Where’s The Weed That Made Rick James Write That One Song?
I Am Not Sidney Poitier.
This is my last rant.
I quit marijuana.
Gil Scott-Heron and Akira Kurosawa and James Baldwin.
MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS.
I AM NOT SIDNEY POITIER is most likely my last attempt at audiobooks. I struggled for two weeks with James before getting a physical copy. I read it in three sittings. Maybe I suck at audiobooks. Maybe Percival Everett novels aren’t meant to be audiobooked. I’ll know more after I’ve properly read I Am Not Sidney Poitier.
THIS IS MY LAST RANT, on this platform. In preparation for what we are doing next, we will be expiring this site. Thank you for your interest and investment in our content. We hope that it has been therapeutic…entertaining…stimulating. And, yes we are going to ask for a greater commitment in the near future.
I QUIT MARIJUANA, after I leave Jamaica. First I need to visit a weed farm and answer two questions:
RQ1: Should marijuana be reclassified?
RQ2: Has marijuana lost its high?
I once did a study on marijuana, to justify or disprove its Schedule I classification. It was a waste of time. Turns out me and the government were both late to the party. Plenty of smart people discovered marijuana had more positive benefits than negative ones a long, long, long time ago. Its Schedule I classification has been unjustified since forever.
This is not the rant where I discuss the harm caused by the prohibition of marijuana. Plenty of people already ranted about that. Instead I’m here to investigate whether we should be buying or smoking what they’re selling.
Somewhere along the way marijuana lost its high. Is it just me or is it all mid-short, superficial highs? After visiting Jamaica I should have a clearer answer on who/what killed marijuana, and whether we should be buying or smoking what They’re selling.
GIL, KUROSAWA, AND BALDWIN
In preparation for what comes next, I’ve been deep diving in b/w cinema. I may never use color again. There’s this one scene in Hellzapoppin that you absolutely must see. Can you imagine the Whitey's Lindy Hoppers era made into a film? Also imagine it’s directed/choreographed by Camille A. Brown. Sheeeesh! The Criterion Closet series has me stuck on Akira Kurosawa. Books, stage plays, television, and a bunch of films…Kurosawa is who they say he is. I just finished Ikiru and it confirmed what Gil wrote - “It’s impossible to move faster within the system than a turtle with two busted legs.” Next up is Stray Dog.
After ranting to Jovanna about feeling stalled, I went back to reading The Amen Corner. James Baldwin wrote that it took 10 years to get his play to stage. Sheesh! At that rate, I’ll never catch Kurosawa. However, if Baldwin and Watanabe could wait it out - surely I can hold on a while longer.
MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS
Marijuana is cool when used responsibly. Moderately. Creatively. As a substitute for harder drugs. With a healthy heart and lungs. While some have achieved magical things without marijuana, it could be the answer for others.
Most importantly, don’t let Them turn marijuana legalization into the new “Black” holiday. Unless They’re gonna expunge all weed convictions, we don’t care. Legalized marijuana is on the old agenda. On the now agenda is ownership of buildings where enthusiasts and practitioners can cultivate, educate, sell, and responsibly indulge in high quality cannabis. On top of all that, illegal weed still smokes better.
“Free the weed man!”
Leaving the box so you can think outside is - TherapeuticLiving.