(Degrees Of Legality: A Vintage Petrol Lighter Story is a work of fiction presented by DependableFlame.com)
Orientation To A New Reality
“Hey, man, that’s illegal you know! You can’t do that here.” Elston had heard this all before but things were supposed to be different now. We had voted on it, there had been an election after all.
Great hope accompanied the signature petition drives that were central to the movement and forefront in most of our minds as this new reality took shape. You could feel the tide changing but
experience told me to be wary as the rug had been snatched from beneath us more than once in the past. Little did we realize it would be our own pals ripping that rug from underneath us in just a few short yrs.
“The law says I can smoke this anywhere that cigarettes are allowed,” Elston responded with no shortage of contempt present in his voice.
“Ya, I’m aware of those provisions sir but they only apply to public spaces and in case you haven’t noticed this is private property,” the passerby continued, “Private property that’s owned by a conservative republican family. Everybody knows republicans hate pot!”
“I changed my political affiliation just last night,” Elston retorted. “Smoking marijuana is not only allowed but encouraged in this fine establishment, good sir, I suggest you climb aboard the train.”
Assigning New Meaning To Old Biases
The bar was famous in Elston’s hometown, not like Elvis or Muhammad Ali were famous but more like Bernie Madoff or Leona Helmsley, famous for all the wrong reasons and the local scuttlebutt tended toward the infamous. Not that there were any
bars in this town doing God’s work, that’s just not the way that alcohol behaves.
Elston had spent eighteen solid yrs chasing those first deceptive recollections of alcohol’s lies. The liquor that warmed and filled his evenings was judgment at first light but the cycle was unrelenting and unforgiving and all-consuming. Alcohol had no answers but promised them all.
In this new reality there were many who wanted to draw a parallel between the two substances. It was tempting, sure but misplaced ideology would only set us on another course with disaster. And Elston knew far better than this confusing rhetoric.
Alcohol confounds the body’s function because the human body does not know how to process it and causes structural changes to the brain and other organs that bring about dependence on the very substance that created these changes to begin with. That’s not the same story that marijuana tells.
The human body has receptors whose sole purpose is to process and react to cannabinoids, many of which our bodies produce on their own, so these are not foreign elements. There’s tons of anecdotal evidence that the cannabis plant can actually be beneficial to those suffering symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, which can be deadly.
The bar for Elston had become his mission, however. He hadn’t touched the poison for yrs now and his presence in an alcohol establishment would seem a strange thing only to those who knew him best and most recently. He took every opportunity to spread his good news and hopefully correct a misunderstanding every time he encountered one.
Bottoms Up!
Shawn was a regular here at the bar though his attendance of late had been a bit spotty. He still claimed it as his bar although his residence was a couple thousand miles away from making it
convenient. Familiarity breeds friendliness though so my heart was warmed by the sight of daily acquaintances greeting my life-long friend as if he’d just said good-bye at the close of business the night before.
“You got a drop or two of that Maker’s Mint Julep still hanging around?” Shawn asked as his hand disappeared into his pocket, returning with a prerolled joint which he twisted the end off of and deposited between parched lips.
I met the end of his spliff with the roll of my right thumb against the striker of the silver toned Cygnus petrol lighter I’d retrieved from the watch pocket of my Wrangler Jeans, “Brother, you’d have better luck coaxing a sip out of the last bottle of Black Velvet I tossed before they drug me off to the hospital!”
We hadn’t seen each other in a while but that made no matter as our friendship had reached a point of transcending local proximity, the world having shrunk considerably since our youth. “Very well, how about Evan Williams black with a dash of Coke over a couple ice cubes then?”
The New Man
Shawn had mosied on out the back door and I found him there puffing on his now considerably shorter cigarillo type joint as he leaned back in a lawn chair, both hands behind his neck save for when he needed to draw the cigarette from his mouth. I sat the bourbon and cola down on a napkin, protecting the glass from the filth beneath it which blemished the rickety
old wooden table: stale bygone drink rings, dried throw up from the drunks the night before, bird shit courtesy of the pigeons which roosted overhead.
“You think they could find room for a couple more medical marijuana billboards up there on the highway?” Shawn joked. “Or perhaps another dispensary or two up on Main Street? I noticed there was a vacant shop right there between those other two you talk about all the time and the donut shop the cops hang out at.”
“Weed is legal, man. Get used to it!” Elston was tired of having these conversations with folks who were already converted. From his perspective, advertising and weed shops all over the place were a small price to pay for legal access to the plant that he believed strongly had saved his life.
For good reason he believed it too! Elston had been warned by a doctor yrs before that alcohol was killing him and he need to quit drinking. He used marijuana as a replacement for alcohol which made his weening from the booze quite uneventful and though the doctor knew nothing of his cannabis use, he praised as miraculous Elston’s abstention from the poison liquor, even commenting that he should write a book on the matter as anyone who quit drinking so easily surely would have some tips that could benefit others.
“Words are funny, man,” Elston said as his voice trailed off like a cowboy hero kicking up dust by the hooves of his horse. “I used to get lit all the time when I would have been much better off lighting up something other than myself.”
(Please leave any comments, questions or suggestions in the comments section of this or any other page at DependableFlame.com. This is a work of fiction and any similarity of the characters or situations herein to those that have happened in real life should be seen as coincidental.)
As a young person who spent quite a bit of time figuring out how to snitch drinks and then figuring how to function the next day, I relate to these characters. You are a good writer. This was a compelling story. I survived the alcohol. I agree with the legalization of marijuana for precisely the reasons you have presented your article. Alcohol destroys brain cells. Marijuana is used by the body in many positive ways. I have not doubt the debate will continue on. You have illustrated it very well.
Thank you Anastazja for stopping by to read the story as well as for the very nice comment, I really do appreciate it! It is very interesting to me the way we treat alcohol in our culture today, especially in relation to marijuana, mushrooms and other “drugs”. Cannabis is seen as a gateway drug by many, while alcohol advertising is all over the television and radio. One does bad, the other does good and we treat them opposite of the results they produce. I wrote an article about this conundrum a while back.
I really like the way you structured this article! I agree wholeheartedly with you when you say cannabis is better than alcohol! I’d never actually thought about how beneficial weed could be to help wean someone of alcohol abuse. Is that something that is widely recommended? I also wanted to know what were your criteria you look out for when considering a lighter for review or purchase? Other than that thank you for the article!!
Hey Seb, thank you for the questions man, I really appreciate it! Cannabis being used to ween folks off alcohol seem to be widely recommended by those who recognize the legitimate purposes and benefits of the cannabis plant, most mainstream corporate-minded doctors still have their head in the sand. As for the criteria I use to determine which lighters I buy, the main thing is do I like it? If the lighter is straight, aesthetically appealing and the right price then I’ll pull the trigger on it! I have written this article explaining some of my collecting philosophy.
Thank you for the compliments my friend.✌️
I really enjoyed reading your piece “Degrees Of Legality: A Vintage Petrol Lighter Story”. Your use of language really drew me in and I appreciated the way you explored the issue of marijuana legalization through the experiences of Elston and his friends.
The way you highlighted the differences between alcohol and marijuana was particularly effective, and I found myself thinking more deeply about the issue as a result. Your portrayal of Elston as a former alcoholic who had found a way to move beyond his addiction through the use of marijuana was compelling and added a personal touch to the story.
Thank you Anoth, I really appreciate your analysis of the story and for you sharing your insights in this comment. There is a bit of an autobiographical element to the Elston character as we have shared many similar circumstances, the other characters I can’t be so clear about however! I appreciate you frequenting the site my friend and am happy you enjoyed the story. I will continue to write more in this specific vein and hope they are received as well as this one.
I may not be in the best position to argue which is better – alcohol or cigarette. For me, I take to the cigarette. Apart from the cigarette effect, it is one of my most profound sources of motivation and inspiration. But when it comes to puffing it out in public spaces, I will want to respect others who do not like the stick and its output.
Hey Parameter, thank you for taking time to read the story and leaving this nice comment.
I think it is important to point out that all the depictions of “smoking” or “cigarettes” in this story are lots the herbal variety: spliffs, joints, blunts, marijuana cigarettes, whatever your want to call them. I was not talking about tobacco cigarettes at all. I don’t think there are really any redeeming benefits of tobacco use and there are obviously many detrimental aspects of the cancerous product’s use. Weed on the other hand has many proven benefits.
I really enjoyed reading this story, and it was quite different from what I was expecting when clicking on the post. I have done some research on CBD and the benefits that it has, including being used for joint paint, insomnia, depression and other mental disorders, but I had no idea that it can also be used for overcoming alcohol addiction.
I would much rather use a natural substance to overcome withdrawal symptoms, than a chemically produced pharmaceutical product. But as I gave up smoking many moons ago, would there be another way to use marijuana and CBD, with the same results?
Would CBD oil or gummies be as effective as smoking marijuana? Thank you.
Thank you Liné, I really appreciate you reading the story and sharing your insights regarding the subject matter. I have known several alcoholics who used marijuana gummies to help ween themselves off of a dangerous alcoholic dependance. I am not familiar with anyone who has done this with purely cbd gummies or oil though. I’m more saying that cbd alone would not be helpful, just that I haven’t heard those anecdotal stories. I also think it’s important to point out the alcohol dependancy and withdrawals are dangerous and should be overseen by a doctor.
Interesting perspective in this story and you make some good points. I think it’s positive if it helps people overcome alcohol addiction (as long as they’re not just getting addictedd to something else). I’m just leary of the possibility of any substance being laced, including alcohol since you can easily slip something into a drink. I think growing your own is awesome. Then you know where it comes from! I like your story!
I am glad you enjoyed the story Allison and really appreciate you taking the time to leave such a nice comment. There is no evidence of cannabis being addictive like some people claim but even if it was, the effects of cannabis use do not even compare with the destruction wrought in the human body by alcohol. I know that many of us have grown up being told and taught by our parents and our government that marijuana is dope but that propaganda is pure lies.
For me, smoking marijuana helps me function better than drinking alcohol. When I indulge in marijuana, I usually feel hungry and chill or simply end up sleeping. On the other hand, alcohol makes me feel hyper and I tend to crave a more energetic environment. In fact, I saw more people prone to destructive behavior due to excessive alcohol intake.
I hear you Byron and know exactly what you are talking about when it comes to alcohol. One of these substances can be helpful, the other is purely destructive. One can be used as a valuable tool, the other you’d better watch out for. Liquor is a liar and while some people may be able to handle it without grave hazard to themselves, others may sign up for a death sentence the first time they take a drink. I never would have imagined after my first drink or after quitting for five yrs in my early twenties that alcohol would become such a problem to me personally but it did!