Reginald vs Reefer Insanity: Marijuana killed my Son!
https://cbn.com/information/us/family-marijuana-edibles-caused-sons-death
Relating to hashish, most people discover themselves driving a pleasing wave of rest, creativity, or euphoria. It is like a delicate therapeutic massage to your thoughts, leaving you guffawing on the cosmos or pondering the deeper which means of your favourite snack meals. Nevertheless, as with every substance that alters our notion, there’s all the time a small group of people who would possibly discover themselves paddling in uneven waters.
Now, let’s be clear: the overwhelming majority of reported unfavourable incidents with hashish are inclined to contain both edibles or high-potency dabs. It is like evaluating a sip of beer to chugging a bottle of whiskey – the dosage and supply technique matter, of us. However here is the place issues get sticky, like resin in your fingers after rolling a very juicy joint.
The million-dollar query we have to ask is that this: Can we actually blame hashish for the actions of its customers? It is a bit like blaming your automotive for getting a rushing ticket. Certain, the automobile made it doable, however who was urgent the gasoline pedal? In some instances, the legislation appears to assume we are able to pin the blame on the plant. However at present, we’ll take a better have a look at a particular case that is extra sobering than a chilly bathe after a heavy session.
We’re diving into the story of a person who tragically took his personal life, and a household who’s pointing the finger squarely at hashish. Now, I do know what you are considering – that is heavy stuff for outdated Reginald. However concern not, pricey readers. My aim right here is not to make mild of a horrible scenario, however to dismantle the emotional response and supply some much-needed context. However extra importantly, how the media determined to border this story, putting in a pre conceived notion in your head previous to even studying the article.
By the point we’re performed, we’ll have peeled again the layers of this advanced concern just like the wrapper on a very cussed edible. We’ll lay the burden of duty the place it actually belongs – on the person making the alternatives. So, strap in, mild up (if that is your factor), and let’s separate the stems and seeds from the reality on this modern-day story of Reefer Insanity.
Image this: A younger man named Luke Goodman, contemporary out of Oral Roberts College, decides to boost his Colorado ski journey with somewhat inexperienced journey. He and his cousin legally buy $78 value of hashish gummies, every packing a 10mg THC punch. Now, Luke, bless his coronary heart, decides to go all-in. He pops not one, not two, however 5 of those gummies – that is fifty milligrams of THC, of us. Discuss taking pictures for the moon!
Quick ahead a number of hours, and Luke’s household describes him as “jittery” and “incoherent.” His cousin even stated it was like “one thing else was talking by way of him.” Spooky stuff, proper? The household, of their infinite knowledge, decides to depart Luke alone within the rental. Shortly after, Luke tragically takes his personal life with a handgun he carried for cover.
Now, here is the place issues get sticky. The household, understandably devastated, factors the finger squarely at hashish. “He was the happiest man on the earth,” they are saying. “It was 100% the medication.” The article even throws in a pair extra cannabis-related incidents for good measure, portray an image darker than the within of a bong.
Let’s pump the brakes for a second. Anybody who’s danced with Mary Jane is aware of that edibles can pack a severe punch. “Greening out” is an actual factor, and it is about as enjoyable as a root canal. I have been there myself, feeling like I am on a cosmic rollercoaster with no seatbelt. It is scary, it is intense, and it is undoubtedly not for the faint of coronary heart.
However here is the kicker – in all my years of toking, by way of each paranoid thought and couch-lock episode, taking my very own life has by no means crossed my thoughts. And I am not alone. Hundreds of individuals have comparable experiences with out reaching for the closest firearm.
So, what made Luke totally different? Why was he touring with a handgun for cover? These are the questions we ought to be asking. In the event you’re packing warmth on a ski journey, there’s already a sure mindset at play.
And let’s discuss concerning the household for a second. If Luke was performing so out of character, why go away him alone? I am not attempting to level fingers right here, but when somebody’s performing like they’re possessed by the ghost of Bob Marley, perhaps stick round and ensure they’re okay?
Now, I am not saying hashish performed no position. Fifty milligrams of THC is not any joke, particularly for a novice. However to put the blame solely at Mary Jane’s toes? That is like blaming the ocean for a shipwreck with out contemplating the captain’s actions.
The reality is, we will not know what was occurring in Luke’s thoughts. Suicide does not occur in a vacuum, irrespective of how a lot weed you have consumed. I have been in some fairly far-out conditions in my youth, however self-harm was by no means on the menu, even when the partitions had been melting from an excessive amount of LSD.
Sure, substances can alter our perceptions. Sure, a green-out could be intense. However we will not ignore the opposite elements at play right here. The gun, the household’s actions, Luke’s underlying psychological state – these all deserve consideration.
However here is the actual kicker – the way in which the media frames this story. It isn’t simply unhappy; it is downright irresponsible. However we’ll dive into that juicy tidbit within the subsequent section.
Now, of us, let’s take a second to acknowledge the tragedy right here. Luke’s passing is not any laughing matter, and my coronary heart goes out to his grieving household. Shedding a beloved one is rarely simple, particularly underneath such perplexing circumstances.
However maintain onto your hats, as a result of we’re about to dissect some media malarkey that is extra twisted than a pretzel at a hashish conference. Take a gander at that headline: “Household: Marijuana Edibles Precipitated Son’s Demise.” Effectively, slap my face and name me Sally! You’d assume these gummies grew arms, legs, and a sinister mustache earlier than forcing poor Luke to tug the set off.
Let’s be crystal clear right here: Luke tragically took his personal life with a handgun. The edibles did not sprout opposable thumbs and squeeze the set off. They did not whisper candy nothings of self-destruction into his ear. And so they definitely did not force-feed themselves to him like some cannabis-infused Thanksgiving turkey.
Now, I am not saying the edibles performed no position. However let’s face it, Luke made a alternative – a misinformed, overzealous alternative – to devour 5 occasions the really helpful dose. That is like chugging a bottle of whiskey since you did not really feel tipsy after the primary shot. It isn’t good, but it surely’s not the whiskey’s fault both.
However you would not know any of this from that clickbait headline, would you? Nope, you’d assume these harmless little gummies become the Grim Reaper himself. This, my buddies, is how Reefer Insanity 2.0 works its insidious magic.
See, the media is aware of most people will not learn previous the headline. They’re going to see “Marijuana Edibles Precipitated Son’s Demise” and all of a sudden each pot brownie turns into a possible assassin. It is like blaming forks for making folks fats – it misses the purpose solely and absolves private duty.
That is the form of sneaky sensationalism we have to fight. Certain, Luke’s dying might have been influenced by his hashish consumption, however to put the blame squarely at Mary Jane’s toes? That is extra unbalanced than a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest.
The reality, as all the time, is extra nuanced than any headline can seize. However nuance does not promote papers or generate clicks, does it? No, sir. What sells is concern, and nothing stokes concern fairly just like the specter of a killer plant.
Subsequent time you see a headline that makes hashish sound just like the boogeyman, keep in mind outdated Reginald’s phrases: The satan’s within the particulars, and the reality is often hiding someplace round paragraph three. Keep skeptical, keep knowledgeable, and for Pete’s sake, comply with the really helpful dosage. This has been Reginald Reefer, reminding you that the one factor greater than me ought to be your requirements for journalism.
DEATH BY DOZER, BECAUSE OF 10 PLANTS, READ ON…
