Why do people judge those who indulge in weed, drugs and alcohol?
Why is it that in the Nigerian's eye, if you smoke weed you're a useless person without any hope for the future?
Why are you perceived as a scoundrel capable of the worst of sins?
The real answer to this judgment is what I'll explore in today's letter.
Firstly, is it an exaggeration to say that non-smoking Nigerians carry smoking weed on their head as the ultimate path to uselessness?
Well, it depends on what part of Nigeria you live in, the people you were surrounded by and what your parents taught you.
To some people, you're destroying your lungs and other various organs.
To others, you're a disappointment.
I remember one time my dad mentioned they sacked one security guy in our area. It was sad because we both liked the security guy. When I asked why, he said he was caught with Indian hemp.
The way he bowed, sorrow mixed with shame and pity, as if to say: you could have been so much better.
The second question is: are Nigerians justified in their oppressive judgment of those who do igbeaux?
Is the world justified?
Well, yes. But it's not that simple.
THE BEGINNING
I want you to go into your mind and imagine with me some time in the 1900s (this isn't very year-specific, because existing free data isn't clear and I want this to be a light read).
You're married and you have a son. You're high-middle class. You can pay for your needs, and then some. So you pay for your son to travel abroad for university.
5 years later he's returned to you, skinny, sickly looking; dying. You learn he did all the drugs, one of which included a little thing called marijuana. He has no degree. He has no status, and all the money you've worked hard to send to him was all squandered on substances.
The doctors aren't properly equipped to save him, and he dies. But not before you've become bankrupt trying different doctors and procedures to save him.
Now you suffer loss in two ways:
Your Child is Dead.
and
Your Bank Account is also Dead.
Your family, friends and neighbours see how much you suffer, and fear that such fate will come upon them
So what do they do?
They spread the gospel against drugs. Particularly, the one that's the easiest to get; marijuana.
Don't do them or you'll become useless as Dave's son. Don't do them or you'll turn us go beggars on the streets. Don't do them or you'll die. And if you insist, you shall no longer be called my child.
The repercussions were strict because the effects were strong. Nobody could say otherwise.
THE UPPER MIDDLE: CANNABIS
Drugs are fun. If you can afford to, do them. Even if it's just the once.
When done right, your inhibitions are loosened, you're more relaxed, happy - happier. And if you're with the right people, in the right place, you're about to have more laughs and more fun than if you were sober. This is my experience with cannabis anyway, I cannot speak for the other substances.
Within the last decade, cannabis has shown itself clear of all the terrible accusations. You can do weed and still have a productive life.
But before the truth of weed was revealed, and even now, I want you to think about those you saw indulging in the grass. How many of them appeared like they were actually useful and doing something productive for their selves, their families and society?
I saw none. Not until university.
And even now, the productive weed smokers are recreational users. The daily users don't bear so much responsibility asides showing up for school, marking attendance and going home.
Which brings me back to my point:
THE ABDICATION OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Drugs make you happy, free, impulsive. They're an interesting way to run away from your problems.
To avoid the gloominess of life, people turn to drugs. This fact is as true today as it has been through for thousands and thousands of years.
Only one problem: addiction.
The effects of certain drugs were so strong that all through time people have lied, stole and killed to get them. They would manipulate their loved ones, run into debt, steal from their families, just to snort something. Anything to get them that precious high.
This is the abdication of social responsibility:
When the people who abuse drugs are too stoned and fucked up to contribute meaningfully to society.They reject the responsibility they owe to the collective and instead choose indulge in their hedonistic desires, permanently, regardless of the damage they cause.
Back in the day, the substance abusers didn't improve the economy. They didn't save lives. They didn't provide jobs (except for the drug pushers). They didn't improve healthcare. They didn't even provide for their family, and barely ever provided for their selves.
All they did was make people poor, angry and terribly sad. All the while having hedonistic fun in their own little world.
The rejected the responsibility that life forces on all of us and humiliated the people who were strong enough to accept it.
THE LOWER MIDDLE: ROLE OF THE FAMILY
Families were either thrown into bankruptcy from trying to save their loved ones
Or grief, from losing their loved ones to drugs and addiction.
All of this deep emotional pain and trauma is why the cycle of stigmatization was started for generations, and is still happening today.
Even if you weren't an addict, being merely seen with drugs was enough to kick you out of social circles.
Families saw families crumble because of a drug addiction issue and did their best to ensure their children didn't fall into the same trap.
Even if it meant mentally framing all drug users as sinners and fundamentally bad people to be avoided. It is a small price to pay for the safety of the kids.
The accumulation of all this bad experiences justify the hate and stigma poured on drug users by Nigerians.
WHEN BELIEFS ARE SHAKEN
I talked with someone recently who confessed that when his role model admitted to smoking drugs, his perception of him changed briefly.
But then he began to ask himself: why actually is smoking weed so bad?
If it's a health issue, doesn't excessive sugar in junk food kill us as much as the weed?
And he's not the only one to have experienced this.
Lower and middle class people would be invited to a party or small get together by a very rich person, and find them indulging in all sorts of drugs. Way more than the usual alcohol.
But they couldn't make any reasonable judgements that held water.
What would they say?
That he's useless?
The man literally provides jobs for thousands of people outside his family.
That she's irresponsible?
Her family is well fed, all needs met, children go to the best schools and study what they choose to.
This people accepted their social responsibility and made themselves valuable to the system. Because of their contribution economies are flourishing.
When you consider all of this, you'd agree that you can make a few exemptions on who should be judged for smoking weed.
THE END/CONCLUSION
Rich people do drugs. They just do it in safer environments than the masses.
Am I encouraging the use of drugs?
Well, encouraging is a strong term. But I will say find your poison of choice and indulge in it from time to time.
My rule of thumb is: never do it alone and never do it with people who don't care about you.
They're called recreational for a reason: use them sparingly and in your free time.
Cannabis is a recommended poison because of its fun and health benefits, but of course it's not for everybody.
I know people who have become physically ill from marijuana use. They didn't die or anything, but after a few tries, they figured that this probably isn't for them. And they dropped it.
But at least, they tried. That's the important thing.
My opinion on other psychedelics is simple: indulge with caution.
Yes, as young people the peer pressure to do drugs is heavy, but asides cannabis, most other drugs will fuck you up in irreparable ways.
You're an adult, consider if the risk is worth it before you indulge.
We live only once, so I will not tell you not to try it. But consider the repercussions. Addiction is not pleasure. You lose control over yourself and this will spiral into other actions that will negatively affect you and your loved ones.
The people who ridiculed drug users had a valid fear. Your parents may be annoying for telling you to stay away, but they aren't stupid. Listen to them.
Disobey only if you're ready to accept that responsibility. And if you aren't ready to face the repercussion of your actions; stay away.
Finally, if you're already doing drugs and wondering if you should stop, the answer is yes.
I watched a video recently where the guy advised that if you no longer feel good when you get high, if you feel heavy and shitty the next morning; then your drug time is over.
If it has crossed your mind that you should stop, then it's probably time.
You're getting older, your body can't keep up forever. So take care of it the way you can.
The only reason you want to keep indulging in drugs even though you feel like shit when you're done is because you're trying to recreate the happiness you had in the past.
That happiness probably came because you were doing it with friends you cared about, and that collective joy and happiness made it an awesome experience.
But those nights won't last forever.
Stop chasing temporary happiness and find it from within. If you can't then go for therapy. It's time to heal all that fucked up shit you've been running from.
You can't run forever. And you shouldn't want to. This path will bring you peace, and I pray you find the courage to face it.
Thank you for reading up to this point. I hope you learned as much as I did.
If you found this useful, and think others will too, then do me a huge favour and share.
You can also connect with me on WhatsApp if you want to talk some more
Until the next one,
Stay easy,
Dave.
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Wow Dave Wow