Banning the “M-Word?”
We live in a society where political correctness is king. One of the most politically correct nations on the planet has to be Canada, where in some parts if you do not use the ‘proper pronoun’ to a person you’re talking to is considered a ‘hate crime’.
Of course, I fully believe in the individual rights of anyone who wants to be called whatever the hell they want…however, their liberty ends where mine begins. You can identify as man, woman…hell even a unicorn if it makes you happy. Nonetheless, you do not have the right to demand that I see the world the way you do. If you’re free to do whatever, so am I.
So what does this all have to do with Cannabis?
Banning the word Marijuana
I recently read an article in High Times where they spoke about the ‘possibility of Canada banning the word Marijuana’. While the article explains that it is highly unlikely that they would outright ‘ban’ the word, I wouldn’t put it past them either.
But why ban the word marijuana?
To understand the reasoning, we have to drift back a few decades to the dawn of cannabis prohibition. Leading up to the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act, there was a wave of yellow journalism surrounding the plant. If you know anything about the history of cannabis, you’ll know the names Anslinger-Hearst-DuPont.
Prior to the bout we now know as “reefer madness”, the most common word for cannabis was….cannabis or hemp. People didn’t use the word in the US before Hearst started tainting the name of a good plant.
But how did he do it?
He started writing ludicrous stories about cannabis users, however, understanding that “cannabis” was loved by the population [a societal necessity at the time], he used a more “obscure version” of the word used by Mexicans – “Marihuana”
Additionally, Anslinger pushed the negative rhetoric of cannabis in front of lawmakers. Here’s just a few quotes from the mind of one of the patriarchs of prohibition;
[TRIGGER WARNING]
“There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana usage. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others.”
“Marihuana influences Negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on white men's shadows and look at a white woman twice.”
“The primary reason to outlaw marijuana is its effect on the degenerate races.”
“Marihuana is the most violent drug in the history of mankind.”
Saying those kinds of statements in today’s political environment would have a bunch of people protesting the hell out of your existence, however back then…it was quite common to have such an abhorrent outlook on minorities.
This is primarily the reason why there is a ‘possibility of a ban of the word’.
But the real question is: “Is the word Marijuana Racist?”
Is it okay to say the word Marijuana?
This comes down to perspective. Yes, there is a racist connection to the word ‘Marihuana’, however is the word itself racist?
To understand this, we need to first understand the origins of the word.
Marijuana or Marihuana was not invented by Anslinger or Hearst. It was used by Mexicans long before Anslinger even heard of the word. It’s their common slang term for cannabis. It’s even featured in the lyrics of “La Cucaracha” where they say that the soldiers smoked marijuana to gain confidence in battle.
La cucaracha, la cucaracha
Ya no puede caminar
Porque no tiene
porque le falta
Marihuana que fumar
For those that don’t speak Spanish it translates to;
“The Cockroach, the Cockroach…cannot walk anymore, because it doesn’t have, and it’s missing, marijuana to smoke…”
So we know for sure that the word Marijuana was not invented by racists. It was used a common slang term in Mexican society during the Revolutionary war.
It’s Racist to think Marijuana is Racist
This brings us back to whether the word “Marijuana” is racist. The truth is, if you think that the word Marijuana is Racist…you’re following Racist rhetoric instilled by Anslinger-Hearst.
Marijuana, like Ganja is just a word referencing a plant. It has no racist origins. It was merely hijacked by racists to push a racist agenda and only closet racists would believe that the word is racist.
This is the problem with a lot of political correctness in the world. The PC culture is some of the most racist people I have ever come across.
How you ask?
Well, for starters, the PC culture utilizes a Modernist philosophy that believes people are defined by their culture, race or any type of sub groups they belong to. They are type-cast as “black, white and everything in between”. They actually create a division within the concept of “human”.
You’ll commonly hear phrases from the Politically Correct such as “All White people” or “All Black People”. I’m sorry to inform you, if this is within your lingo, you’re using racist rhetoric.
You’re judging the individual based on their ‘race’ and not individual merit or character. Once you eat enough magic mushrooms, you’ll quickly learn that we all form a part of the “Great big Blob”. In other words, every single human being is connected, while we are ‘unique’, we’re all still human. In fact, once you understand that we are the universe observing itself…all your ideas of division begin to fade. You start looking at the person and not their culture nor their race or any other defining characteristic of the individual.
So please, don’t think Marijuana is racist. You’re not being progressive, you’re simply showing the ignorance of understanding other people’s culture.
Of course, some racist assholes used the word to push their racist agendas…but that doesn’t make the word Racist. Just some food for thought.
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