cannabis hills to die on

Cannabis Hills to Die on

In my years writing about cannabis, I've come to appreciate the importance of intellectual flexibility. Our minds are like gardens - they need regular pruning, watering, and sometimes complete replanting of ideas. Yet, many of us tend our mental gardens with rigid devotion to certain beliefs, refusing to uproot concepts that may have outlived their usefulness.

The truth is, we all harbor faulty premises within our minds. These are things we "know" to be true, beliefs we've cultivated over years or even decades, that might not stand up to serious scrutiny. But here's where it gets interesting - these beliefs aren't just ideas we hold; they become integral parts of who we think we are.

Carl Jung called this constructed identity our "persona" - the mask we wear to interact with the world. Our opinions and beliefs form the very structure of this mask, reinforcing our sense of self and how we present ourselves to others. When these beliefs are challenged, it can feel like an attack on our very identity.

This brings us to the concept of "hills to die on" - those opinions we'll defend to the bitter end, even in the face of contrary evidence. These are the beliefs that have become so entrenched in our persona that challenging them feels like a threat to our very existence. In the cannabis community, these hills are particularly numerous and fiercely defended, perhaps because the plant itself has been subject to so much misinformation and stigma over the years.

Recently, I stumbled upon a fascinating Reddit thread where cannabis enthusiasts shared their own "hills to die on" - the cannabis-related beliefs they refuse to compromise on. As we explore these perspectives, I invite you to reflect on your own immovable positions. What are the hills you've chosen to defend? How did they become so important to your identity?

So pack a bowl, get comfortable, and let's take a journey through the valley of cannabis hills. You might find some familiar territory - or discover new heights worth exploring.

Hill 1: Home Cultivation SHOULD be Legal!

In sorting through the chaotic landscape of Reddit opinions, I decided to rank responses from most to least popular to identify the cannabis hills that matter most. One position towers above all others, garnering a staggering 2.9k upvotes in under 48 hours: home cultivation should be legal. When the cannabis community speaks this loudly, lawmakers would be wise to listen.

I'll proudly join this battalion atop cultivation hill. The fundamental right to grow plants that naturally occur on Earth shouldn't be up for debate. Think about it - how did we reach a point where governments can declare parts of nature illegal? It's like outlawing clouds or criminalizing sunsets.

Whether we're talking about cannabis, coca plants, poppies, psilocybin mushrooms, or peyote, the principle remains the same: no government should have the authority to restrict humans from cultivating what Mother Nature freely provides. The fact that I can legally grow deadly nightshade in my garden but face imprisonment for growing cannabis exposes the absurdity of our current laws.

The right to grow is about more than just cannabis - it's about personal sovereignty and our relationship with the natural world. When we criminalize nature, we don't just restrict access to plants; we sever our ancient connection to the earth itself. The overwhelming support for home cultivation rights suggests that people are ready to reclaim this relationship, one seed at a time.

This is a hill worth defending - and clearly, I'm not alone in my willingness to die on it.

Hill 2: Better than Booze

The second most defended hill in our Reddit valley, with 1.1k upvotes, boldly declares that cannabis is superior to alcohol. This is another hill I'll gladly die on, and the science backs this position up.

Dr. David Nutt's groundbreaking research on drug harm rankings revealed what many of us already suspected - alcohol dominates the danger charts by a significant margin. While cannabis carries its own set of potential risks, they pale in comparison to the widespread devastation caused by booze. From physical health impacts to societal costs, alcohol consistently proves to be the more destructive substance.

I speak from personal experience here. After switching from heavy drinking to cannabis in my early twenties, the differences became stark. Now, two decades later, I routinely get mistaken for being ten years younger than my beer-loving peers. While this is just my personal story, I suspect a proper longevity study comparing heavy cannabis users to heavy drinkers would yield similar results.

This isn't just about vanity - it's about quality of life. Cannabis users generally maintain more active lifestyles compared to heavy drinkers, likely due to alcohol's more severe impact on physical health and motivation. While the stereotype of the "lazy stoner" persists, the reality is that cannabis users are often hiking trails, hitting the gym, or engaging in creative pursuits while their drinking counterparts nurse hangovers.

The verdict is clear: when it comes to choosing your substance, cannabis is the safer bet than booze.

Hill 3: Bud is better than Cart

Rounding out our top three hills, with 1.8k upvotes, is the adamant belief that traditional flower reigns supreme over cartridges. While I understand the passion behind this position, I'm not quite ready to die on this particular hill.

Don't get me wrong - if given the choice at home, I'll typically reach for a joint over a vape pen. There's something almost ceremonial about the ritual of rolling and smoking that a cart just can't replicate. Perhaps it's my old-school sensibilities talking, shaped by decades of traditional consumption, but bud just feels more... authentic.

However, let's be real - carts have their time and place. Picture yourself at a family reunion where your in-laws would faint at the mere mention of cannabis. Or maybe you're traveling, far from your comfortable smoking spot. In these situations, a discrete cart can be a lifesaver. No telltale smell lingering on your clothes, easy to conceal, quick to consume, and reliably effective.

This is where I diverge from the Reddit consensus. While the community seems ready to plant their flag firmly in team flower, I see value in both methods depending on the context. It's not about which is "better" - it's about which is more appropriate for the situation at hand.

Maybe some hills aren't meant for dying on, but rather for finding the perfect vantage point to appreciate both sides of the valley.

Hill 4: Moderation > T-Breaks

The fourth most defended hill in our Reddit landscape, garnering 1.1k upvotes, proclaims that moderation trumps tolerance breaks. While I understand the sentiment, my two decades of cannabis experience suggest a more nuanced approach might be beneficial.

Let me take you on a brief journey through my evolution with cannabis. In my younger years, I was the quintessential excessive smoker - armed with easy access, cheap prices, and a rebellious spirit. Cannabis became my shield against existential angst, unprocessed grief over losing my father, and the general chaos of early adulthood.

It wasn't until I took a few years off in my early twenties that I gained clarity about my relationship with the plant. Upon returning at 23, I approached cannabis differently - not as an escape route, but as a precision tool for enhancing certain aspects of life while diminishing others. This shift in perspective changed everything.

Through mindful consumption, I've maintained a productive daily relationship with cannabis for years. However, I've also learned the value of periodic breaks. My annual month-long abstinence serves as a valuable check-in with my unaltered self, revealing aspects of my psyche that might be masked by regular use.

So while I agree that moderation should be the cornerstone of cannabis consumption, I can't completely dismiss the power of intentional breaks. The key lies in finding your personal balance - using cannabis as a tool for enhancement rather than escape, while maintaining the courage to face yourself without it occasionally.

Hill 5: If You can Drink, I can Smoke!

The fifth hill in our journey, garnering 394 upvotes, stakes its claim on a fundamental question of liberty: "If you can drink, I can smoke." This isn't just a hill I'd die on - it's a mountain I'd fortify and defend with everything I've got.

At its core, this argument isn't really about cannabis versus alcohol; it's about bodily autonomy and personal sovereignty. If you're an adult who contributes to society, pays taxes, and handles your responsibilities, shouldn't you have the fundamental right to decide what goes into your own body? The fact that this even needs to be debated reveals a disturbing truth about our relationship with authority.

Let's be brutally honest here - if you don't have the right to alter your own consciousness as you see fit, can you truly claim to be free? When a government claims the authority to dictate which substances you can and cannot consume, they're essentially asserting ownership over your mind and body. You become their property, subject to their arbitrary rules about which forms of intoxication are acceptable.

The hypocrisy becomes especially glaring when you consider alcohol's privileged position in society. We actively promote and celebrate a substance that causes tremendous harm, while criminalizing generally safer alternatives. Ask yourself: if heroin were legalized tomorrow, would you suddenly feel compelled to try it? Of course not. Those who want to use these substances already do, regardless of their legal status.

The bottom line is simple: if you can drink, I should be able to smoke. Anything less is just selective enforcement of social control.

The Sticky Bottom Line:

Our journey through these cannabis hills reveals some core values that unite the community - from the fundamental right to grow our own plants to the basic freedom of choosing cannabis over alcohol. While Reddit offered many more hills worth exploring, these top five seemed to capture the essential battles being fought in the ongoing war for cannabis acceptance and legalization.

Of course, not every hill needs to be defended to the death. As we've seen, some positions benefit from a more nuanced approach, acknowledging the validity of multiple perspectives. That's the beauty of these discussions - they reveal both our shared values and our unique experiences with this remarkable plant.

What about you? Which of these hills resonates most strongly with your beliefs? Perhaps you have your own cannabis hill that wasn't covered here - a position you'd gladly defend to the bitter end.

Share your thoughts in the comments below. Let's keep this conversation growing.

Inspiration: What’s a cannabis related hill you’d die on?