The Classic Millennial

Often times, marijuana is one of those topics where people are either for legalization or they are indifferent. I have yet to meet a single Millennial who is completely against any kind of legalization. It seems like legalization creeps in in the middle of the night through medical uses, and by the morning, recreation has taken hold and everyone is blazing up (or that’s how some people view it). We have all heard the news articles where someone’s kid has recurring seizures that keep them from their lives so the parents fight for medical uses. Unfortunately, law makers see the trends of marijuana in other states such as California and Colorado and error on the side of conservatism.

Here in lies the Dilemma. Law makers feel if they legalize any forms, it will eventually lead to full recreational use. Especially for conservatives who align themselves with the Republican party, they are more than hesitant to even hear anyone out.

The argument for more research to be done on how marijuana affects your health is a very common one. I used to say this myself until I read that there has been over 25x more research on marijuana than there has been on Ibuprofen and Tylenol. I was shocked. How can that be? Ibuprofen and Tylenol are available at every drug store in the country and have been for decades, yet we have done more peer reviewed studies across the globe on marijuana topping over 25x? I am not a scientist or a biologist, but I think we might have enough for a solid case.

Colorado has been the guinea pig for the country as we all watched that fateful day of January 1st, 2014. The first day of recreational use was as expected. People traveling from all over to buy legal marijuana for the first time. But like most new things, they begin to fade out eventually. I have personally been to Colorado and seen multiple dispensaries. There is no one loitering outside smoking a joint when you walk in, there are no kids on the streets “addicted” to marijuana, and no one is lurking the shadows hoping to sell you some bogus weed. In a similar way to how a liquor store works, dispensaries provide a place for consenting adults to go and make an informed decision on what they would like. No more, no less.

Another common argument against legalization is assumption that there will be more marijuana related incidents such as car accidents. I could spend days inserting facts and figures from reputable sources on increases and decreases in marijuana related car accidents by state, territory, and region, but I don’t see the point. The most helpful piece of information I gathered from my research was that there has been an increase in marijuana related incidents since legalization in Colorado. That is a fact. However, the overwhelming majority of those incidents had alcohol involved as well. That being said, it’s mostly impossible to determine the guilty party in those cases.

Next is the argument for legalization for the boost in tax dollars that the state will see. Fortunately for Colorado, they calculated over 1 billion dollars came from taxing marijuana in 2016. There is no way to be certain if any of the other states that are teetering on the edge of whether or not to legalize due to not enough tax dollars will deem 1 billion as a victory, but I would assume so. If each of our 50 states had an extra 1 billion, what would they do with it? Honestly, I wouldn’t care as long as they continue to see how the benefits outweigh the costs.

At the end of the day, we are talking about a drug. We are talking about potentially legalizing a currently illegal drug. Drugs have consequences, but we all know that. If you wanted to off yourself on drugs right now, you could drive to your local CVS or Walgreen’s, buy all the over the counter drugs, and wash them down with a bottle of scotch. If you wanted to off yourself on marijuana, you could smoke until you got dizzy and fall asleep, but it won’t come near to killing you. To date, there has been not one single case of a marijuana related death. Not my opinion, please look it up.

So The Marijuana Dilemma remains. To legalize, or not to legalize. Truthfully, I am tired of talking about it. By my calculations, the amount of jobs legalization creates, tax dollars generated, declines in marijuana related arrests, medical uses and advances, and overall happiness of people, I think it’s time. We all know marijuana isn’t for everyone, but neither is alcohol. It’s a take it or leave it issue. People are simply looking for the opportunity and freedom to choose.

-The Classic Millennial

It’s no secrete that Millennials suck. Look at all the companies across the world that are scratching their heads when it comes to managing Millennials. Companies like Google, Facebook, Pinterest, etc., are falling all over themselves to remain “cool” and “hip”. Earlier generations are studying Millennials and attempting to figure out how they can be managed, but I have bad news for them. We suck. We don’t fit into the system that was so easily accepted by earlier generations.

Let’s take it back a bit. Taking a quick look at a timeline in the last 100 years, you will find that throughout history we have been progressing basically for the freedom that Millennials have now. (yes, I am using “basically” loosely) Did you ever consider that the whole “Follow your dreams” speeches we all heard through the course of our public or (even more in) private schools, has only been relevant in the past 50 years or so? Are there exceptions to this rule? Sure. Parents have said “you can be whatever you set your mind to” for generations, but I would argue it hasn’t really been feasible until now.

The more we back up in history, the more we see how there has been less and less opportunity to choose your own path. We all know the names of the trail blazers like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, etc., but what about the masses? What about the masses of people who worked their whole lives doing the same job until the day they died?

We are at a crucial and pivotal time where there is now more opportunity to follow your dreams than there has ever been before. There have been many factors that have contributed to this massive upturn in opportunity such as the rise of the internet and the ridiculous technology age we are currently fully submerged in. Just these 2 examples have changed the course of history and provided jobs for millions of people across the globe. There are opportunities that could never have been even remotely within reach for previous generations that now sit at the fingertips of Millennials.

In the past, most people who gave up on their dreams probably did so because it seemed like too far of a long shot. Regardless if you have a house payment, kids, partner, and various assortments of bills, if you were providing for your family in the 1960’s at a reputable factory, but always had dreams of becoming a jazz saxophonist, you probably kissed that one goodbye a long time ago. Now things have changed.

I think our main perceived problem is that we are unwilling to let this notion of “following your dreams” go. Millennials can come across as pompous or arrogant because we are unwilling to settle for what the previous generations have accepted as normal life. Something about working the same job for decades, paying off a house for 30 years, and “saving the fun” for when we are old and retired, just seems silly. It’s been the norm for so long that it feels like no one has challenged it quite like the Millennials are currently.

The reason why Millennials suck is because we creating a problem for many large companies. Companies that are used to people keeping their heads down, collecting their paychecks, and doing their jobs. When I read an article about how big business are dumping money into revamping or revitalization efforts in attempt to appeal to Millennials, I can’t help but shake my head. Cool couches, Starbucks coffee machines, ping pong tables, free lunches, and weekly office yoga sessions only work so much. I see those attempts as a band aid fix in the same way offering a raise to an employee who is attempting to leave their job is a band aid. They will leave, eventually. A Millennial will work in a basement with no windows, no yoga, and a Mr. Coffee maker if it meant they were helping build something great. If they truly felt a sense of purpose and freedom in their work, they would never leave. These are most important.

So the answer is no. We are not sorry for our desire for something better. Can the blame be placed on the previous generation for making us this way? I’m sure they deserve their fare share, but it’s not all them. The best thing we can do moving forward is work together. We will never fit into your box in the same way you would never fit into ours. It’s only a collective effort that can succeed.