When I was growing up in the 90s in rural Pennsylvania I remember the billboards touting the anti-Marijuana slogans and D.R.U.G.S. t-shirts and hats being worn at parades and other public events. Every other billboard, from my scant recollection, revolved around the latest brewing technique of America's best selling beer from the beautiful Rockies. In my circle most people didn't drink alcohol at all so that was just about as taboo, but slightly less, than Marijuana.

Having seen up close car accidents with drunk drivers or watching the nightly news I always had a question I couldn't answer. Where were all the Marijuana related deaths on the news? Where was the kid who actually did kill himself because he got so high on this natural plant? If you've seen the anti-Marijuana commercials of the 80s you know what I'm talking about. Of course there simply weren't, were unrelated, or was just this: a lie. 

Of course that stigma has changed dramatically and there seems to be more and more people coming out and sharing their past struggles and experiences with alcohol (the acceptable drug by most societies around the world) and drugs like meth and heroine saying that Marijuana has helped them battle those demons.

Here's to hoping that that message continues and the stigma against Cannabis is at least recognized for what it is. At the end of the day Cannabis is a drug, just like coffee, tea, alcohol, meth and heroine. But which ones would we already consider as being good for us, and which do we already know are bad?