Is Cannabis a Vice or a Virtue?

Is cannabis a vice?

This is probably one of the biggest quandaries faced by people in this modern age. Some people would like you to believe that cannabis is a vice similar to alcohol or tobacco – however, how accurate is this statement really?

In order to understand this complex topic, we must first understand the definition of the word “vice”. According to the Google’s Dictionary a Vice is “immoral or wicked behavior”. This is a very odd way to describe a habit because while something like smoking cigarettes is “unhealthy” and “highly addictive” – can we justify it as a vice?

What is immoral about unhealthy habits? It would only be considered immoral if you subscribe to the modern-transcendentalist-materialism view of the world – your body is a temple – of which doing anything to harm the body would be considered “immoral”. However, within the context of science, which removes transcendentalism from the narrative and replaces it with a pure atheist-materialistic approach – which removes the notion that the body is a temple.

Thus, a vice would only be something considered “immoral” by the individual. Some might argue that immorality is based on the mass perception of a particular topic, however, this then means that cannabis can no longer be considered a vice.

And here’s why.

Cannabis is actually beneficial to the individual!

Under the definition of “Vice” which is an “immoral or wicked behavior”, and even within the context of modern-transcendentalism, consuming cannabis is “not a vice”. This is because cannabis contains cannabinoids that interact with your endocannabinoid system.

The endocannabinoid system is responsible for maintaining homeostasis within the body. After the age of 25, your body drastically reduces the production of endocannabinoids as the system matures. This means, that after the age of 25, it’s essentially a dietary necessity to consume cannabis in one way or another.

This doesn’t mean smoking weed, it simply means “consuming cannabis”.

Cannabis is no longer perceived as “immoral”

Perhaps, in the 1980s and even the 1990s – cannabis may have been considered a vice. This is because of the “just say no” narrative that was dominating these decades. When the majority of the populace believes that a particular action is “wicked or immoral”, then within the context of “society” we could justify the label “vice” in relation to marijuana.

However, we are no longer in the 1980s or 1990s. We’re now beyond 2020 and in today’s socio-political and moral climate – cannabis is seen as a miracle medicine. People are giving cannabis to their children to ease certain medical conditions.

The approval rate for medical cannabis in the United States hovers above 90% and the support for recreational cannabis isn’t too far behind. This means, that by the very definition of vice that cannabis can no longer be placed within this category.

So if Cannabis isn’t a vice…what is it?

If you must define your cannabis use, call it a habit or a medical necessity. Call it what it is – something I do. You won’t call your consumption of salads a vice now would you?

Cannabis should be considered a dietary essential because you need it to be healthy. Your endocannabinoid system is virtually responsible for maintaining your entire body. It helps regulate your immune system, appetite, emotional integrity and much more.

Thus, to call cannabis a vice is wrong on all fronts.

Why it matters we change “how we talk”

The reason I’m so anal about words is because these concepts shape our behavior. A word, in essence, is merely a vibrational manifestation of thought. When uttered, it travels through space and time, enters into the receiver’s mind and then begins to either “increase” or “decrease” one’s belief in a particular “thing”.

Our belief about a particular thing in turn dictates how we respond to it, which directly affects our behavior. By changing the narrative, we change belief and ultimately change behavior which results into a different configuration in reality.

The word “vice” has long been used to describe cannabis use, but as we learned today – Vice means a “wicked or immoral” action. This is simply not true for cannabis and thus, utilizing this to describe our consumption habits reinforces a negative stereotype about something that is in fact, highly beneficial to the individual.

Thus, in the future if you’re thinking about talking about your habit – call it that. It’s simply a health habit, like going for a walk every day or doing some exercise. It’s a habit like choosing healthy food over junk food. It’s a habit of being positive as opposed to being negative.

Words, definitions and these things matter in the world we live in. It is one of the biggest issues that we have as I see many people arguing for the same thing – from different perspectives. And this occurs, because we have a loose understanding on the definitions of words.

In the case of cannabis – IT IS NOT A VICE!