In his new book, comedian Louie Anderson argues in favor of marijuana legalization. And not just for medical cannabis: Anderson advocates for legal recreational marijuana across all 50 states. The root of his support? Alcohol addiction. The crux of his argument is that not only is weed healthier, but it doesn’t cause the same trauma as alcohol addiction.
Louie Anderson’s Just Published A New Book
Louie Anderson’s new book, Hey Mom: Stories for My Mother, But You Can Read Them Too, is already a big success. It’s based on a series of letters Anderson wrote to his mother, who has passed away. She inspired much of his comedic work, including his role as Christine Baskets on Zach Galifianakis’ Baskets. Anderson has received a Primetime Emmy for this portrayal.
Hey Mom is a highly personal work, detailing his journey to success and his family life. Aside from comedy, two of the topics Louie Anderson touches upon are alcohol and marijuana.
Louie Anderson Supports Recreational Marijuana
In his latest work, comedian Louie Anderson argues in favor of marijuana legalization. His argument is based on personal experience with alcohol, and understanding of the human condition.
“We all need something to get through the pain,” Anderson writes in Hey Mom.
Anderson continues, “I don’t have the statistics. I just know that alcoholism still affects my life, and Dad’s been gone for almost forty years. I know that when you grow up in an alcoholic family, it’s kind of like an atom bomb or a hydrogen bomb or any of those bombs where no one gets out unscathed. You’re affected at the time, and also as times goes on. Its effects seep into your life, affecting everything you do, from the friends you attract to the risks you take or don’t take to the whole life you try to lead.”
Anderson’s reasoning behind legalizing weed is anecdotal and compelling. He understands that altering one’s state of mind is a human urge, and marijuana is a healthier option for everyone involved. Not only does Louie Anderson support recreational marijuana, but he argues that it’s more logical than alcohol’s legal status.
Anderson states, “I’m all for it [legalization]. It makes more sense to legalize weed than alcohol. Let’s legalize marijuana in all states, and not just for medical purposes.”
Alcohol Has A Higher Toll on Families
The difficulties of coping with alcoholism for those affected by it is long documented, arguably since alcohol’s inception. The long-term consequences of his father’s alcoholism that Louie Anderson describes in Hey Mom are painfully common.
Comparatively, studies show that Substance 1-classified marijuana curbs domestic violence. A study published in 2014 based on research conducted at Yale University, Rutgers University and the University of Buffalo shows that couples that smoke weed are less likely to engage in domestic violence.
The study followed 634 couples over the first nine years of marriage. It defined domestic violence according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention‘s definition: “Physical violence, sexual violence, stalking and psychological aggression (including coercive acts) by a current or former intimate partner.”
Researchers tracked Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) through email surveys.
The study yielded some dismal results: 37.1 percent of husbands engaged in IPV after the first year. It found that 28 percent of men and 22 percent of women surveyed smoked marijuana at least once per year.
Interestingly, instances of IPV decreased in couples even when only one partner smoked cannabis. The sample pool of couples in which both partners smoked marijuana had the lowest levels of domestic violence.
The study concluded that marijuana “blunted emotional reaction to threat stimuli.” Comparatively, alcohol can amplify your reactions.
Final Hit: Comedian Louie Anderson Argues In Favor of Marijuana Legalization
Louie Anderson’s latest comedic hit gives us yet another reason to support marijuana legalization.
He writes, “I don’t have the statistics” when it comes to marijuana and alcohol’s respective impacts on families, but we do, and the statistics back him up.
Marijuana use can lower domestic violence, whereas alcohol abuse, as detailed in Anderson’s newest book Hey Mom, can have a lifelong impact.
