As a legal medical marijuana patient in California, here’s how I start my day.

First, I pour myself a mixed bowl of two different whole-grain cereals and some nonfat milk (to eat). Then I begin my drug ritual by taking precisely 14 grams of material, derived purely from natural plant sources, out of a special container designed to keep out excess oxygen. The plants themselves are generally a mix of different strains for their different effects and taste, and grown to exacting specifications as well.

I put all this plant material into a special grinder, just long enough to get it down to the exact size I prefer. Then, using a number of devicesⁱ which under other circumstances might be classified as “drug paraphernalia”, I prepare a liquid infusion at the proper temperature, for I much prefer to drink this substance rather than smoke it.

While happily drinking it, I feel calmer, even though I know it will mildly energize me soon once it take effect. I can’t help thinking how this simple, basically safe plant was historically made illegal in many places, and even denounced by religious leadersⁱⁱ. And even though I know it is mildly addictive, I’m sure I could quit at any time, although I haven’t really tried because it makes me feel so good.

And that pretty much describes how I make my first cup of coffee.

Considering that the two puffs of medical marijuana from my vaporizer, also taken several times a day, affect me in exactly the same way – without getting me “high” or “stoned” or impaired in any way – what is the big controversy about, really? Sure, I could sit here and take a larger dose and get high…but then I wouldn’t be able to do my job (writing), so that would be stupid.

And the same thing goes for coffee. If I drank a few cups at once, this larger dose would also adversely affect me. I’d be very nervous and jittery, spend a lot of nonproductive time in the bathroom, and possibly have a tachycardia episode.

For the purposes of this discussion, let’s consider “abuse” to be equivalent to “deliberately taking a higher dose than necessary just to make you feel good or high”. Sure, some people do things just like this to get “high” (cocaine is a good example for this one), and many abuse coffee or caffeine itself (some to the point of death).

But nobody (at least these days) is considering making coffee illegal just because lots of students and other people on deadlines abuse it. Nobody’s considering making alcohol illegal just because a lot of people abuse that (in fact, they tried that awhile back and it didn’t work very well, although they clearly haven’t learned their lesson yet). And although people abuse and get addicted to prescription painkillers of all kinds to the tune of a billion pills a year, nobody’s considering taking those away from the people who really need them.

So why is the Federal government trying to suppress medical marijuana just because recreational users abuse it?

The clear answer is that it’s because the Federal government – and the 30% minority that doesn’t support medical marijuana – don’t have the slightest clue of what they’re dealing with (or they actually do, and they’re corrupt enough to try to keep it from humanity, but that’s a different discussion altogether).

That’s why, this week – which marks the 6-month anniversary of 4/20 as well as my wife’s birthday – I’m publishing a powerful series of articles entitled “The 5 Biggest Myths Of Medical Marijuana”, in which I hope to clear up misconceptions held by a lot of people…some even marijuana users themselves.

More importantly, I’m hoping these articles will be the springboard for some positive discussions that will help us make progress towards a world where people can use their own choice of medicine without fear of either prosecution or bankruptcy.

i http://aerobie.com/aeropress.htm
ii http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee#Prohibition