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Getting High

Now I’m going to write the impossible and try to describe what being “High” on Marijuana is like. Be advised, your mileage may vary.

While one’s euphoria is very subjective, I have found that there are common threads that run through the process of altering one’s perception. The only way that you, the reader of these words, is going to know is to try it for yourself.

Let me tell you a little of my background. At the time of this writing, I am a 62 year old Caucasian/Native American blend. I grew up in a middle class family in a middle class neighborhood in the middle class city of Indianapolis, Indiana. I graduated from Indiana University, class of 1975, with a B.A. In Journalism and Sociology Double Major. I have been an activist in one cause or another since 1968. At the age of 16, I smoked Marijuana for the first time.

Many Americans know what being “Drunk” on alcohol is like. You can’t walk right, you can’t talk right, you have little to no mental clarity. You make poor decisions, and sometimes you let minor incidents bother you to the point of violence. I have very rarely found myself in any kind of jeopardy from smoking Marijuana. I am generally an easy going person, not to the point of lack of passion, but I am not loud and boisterous while stoned.

There are always exceptions, and as stated, you as an individual might perceive things differently. The effects can also change somewhat depending on what strain of Marijuana you use, and how you use it. When I first feel the effects of Marijuana, it starts in my chest and shoulder areas. I feel a tingling, almost as if muscles and bones are vibrating. That feeling goes around my back and into my head. Frequently, I feel a burst of energy in the nerve-knot between my shoulders and brain. Soon, that feeling encompasses my brain, my eyes, my entire head. Then, my entire body. My muscles relax, and I can feel the very mild vibration in every part of my body. I can feel the stress of a hard day’s work fade into nothingness. Nothing bothers me. I can let go of the rest of the world for awhile.

Yet, I can still accomplish tasks I want to do, or that I have to do. Sometimes I will write, other times take some pictures. I might engage in online debates, or plan my next move in my efforts towards relegalization. I might hang out with friends, or watch a movie or read a book. Except that I will do these things with an open, uncluttered mind with an eye towards achieving a goal.

And sometimes, when there are no pressing matters, it’s good to just sit and do nothing. The society in which we live tends to be very stressful. Too many of us have forgotten what it’s like to relax, and live life in a positive manner.

I have a serious arthritis condition. The ups and downs of Indiana weather take a toll on me, and the rigors of my physical labor job are no help. There are days I come home from work feeling like someone has driven a nail in my hip. With the right strain of Marijuana, I can relieve the pain and function fairly normally. It helps me sleep. But it also can perk my mind up, when I need it to, and numb me to distractions while I’m doing what I want to do.

Too many times, drinkers of alcohol wake up the next morning feeling like alcohol drank them. They feel lousy, not positively engaged with the rest of life. The only thought they can hold on to is wanting to feel human again. It doesn’t take all that much booze to make you regret taking any of it the following morning. Occasionally, when I smoke a lot of Marijuana the night before, I’ll wake up a little dragged out, but never unable to function effectively. One can die from drinking too much alcohol. One can not smoke enough Marijuana to achieve death.

Marijuana doesn’t make you something you are not already. If you’re intelligent, it won’t hurt you. If you’re motivated to make this a better life, Marijuana can help your thought process in achieving that goal. It can release your creativity, and the love you have for life.

If you’re a slug, maybe you should re-examine your life philosophy. Maybe Marijuana will help you in that regard.

Can the same thing be said of alcohol?

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