Nate Silver has a post up about how this country is moving slowly — very slowly — towards the legalization of marijuana. Says he, the percentage of the population that has ever used the stuff is increasing. Logically, if you used it, you're a little more likely to favor allowing everyone to use it…especially if your experiences convinced you that it doesn't automatically lead to psychosis or heroin addiction or any of those dangers we were warned about in high school.
The stat he gives that most interests me is that about half of 55-year-olds have used marijuana at some point in their life. I'm startled it's that low. I've never used marijuana or any other recreational drug. Matter of fact, I've never smoked anything in my life. First of all, I don't like the basic idea of smoking at all. As Bob Newhart once described in a routine, it's taking old leaves, shredding them, sticking them in your mouth and setting fire to them. I still don't see why anyone thinks that's a good idea and I also don't warm to the idea of being even a wee bit intoxicated. This is in no way a condemnation of anyone else who does these things as long as they don't do something a-holish like get stoned and drive a car. It's merely a personal choice…me deciding for me.
I'm amazed that only half of folks aged 55 have tried pot. I'm about that age — I'm 57 — and since about '67, people have called me a liar for claiming I've never "experimented" (as we used to say) and told me, "Everyone in our age bracket has used marijuana." Well, I knew it wasn't everyone because I hadn't and I had friends who I'm pretty sure hadn't…but I thought we were a much smaller group than half. I met people who acted like I'd told them I'd never urinated or something the sort. Like it was close to biologically impossible not to have smoked marijuana, at least for a puff or two. Once or twice, they were so unpleasant about it that just to get rid of them, I'd lie and say, "Okay, okay…I tried it a few times and didn't care for it." And they'd go, "Of course!"
Silver says in his piece, "…one can plausibly support its legalization without having ever inhaled…" That's me. Never inhaled but I think that if adults want to and they aren't operating a motor vehicle or heavy machinery, the government has no more business forbidding it than the drinking of whiskey. We've seen how well that worked out. And I think the efforts to deny it to folks whose pain might be alleviated or health improved is positively inhumane.
I figure it'll be a while before it is legalized…and I kinda hope it isn't just because we need the tax revenue. That would be doing the right thing for the wrong reason. At the moment though, I'm just surprised that I'm not as alone in my generation as I thought.