it a habit. And most importantly, I can afford it."

Well you can. Others, not so much. Especially if they are a young adult barely in their 20s with their first minimum wage job. Or just landed a student loan and struggling to keep yourself in check. 

It is scary how many (young) people think it's funny to go to work stoned. Unfortunately some of the better-paying job traditionally requires you to not be under influence when you are working, and will enforce drug test.

But what happened when partaking the grass becomes a part of you? A part of your identity and who you think you are? What if you can't get a better paying job because you are unwilling or unable to stop using it? 

What happen if the XX amount of 'fun money' becomes a must expenditure like your car insurance and rent? What if the 'relaxation method' becomes something that you need to have in order to function?

For a non-US citizen, even those with green card, weed is still a federal offense and you can easily lose your right to stay because of it. If you are not a citizen, this is not something you should take lightly.

Right now weed and its derivatives are hailed as the cool thing. The good grass. The must-have. If you are one of those people who can keep it under control, you are privileged.

Remember that there are others are not as privileged as yours. Just like coffee, substances affect people differently. Not everyone can have the salary or self-control to sustain such habit. 

I know I am being very uncool, but just as we prefer our products to be slave-free and responsibly-sourced it is important to think where or what happened to other people who partake it. 

It's important to think do we want to be a part of a culture that can very much harm other people, not unlike us questioning if we want to continue to support Amazon or Walmart.

Because it is harmful. It is not victimless. It can destroy life and future. Especially if you are a young adult, in which you can be attached to it all of your life without knowing how to break free.

So think carefully before you partake or encouraging someone to partake. It's all fun and game until someone got stuck in life because they are chained to it. All things comes with a cost.