Pot-smokers are better than window-smashers
420 crowd outside of city hall a refreshing change of pace
I approached a pair of Hamilton’s finest to enquire about a crowd outside of city hall. I was curious to know what the group was protesting, but I hadn’t taken note of the date. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they weren’t protesting a thing — they were just a bunch of 420 revelers, out for a puff in celebration of their favourite, soon-to-be-legalized greenery.
“They’re just having a smoking session,” a young police officer overseeing the event informed me.
Despite the police presence, methinks the odds of unruliness in that hoard were quite low. The police officers simply looked on casually, presumably enjoying the sunny spring afternoon.
I’ll state outright that, while I’m not generally one to partake, I am wholeheartedly in favour of the legalization of marijuana. In the words of the Great Goddess of Urban Folk, Ani DiFranco, “some arrogant government can’t/by any stretch of the imagination outlaw a plant.” Hear, hear.
All are entitled to their opinions and concerns. Factors like road safety are legitimate issues to consider, and of course the whole thing should be handled with care and prudence. But, I have to say, with the recent events surrounding Hamilton’s Foot Clan — the vandalizing of local business facades, the threats to citizen safety, and the declarations of violent retaliation against Hamilton’s rising star — it was pretty refreshing to see a happy gathering of pot-smokers, rather than a mob of party poopers throwing rocks and flexing their intimidation muscles in an attempt to ruin the entire city’s day.
Even if you don’t enjoy smoking weed, or you take issue with aspects of its forthcoming legalization, aren’t pot-smokers a lot better than window-smashers?
Spending time in Amsterdam, I discovered why the Dutch are so happy. First of all, they work fewer hours on average than North Americans, but they also have easy and legal access to pot on every block. They get regular cardiovascular exercise cycling around the city, they prioritize family and don’t overwork themselves, and they finish it off with a relaxing herbal nightcap. The overall disposition of Amsterdam is calm and friendly. Yes, travellers are often told to be wary of pickpocketing, but even that is the least confrontational way to steal somebody’s valuables.
I’m being a bit facetious, but you get the point. Plenty of studies support my personal account of the Dutch being especially happy people (and I speak not only of my trip to Amsterdam, but also of my childhood growing up in a Dutch family). I can’t make any real claims about the correlation between legal marijuana and the contentedness of a nation, but weed is just a symbol, really. A symbol of ethical freedom.
I don’t know about you, fellow Hamiltonians, but I feel happy when I’m free to live in a way that’s in line with my values. I’m a writer, not a psychologist, but I do know a thing or two about what makes us tick.
Cognitive dissonance is the discomfort we feel when our actions are out of sync with our beliefs. Some people believe that what’s right is vandalism, terrorism and the dismantling of organized society.
Some people believe that what’s right is their freedom to legally access the health and wellness benefits of a naturally occurring plant, aiding them in their pursuit of a peaceful existence.
This isn’t meant to be a “rah-rah, legalize pot!” article. That’s already happening. I’m just saying that between the two options, I would rather see people organizing to protest absolutely nothing, to simply smoke a joint and enjoy the sunshine with no legal repercussions, than see a mob of would-be terrorists threatening onlookers and damaging beloved small-business storefronts.
As I write this article, I can smell the wafting smoke of a 420 well spent. In the midst of so much social turmoil, I’m just glad that someone is having a nice day.