[VIDEO] Dagga Couple: History of Dagga in South Africa & Legalization

Thanks to the Dagga Couple who sent me this video on Twitter. This morning I woke up and for some reason I wondered how dagga came to South Africa. I personally don’t use dagga so I’m not too sure how it came to mind but it did!

Although I don’t use dagga, I do feel that it should be legalized. We have so many issues in South Africa that I don’t know a single dagga smoker who DOESN’T smoke it because it’s illegal. I think it’d be better to use our tax money else where. Does that mean that it should be available for everyone left, right and center? Absolutely not. I think it needs to be regulated just like alcohol and there should definitely be an age restriction.

I enjoyed learning about how Dagga came to South Africa but I have to deny that it has no long term or short term effects. I dated a dagga user for 4 years and although it did not affect his intelligence, it certainly became the end all and be all of every day. It was ridiculous the amount of time I had to cater for dope rolling, buying, sorting not to mention begging to do something else on weekends! It certainly does lower the inhibitions of the user – just like alcohol.

Many of my friends who smoked dagga every day for years and then stopped have changed their attitudes, become far more social (not standing around a corner smoking a joint but actually talking and laughing with fellow human beings) and productive. They THEMSELVES have said that they can see that whilst smoking many items on their “to do list” would be left until tomorrow or the day after or the next day or never IF they had a joint first in the day. Since stopping, however, their “personalities” (for lack of a better explanation) have totally returned. So it seems the effect is only during long term use. There are no long term side effects. (Apart from the years they wasted not doing anything because they were stoned LOL).

So although I agree that it’s not as serious as a Class A drug and could actually be very good for our economy, I think it’s short sighted to say it has NO effect whatsoever – because social effects should count too, not only physical effects. With that in mind, check out the Dagga Couple’s documentary on Dagga arriving in South Africa and how can get legalize the plant. It’s an interesting debate: