Powerful Weapon

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Twain once said “that the human race has only one really effective weapon and
that is laughter.” That “weapon” is more often than not a useful and valuable
tool that humans are able to use to communicate and think more deeply about
taboo issues within our own culture. Humor is more than just entertainment, it allows
people to approach sensitive issues. No one is better at this than stand-up comedians.
Talented comics allow their audiences the opportunity to think about the
infrastructure that orders our daily lives. Jokes can offer insight and an
alternative vantage point while looking at preconceived notions, stigmas and
inequalities in today’s society.

At
this pivotal time in our cannabis industry, comedians hold a strong but
underappreciated ability to help us mainstream the cannabis culture. They can
be at the frontline, changing perceptions and turning corners as advocates in
their own right. With comedians like Bill Maher, Lily Tomlin, Mike Epps, Adam
Carolla, Margaret Cho, Roseanne Barr and now, Sandra Bernhard on this team, the
fight toward mainstreaming cannabis gets easier and easier for us.

Comedy
can be as powerful as medicine. Satire can play a crucial role in social
justice and can subvert authority and expose hypocrisy. Comedians Jon Stewart
and Stephen Colbert blur the lines between news and comedy, aiding the larger
plight to point out the unfair practices, policies and decisions that are being
made in our society.

The
late-George Carlin once said, “No one is ever more herself or himself than when
they really laugh. Their defenses are down . . . They are completely open,
completely themselves when that message hits the brain and the laugh begins.
That’s when new ideas can be implanted. If a new idea slips in at that moment,
it has a chance to grow.”

It’s
that subtle introduction to new ideas and new growth during comedy that can
help shift perceptions on cannabis, in an almost subconscious way. The face of
advocacy has changed over the years, and now includes entertainers, musicians,
chefs and artists as well as politicians and community leaders. Just as Carlin
suggested, the laughter that comes as a result of comedy and cannabis allows
the idea to be planted in the minds of everyone, from brave advocates to those
who know very little about the industry. It’s the same war, being fought on a
different front, but one that is quickly fast-tracking the progress, awareness
and acceptance of this burgeoning industry.

Sincerely,

Evan
A. Senn

Editor-In-Chief