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Cannabis Nation News with Mike Boutin and Julie Rose

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 It's Time For An Honest Conversation about Cannabis!

Andrews, Texas - On first arrival it seems like just another Texas town with its strong, but typically close minded, ideals and principals. I was able to find some reasonable green that, I must say, was better than I expected but very middle rung. Pricing was a little higher than I have seen to date. I was consistently charged 60-65 an eighth, and 120-125 a quarter. Could be just because I was an obvious outsider in this small town, but definitely not worth the extra cost. I did notice the decline in reggie’s accessibility.

It is my assumption that the closer I get to Colorado’s green pastures, the less I will see of the eye squinting, head aching Mexican schwag, and good riddance. In my hunt for some acceptable smoke, I did come across some hard liners when it came to the conversation of marijuana and its, soon to be, outright legalization. I did my best to have an even keel discussion of the positives and the negatives to this new wave of acceptance for cannabis.

I was offering up an equal sided debate with no bias one way or the other, with hopes of seeing their true opinions, and I sure as hell got their obviously passionate hatred for a plant they clearly do not understand. I could have shown them a signed document from the President of the United States allowing marijuana use, accompanied by a video of him announcing the decriminalization and cancer curing abilities, and they would still scowl at me and claim I was somehow “un-American” and misguided. That was a phrase that got thrown around a few times by multiple people.

As if smoking marijuana made me some sort of terrorist by association. I wasn’t even aware that ridiculous claim was still being passed around. These deep seeded falsified beliefs are so ingrained in many parts of our society that it’s dancing the line of being brainwashed.

I am all for taking a passionate stance when it comes to ones principals, but when facts are purposefully overlooked or disregarded solely because they fly in the face of what you have been taught, then I suggest you pursue a career in politics because you would fit right in. Keep on rolling Andrews and reach for that amazing chronic up north!

Dealing with a Nonbeliever 

One of the more interesting and argumentative locals I came across was a younger girl filled with hatred for our dear friend Marijuana. Our conversation began, as most do, with our introduction. I told her my name and where I was coming from, but when I announced that I write for Cannabis Nation, she almost turned on her heels and walked the other direction. However, facing her expression of disgust and almost pity made me wish she had. I couldn’t believe how anyone, especially someone in her age group, could have so much contempt for a substance that rarely causes harm. Especially when compared to other readily available and legal substances such as alcohol, cigarettes, over the counter, and pharmaceutical drugs.

This young girl had some experience that guided, or rather, misguided her view on marijuana. As it turns out, her “distaste was for all drugs” she told me, “Any drug that causes people to lose control is bad in my eyes.” As our conversation continued, I discovered that she had grown up with family who ruined their lives with the abuse of cocaine and primarily heroin. This left her with a jaded and justified perspective on drugs. The fact that cannabis still gets thrown in with this harmful lot amazes me.

It was important for me to tread lightly with this conversation and not down play or diminish her struggle in any way, but show her how marijuana should not be associated with these drugs. I asked her if she was interested in hearing my views on cannabis specifically, and how it differs from most all other substances. In our short time conversing we had develop a rapport and she was surprisingly interested in talking further. Her open mindedness, or at least her willingness to hear another’s point of view, was more than I’ve seen in most, and she with her past to battle with.

We talked about the misinformation distributed on the subject and the medical benefits that are actively being ignored. We ended up talking for over an hour. I left her with one of my cards and told her she should visit my site for more in depth information. I thanked her for the engaging and open minded conversation, and sent her on her way with hopes that I just converted another mind to the truth. I was fortunate enough to be confronted with someone who had the ability to listen. In this I was lucky. Most we will come across in our journey for awareness will not be as willing to consider contrasting ideas as this brave young girl, but it is important to be patient and be open ourselves to new ideas.

Spread the truth wherever you go in the world and hope that most will listen.

I recently received an email from her thanking me for our conversation and opening her eyes to the truth. She said that these were topics she had never even been aware of. You never know who might be the next to turn the tide.


Follow the change, be the change.