For those of us advocating the use of cannabis, it seems absurd, when one steps back and analyze its benefits, that many people continue to vilify this plant. I am not necessarily talking about those who have much to lose for its legalization or decriminalization. I am talking about the everyday 9 to 5er who follows the establishment. While I would agree that many people would argue for the state to not only stop policing this plant, but also, to stop doing it so violently.

The question, however, is, what is the source of this vilification? Much of this, I strongly believe, stems from the conversation surrounding this plant. How it has been described, defined and categorized is, among other things, at the heart of this problem. They call it a drug. I am vehemently opposed to this categorization for a number of reasons.

And no, I am not catering to semantics here. First, the word drug is too black and white; too right and wrong; and might I dear say, these sorts of superficialities lend themselves to reductionism and generalizations. Furthermore, this classification is coming from officialdom. If one were to look at the conversation surrounding drugs, one would see that there are two official categorizations—good drugs and bad drugs. And of course, the good drugs are legal and are owned by big pharma, which is given the stamp of approval of our elected representatives.

The bad ones like cannabis, have neither of these powerful arms of the dominator culture at its side, and so, the narrative is that it is a drug taken by bums and losers. And they go further in their vilification of this plant, by accusing it of being a gateway to other more dangerous drugs like heroin, meth and a host of others. I am yet to see the scientific evidence to convince me that this is the case. Until then, we will call it out for what it is; mere propaganda, being peddled by people who feed off rumor mongering and hearsay. People who are afraid that their way of being will be upended by decriminalizing or legalizing the use of cannabis.

Who is Paying for the Propaganda?

A lot of money is being spent on demonizing this medicine. While many of us would like to point the finger at big pharma, there are several other naysayers and might I daresay, doomsayers who have joined the anti-marijuana campaign. The Intercept claims that prison guard groups and law enforcement are among some of the most ardent opponents of the medicine. Do not forget to throw the alcohol industry in there too. For many of us advocates. It is understandable why many of these groups are demonizing the plant.

There is so much to Lose

Most of the money that goes toward fighting the medicine goes to law enforcement. So it is a simple conclusion to make. If cannabis is re-categorized, law-enforcement gets less money. The fewer people we throw in jail, the less money there is for private prisons. In other words, people’s pockets would burn. Think about the fact that 700, 000 people are arrested each year for cannabis. That is a lot of innocent bodies to lose. That is a lot of money not flowing into the coffers of not only the private enterprises but also of the justice system. Some of these groups have a lot of leverage because of their ability to pay money to hire spin doctors to affect the language we use to talk about the medicine.

A Closer Look at the Language

I was combing through the internet when I stumbled upon some advertisements, spreading anti-cannabis propaganda. They stem from the absurd to being downright exasperating. These are some of the most ridiculous ones I found.

1) Don’t be a Lab Rat

This was campaign was allegedly launched in Colorado under the auspices of the then governor of the state. It was geared towards deterring. According to the site, 12-foot cages were erected in public for passersby to get the message that Colorado residents were being used as guinea pigs. The attempt turned into a total debacle as scores of people turned up and started smoking pot in front of the cages. The dissidents also reminded them that it really represents the many black and brown bodies that were unfairly caged because of the war on drugs. It so happened that Colorado spent some $2 million on an ad that flopped.

2) Cookie Date Rape:

This puts the ab in absurdity. Ladies, beware. There are guys out there willing to slip marijuana cookies into your unsuspecting mouths before raping you. It’s interesting that the ad does not account for the fact that the guy is going to eat some too. It also does not explain how possible it will be for people who are strung up in the IC unit, dying from a terminal disease will get up and rape someone while their family is bidding them goodbye. Yes reader, ask yourself this question. It is the one the anti-pot campaigners asked on their twitter page. The title of the page is—No to Issue 2:
“Will the new face of date rape look like a cookie?"

3) Girl Deflates from Smoking Pot

Nothing subliminal or nuanced here people. If you smoke cannabis, you will lose all the air in your body and die. What I find troubling is that a) money was spent on making this and b) the possibility exists that there are people who believe it. That is somewhat scary, assuming that the number might be significant enough to garner support to keep marijuana illegal. But while most people are for legalization and/or decriminalization, the anti-pot lobby has been able to raise more money, in many places, than those in the other corner.

Changing the Conversation

I won’t be like the propagandists and call cannabis a drug. I would like to see it as a medicine that has worked wonders in assisting people suffering from terminal illnesses. I have much to say about this aforementioned point, but I will leave it for another article. My question is: should a plant that has not been shown to kill anyone be classified with the likes of opioids and the many pharmaceutical drugs and illegal drugs that kill hundreds each year?

To classify cannabis with, for example, cocaine is ridiculous. Or even aspirin which has killed people. If one wants to be anecdotal, my sister almost died from an allergic reaction to NyQuil—this is an over the counter drug mind you.

I would urge the people who are a part of this space too as much as they can, lead the way in changing the tone of this conversation and let us start calling cannabis a medicine. This is not mere semantics, the powers that be are very crafty. They use language to affect perceptions. These perceptions dictate how we in turn perceive this external world, which is why, during my naïve days, I was a huge naysayer where cannabis use is concerned. This was despite the fact that I had no evidence to support the claims that cannabis was deleterious to one’s health. This is the power of propaganda. This is the power of words.

I had a conversation with a Japanese teacher once about cannabis, which she classified as poison. Where is the evidence? I wanted to ask, but then I decided against it. This was during a staff party where everyone was drinking alcohol by the way.

Changing the Conversation on the Decentralized Platform

A decentralized world is on the horizon. Platforms like steemit speak to this. And while the whole idea of the blockchain is in its infancy, the potential for finally freeing us from the language spinners has been unprecedented. Let us see this as a call to arms, where we, dictate the language governing our lives. This is not only as it relates to cannabis, but let it permeate all aspects of our daily lives.