NATION OF STONERS

What's to Become of Us? 

An America of Cheech & Chong?

Or  of Steve Jobs, Willie Nelson, Bill Gates and Carl Sagan?*

-18 states have legalized recreational weed.

-38 states have legalized medical cannabis. 

-17 "overlap" - both recreational and medical

So this is one big sociological experiment. Precendents?

Perhaps when Prohibition ended, and drinking went from bootleggers back to bars and package stores, it was sort of like this. Perhaps many folks who really wanted to drink a bit were encouraged to have a few pops after years of abstinence. Perhaps that's happening now with weed. 

What Prohibition lacks as an analogue is that booze didn't sneak up from 90 proof to 120 proof, unless you moved right up to Everclear, and everyone knew what that would do.  With Cannabis, the "proof" is rising, and everyone is unclear on what that will do.  There are some worrying indications:

Recently, there have been concerns surrounding the increased levels of THC found in present-day cannabis, combined with reduced levels of CBD (26). This high-potency cannabis is gaining popularity with recreational users despite a growing body of literature indicating that potent cannabis preparations are associated with adverse health outcomes, including increased risk of psychosis, hypomania, impulsivity, and cannabis use disorder (27–29). Furthermore, with substantial legalization, decreased perceptions of risk associated with cannabis may arise, which may further increase current cannabis use prevalence.**

Sooo...  Are Americans showing our usual reserve and good sense?  The indications are, so far, uncertain.  Conservatives are saying "Huge Problem!" Liberals are saying "No Problem!" (Although the actual consumption of Cannabis seems to cut across all political positions - a personal observation.)

Here's what the Missouri Journal of the AMA says: "Marijuana Legalization Will Cause Many Problems for Missouri Law Enforcement and Schools"***

When we try to foresee the impact of these sweeping legalizations, we are still guessing a lot.  Much that I read chants the old song, "We need more research."  Like:

“More research is needed” has become a tired academic cliché, but it’s nonetheless applicable to cannabis legalization. Debate about the health benefits and risks of all manner of products is a commonplace of modern life and is certainly the case with cannabis. In political debates, the drug is characterized as extremely dangerous by some activists and as harmless – indeed extraordinarily therapeutic – by others. There is evidence for some harms and some benefits, although in neither case does the limited evidence available support more extreme assessments in either direction.****

Now the "research" is what's happening in real life. Here in New Mexico  recreational pot just became legal April 1st (!).

I will watch diligently and see what symptoms arise in this most interesting sociological experiment.  If I see anything amazing, I'll report here.

*RollingStone: 50 Most Successful Marijuana Enthusiasts You Should Know [All pix from this article]

   Note: Women in the article: Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, Cameron Diaz and others. The "all guy" list above is on me.

** Frontiers in Psychiatry:  The Behavioral Sequelae of Cannabis Use in Healthy People: A Systematic Review

*** Missouri Medicine

**** Pub Med Central