Yes. I smoke Cannabis, and enjoy it very much. In fact, I am smoking some cannabis right now as I write this account of my own 'gateways' to Cannabis.
In the beginning I was thirsty. No amount of comforting would still my cries or sustain my body. Mother's milk was a life changing experience, at once I no longer felt hungry, it made me feel warm, fulfilled, and as time went by I grew to have a physical and emotional dependence on the breast and the sustaining milk that it provided. DAMN her!! Alas, little did I know that against my will, I would be graduated to more sinister substances, no longer living and brought to me from my own kind, the milk of another animal would be slipped into my bottle, and substituted in lieu of my mothers natural sustenance.
Before I had much chance to recover from this, and to distract me so I would not notice the change, other substances were added to my diet of drink, fruit juices that revved up my tiny energy, making me run about and misbehave terribly, Candies filled with sugar that filled another craving for the flavors of sugars and sweets of any kind.
They killed animals, and before the flesh was rancid, they cooked and fed it to me in pastes, adding spices that further escalated my dependence on substances, making me hate everything that was seemingly bland or unexciting. I didn't want grains or vegetables, I was now addicted to the taste of meat!
One day my father asked me to come to work with him, I was old enough to see what he did, and help him on the farm. When we woke up so early that morning, it was still dark out. As I cranked open my sleepy eyes he said. "here. have some coffee." it will wake you up. This tastes like shit!! i said to myself. Dad saw the grimace I made, and brought out the thick cream, and I put in several spoons of sugar. to this day its the only way I can drink coffee, without making it into a thick sweet soup, the natural taste of coffee makes it undrinkable in my opinion, and I only use it today because I am addicted!
Well, one day after a long day of work, my older brothers brought some beer to share. "its OK," they said. "You can have a cold one after work." So I did. After being shown it was a pleasure, like everything else from the breast to a steak, I permitted myself to enjoy it and soon became addicted to it. From my present vantage, i can see that a common theme was starting to develop. It was beginning to dawn on me that I wasn't getting some good advice. Booze claimed fifteen solid years of my life, and shortly after beer I was introduced to Cannabis,which was a relief! Beer was getting tiresome, and the hangovers hurt my head. LSD was worth trying but i never liked it or cocaine, the effects were too negative afterward, and so I dabbled and gave it up.
As I was saying, alcohol became a problem for me, since it required large periods of time in a drinking establishment, (a negative influence on anyone's life) and the suppression of my mind and intelligence by alcohol. (I was getting dumber and more anti-social) During the time i drank, I was unable to write or create anything of lasting value. It never helped me do anything but escape.
I double whammied for a while with alcohol and weed, but eventually gave up booze and negative relationships and began to educate myself with courses, where I received instruction. If it were not for the peaceful and healing effects of cannabis, i would have not continued its use either. It helped me concentrate and get and education in what i was interested in. Cannabis helped me find my interests and revive my creativity.There is a gate way theory, but the RACISTS and the self interested LIARS have put the shoe on the wrong foot. Cannabis was the gate-way alright.
Cannabis led me back to peace and creativity, and away from other drug abuse and negative and self destructive behavior.
Cannabis has healed SO many.
Cannabis is a gateway to WELLNESS and HEALTH.
Cannabis is a gateway to PEACE.