I’m currently coaching two separate women with the same problem. One lives in Denver, CO. The other lives in Seattle, WA. As they’re both out and about looking to meet their match, they keep running into the same thing…“potheads”. With marijuana recreationally legal in both states the deal-breaking question, “do you smoke” now has an almost instantly canned response…”smoke what?” I ask my clients in states where marijuana is recreationally legal if they’re open to dating cigarette smokers and/or marijuana users and I’m often amazed at the response.
Some objectors I’ve found (mostly those over 35) think marijuana is as dangerous as it was made out to be in the 1936 propaganda film, “Reefer Madness”, where audiences are led to believe that smoking pot can lead to catastrophic consequences like suicide, rape, manslaughter, etc.
Cannabis is now controlled and regulated either medicinally or recreationally in 21 states (including DC). And, it is more socially acceptable than ever. According to a recent survey by Gallup, “support for legalization (of marijuana) is at 62 percent among adults under 30, 56 percent among those aged 30 to 49, 49 percent among those aged 50 to 64, but only 31 percent among those over 65.”
Marijuana is far less dangerous than alcohol, cigarettes and many pharmaceutical drugs. It’s incontrovertible. It is far less addictive and much less harmful to your health than other regulated substances bought and sold over the counter. Research has shown the overall addiction potential for cannabis to be less than what it is for caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, cocaine or heroin.
There are little to no known cases of death by marijuana overdose either, nor are there any widely accepted links to cancer, heart disease, liver disease, etc. Give someone a bottle of aspirin though, and they can easily end their life.
Nowadays marijuana can be ingested in the form of “edibles” (cookies, brownies, lollypops, etc.) made with THC-based oils. THC stands for Tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive element of marijuana. You don’t even have to smoke it to feel the effects anymore. Many marijuana users “vaporize” it and are inhaling THC-laced water vapor instead of actual smoke.
Is marijuana a “gateway drug”? When people gain access to one controlled substance and experience no perceived consequences it is logical they would expect to have a similar experience with other controlled substances. Individuals inclined to try one thing are most likely inclined to try others.
Ultimately whether you discriminate romantically based on creed, culture, lifestyle, health, habits, religion or way of life is up to you, but don’t let it create a schism as long as no crimes are being committed and there’s no imposition on you.