Are You In ‘The Marijuana Closet’?
Marijuana is a taboo subject to some members of society. As a result, there are many marijuana consumers that limit the amount of people they admit their marijuana use to. For instance all of my friends and family know that I consume marijuana, but it’s not something I told all of my co-workers at my last job due to employment policies that would fire me if my marijuana consumption became known. I have never looked at it like I’m ashamed to be a marijuana consumer. I just have always felt that I am protecting dumb people from themselves by not telling them about my marijuana consumption, as they will no doubt react in a harsh, illogical way.
A case study would be legendary Olympic athlete Michael Phelps. Michael Phelps won 14 Gold medals (16 medals overall) for the United States so far in his life, with possibly more to come. Michael Phelps was considered as an American hero by all of society until pictures surfaced of him taking an Olympic sized bong hit. He was labeled an outcast by conservative America, condemned by parents as being a bad example for children, and lost numerous endorsement deals. This is the same guy that up until that picture surfaced, was considered the standard of what American awesomeness looked like in the new century. The fact that one marijuana bong hit picture can outweigh a lifetime of achievement at a world record level in some people’s eyes is disgusting to me.
There are countless people that I worked with that knew me as a hard worker, as someone that they could rely on to get the job done, and that I was a very articulate communicator. Unfortunately, their perceptions would change if they knew I consumed marijuana, despite the fact that I still possess all of the qualities that they thought made me a good person. That’s just how strong reefer madness is in some circles of society. It’s sad and unfortunate, but it is what it is.
I know that my experience is pretty standard for most marijuana consumers. Marijuana consumers encounter uneducated, biased people everyday that are easier to avoid than confront. Have you ever argued with someone that is ‘gone off the reefer madness?’ There’s absolutely no way to change their minds. I conserve my energy by avoiding people like that and looking for people that are on the fence about the issue. I love ‘coming out of the marijuana closet’ when I talk to those type of people.
I like to talk to ‘luke warm’ marijuana supporters that I meet at a workplace or some other settings, and I encourage others to do so as often as you feel comfortable with. These type of citizens, which are a majority of America, generally agree that marijuana prohibition has failed, and that there is a lot of false hype that has kept marijuana illegal for so long. I once heard Radical Russ Belville refer to a study that stated three in four people support ending marijuana prohibition, but only one in four thinks their neighbor agrees. These people are just waiting for someone to bring the issue to a personal level, as some likely don’t smoke marijuana themselves. However, if you are known to them as a hard worker, that you are someone that they can depend on, and you can articulate your stance on marijuana to them, chances are you will sway them from being on the fence to supplying their signature for a marijuana reform initiative or more.
Have you ‘come out of the marijuana closet?’ If so, do you have any tips for others that are hesitant to ‘come out of the marijuana closet?’ Can you elaborate in the comments section about your experience so that others can benefit from your knowledge? If you haven’t ‘come out of the marijuana closet,’ why not? Is it due to employment reasons? Fear of backlash from family or friends? Are you in a relationship with someone that you don’t want to know about your marijuana consumption? Some other reason? I look forward to what readers have to say.
