Medical marijuana just became legal in my state which was a big topic amongst the kids at my school. Half of the student body I'm sure smokes weed for recreational purposes, so I doubt the legalizing of pot was anything to celebrate. Perhaps having it [medically] distributed in the state will just allow people my age to get it easier.
I believe we taboo too many things in this country. Marijuana is one of them. With the teen pregnancy rates and alcohol consumption amongst teens rates gradually increasing annually, one should know by know that the worst way to prevent something from happening is to say not to do it. Well there's that and harming someone. Beating someone to keep them from doing something is the stupidest thing you can do. All it does is instill fear into that person. But that fear is for the aggressor; the asshole who likes beating others. Unfortunately that practice is very common with foreign parents, I would know.
Maybe curiosity did kill that one cat we all seem to know about when that quote is referenced. You know what I'm talking about.
Curiosity is most likely behind the random dead girl in the woods late at night. Curiosity is the reason you find sixth graders blowing boys instead of the candles on their birthday cakes. Curiosity is always peaked when the mind discovers something it shouldn't have. Curiosity killed that cat, and caused that sixteen year old girl to have a baby boy. But curiosity is only to be partially blamed.
In my eyes, it's all about your morals and what you are taught to value. Or possibly what you as an individual, grow to value. Parents, thinking that they are protecting their children prohibit certain images and matters from being seen or heard of. I get it. I don't think I'd want my eight year old watching Freddy Kruger horror films either. But I think many parents screw up around that area because kids turn out to be oblivious and very curious. I've never believed that telling your kid, "don't have sex or you'll never be welcomed in my house" is a good idea. If you're ever going to tell someone to do or not to do something, you'd better make sure it is followed by a reason or explanation. Many adults can't put their ego aside long enough to do that. So many adults play the "what I say goes" and "I'm the adult" cards.
I figure that if a child is taught early on that the post office isn't a jungle gym and to sit the fuck down when the time calls, they will be fine. If an eleven year old knows that real women don't wake up with $300 worth of makeup on their face, they will be fine. If children aren't surrounded by images of sex symbols and Kate Moss magazine photo shoots, they're perception of what real women look like won't be so off base. If a preteen learns that having sex is the most intimate way to connect with someone you really really like, maybe he/she will be more reluctant to spread open their legs.
I'm only a teenager, yet those concepts are no brainers for me. You never let fifteen years pass by and say to your kid, "are you ready to learn about your penis?" You just don't do that, I think. Communication is key for a reason. It's the only way to get to the next door.
In terms of, marijuana the rules still apply. Let's say you're a parent who is against smoking weed or anything for that matter. You express what you think about marijuana, why you struggle to accept it, and let your kid know that once they're off living elsewhere and financially supporting them self, they should experiment with it. You tell them about how crucial it is to let your brain develop while they're young. You speak honestly. And if your child is intellectually mature, tell them about the time you tried smoking when you were young and what went wrong. Because we all know that most people from the 70s and 80s have smoked at least one substance at a very early age. There's no need to flex.
I happen to find it a little bizarre that weed is bastardized when the drug education is taught in school - or at least in mine. I'm no pothead, but even I know that marijuana has many useful properties. Why else would the government medically prescribe it? It's somewhat hypocritical that educators are told to teach us that smoking weed will permanently damage your body and brain, yet clinics are preparing to have it medically distributed. What kind of sense is that? It's the goofiest shit ever.
I guess if I were to teach kids about drugs, I'd tell them what true drugs are. Crystal meth, bath salts, PCP, heroin, any of that synthetic laboratory bullshit that people turn to out of desperation - those are the drugs. Marijuana comes from a the hemp plant. A plant whose seeds are rich in protein and other nutrients. Compared to everything out there, weed isn't going to kill someone. With weed, moderation is all you need.
SONG OF THE DAY: The Pot Smoker's Song
