Natural High

I had occasion to drive to Winchester, Virginia, for a divorce case in Frederick County, Virginia, only my second occasion to practice in this neck of the woods.  The drive took 90 minutes from Falls Church, and went through some extremely aesthetically pleasing parts of the Virginia countryside.   Thankfully this was during the day and sunshine; a nighttime or cloudy journey wouldn’t have been nearly as enjoyable.

Circa 2019, cannabis has expanded in legality throughout our country, with many states legalizing its use medically, if not recreationally.  Virginia remains one of the few to refuse to even decriminalize it, though the recent victory of the Democrats in taking control over our General Assembly (Virginia state legislature) in Richmond might finally overcome the forces of Phillip Morris and R.J. Reynolds in at least decriminalizing the use of marijuana, which remains a misdemeanor with jail time on the table for simple possession.  

That being the case, not everyone in the Commonwealth has the luxury of indulging in the enjoyment of marijuana.  Thus we’re induced to seek other sources of euphoria, a “natural high”.  

Note: it is not my intention herein to either encourage or promote, or to discourage or disparage, marijuana use.  Some reasons for not doing so:

1.         It’s illegal in my state (e.g. Virginia)

2.         I don’t know anyone selling it

3.         My job drug tests

4.         I have a spouse and minor children in my household

5.         I have respiratory issues, e.g. asthma

6.         Not my scene, man.

Any of these are fine.   Each of us has to make our own decision, taking into account our lifestyles and the relevant laws of our jurisdiction.   When in doubt, ask the prosecutor charging you with possession with intent to distribute. 

As noted, idyllic countrysides certainly do it for me.   Here are some other examples.

1.         Winning a court case, or at least leaving the courtroom with a satisfactory outcome.

2.         Settling a case on favorable terms.

3.         Receiving a package in the mail.

4.         Receiving a letter from my comrade on Long Island.  Yes, some of us still write letters, though by now it’s on word processors and not by hand.

5.         Opening presents on Christmas morning or on my birthday.

6.         Seeing my Minnesota Vikings defeat another team, ideally the Packers, Lions or Bears.

7.         Enjoying a steak & cheese sub, Domino’s or Vocelli’s pizza, tacos at Chipotle, or other delight.

8.         Enjoying a good movie or TV show

9.         Enjoying a good concert, or music at home/car/treadmill

10.        Sleeping late during the weekend – waking up when I normally would on a weekday, and turning back to sleep as long as I want (probably an hour or two more)

11.        Blasting away at targets at the range, in the following calibers:  9mm, 8mm Mauser, .30-06, .223/5.56mm, 7.62x39, and 7.62x54R.   Still working on getting an FN FAL to shoot 7.62x51.

12.        Hanging out with my brother, my relatives, and my friends.   I’m happy to say our family doesn’t seem to have any black sheep with whom we don’t get along – to my knowledge.

13.        Playing guitar.   Usually a Gibson, but sometimes a Stratocaster.   My preference is for the warm, thick, smooth distortion of a Marshall tube amp, but Marshall does not have a monopoly on aurally pleasant tones:  Mesa Boogie, Orange, Fender, Hiwatt, and other amp companies have also managed to give us such beauty for our ears.

14.        Going through my old neighborhood where I grew up as a kid – Montgomery Village, near Gaithersburg, Maryland.  Driving up and down Rockville Pike, aka Route 355.

And last but not least….

15.        Intimacy.   I think we all know what that means.

MJ advocates might well argue that all the forgoing are made more enjoyable with the assistance of cannabis, though some – such as concerts – are more amenable to such improvement than others, e.g. court appearances.   Most likely true.  But even if you were able to toke, you couldn’t do so 24/7.   I can imagine some might try, but at some point you’ll have to derive some form of pleasure from something other than marijuana.  Which puts you with the rest of us seeking some pleasure from non-THC sources.  Let our lives be a optimal aggregate of maximum pleasure from whatever sources we can find, and not at anyone else’s expense.   AMEN.