Canada just became the first industrialized nation to legalize recreational cannabis. Too bad Carl Sagan — astronomer, cosmologist, television star and low-key stoner — didn’t live to see the day.
As you can tell by this snippet from an essay he penned for the book “Marihuana Reconsidered” way back in 1971 (hat tip: the Big Think blog), Sagan would have certainly applauded the news:
‘The illegality of cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to full utilization of a drug which helps produce the serenity and insight, sensitivity and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world.’
We didn’t know those words were from Sagan until after his death in 1996. He opted to write his edgy (at the time) take under the “Mr. X” pseudonym for fear of what it could potentially do to his career. That’s a measure he’d certainly not need to take these days.
But his essay was much more than just a plea for legalization. It was basically a love letter to cannabis that would ultimately, and posthumously, earn him hero status among pot smokers everywhere.
Here are just some of the highlights:
Sagan gushed over weed-induced feelings of nostalgia...
“I can penetrate into the past, recall childhood memories, friends, relatives, playthings, streets, smells, sounds, and tastes from a vanished era.”
He said it gave him a better appreciation for art...
“The understanding of the intent of the artist which I can achieve when high sometimes carries over to when I’m down. This is one of many human frontiers which cannabis has helped me traverse.”
And sex (NSFW!)...
“The actual duration of orgasm seems to lengthen greatly, but this may be the usual experience of time expansion which comes with cannabis smoking.”
Stoners nod in unanimous agreement over his munchies take...
“The enjoyment of food is amplified; tastes and aromas emerge that for some reason we ordinarily seem to be too busy to notice. I am able to give my full attention to the sensation. A potato will have a texture, a body, and taste like that of other potatoes, but much more so.”
Sagan’s trips even helped spark some of his ideas...
“I drew the curves in soap on the shower wall, and went to write the idea down. One idea led to another, and at the end of about an hour of extremely hard work I found I had written eleven short essays on a wide range of social, political, philosophical, and human biological topics.”
Aside from all that, it's just a great read, especially on #legalizationday.
Here are some other great reads, but from an investor perspective:
Pot companies can expect a rocky start to legalization
What you need to know to invest in cannabis companies
Vancouver-based Tilray has global ambitions
