Cannabis enjoys massive popularity as a recreational drug. Recent research shows that responsible adult use without adverse health, social, legal or economic consequences is not only possible, but happening every day.
Eating, listening to music, socializing, watching movies, playing sports, being intimate and being creative are some things people say cannabis helps them to enjoy more. Sometimes people also use it to make mundane tasks like chores more fun.
The World Health Organization Constitution defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
Therefore, the social and recreational uses of cannabis sometimes coincide with, or complement, its medical uses. As medical use becomes more widespread, patients gain the opportunity to socialize with each other; recreational users in most of the world are denied this social contact because their drug of choice is illegal where they live.
This in turn can lead to the misconception that cannabis users are anti-social. However, millions of people choose to visit the Netherlands each year not just to experience the varieties of cannabis but more importantly to be able to use it in a social public setting (coffeeshops) and interact socially with other users.
There is no way to ignore the fact that the recreational use of cannabis is highly stigmatised in some sections of society. Most, if not all the reasons for this stigma are based on misinformation or emotional judgements and there are compelling, factual counter-arguments in every case.
Nevertheless, in the minds of many people there are strong negative connotations attached to the idea of using cannabis merely for the pleasurable sensations and state of mind that it can impart.
In fact, even some of the most ardent supporters of cannabis and hemp may have reservations about the plant’s recreational uses. This is mainly because mainstream culture associates cannabis almost exclusively with ‘getting high’ (ironically, a view which is a direct result of cannabis prohibition) and largely ignores all its other positive applications.
In addition, many people who are serious about the potential of cannabis would agree that its recreational use – no matter how enjoyable – is one of the least important aspects of this amazing plant when considered next to its use for textiles, medicine, fuel and food.