What Advocacy Doesn’t’ Look Like

What Advocacy Doesn’t’ Look Like   

    Recently it was reported that two fast food workers in Tacoma were fired for trading burgers and fries for hash oil while on the job. The incident happened at a local fast food joint, and was an impromptu video according to the report. The videos creator, a local so called “marijuana advocate”, said he shot the video in order to make a statement and promote his cause, dabbing.       Although it is understandable the videos creators desire to make dabbing more socially acceptable, there is an issue with using the word Advocacy” to describe his actions. Even using the phrase “civil disobedience” would be a stretch to label this behavior, as that is usually planned, and certainly doesn’t involve putting others at risk. The word advocate
 implies a person is looking out for someone. Usually, it involves someone helping a person, or sticking up for a cause. “The parent went to the school to advocate for their kid.” This is clearly not what happened. The videos creator on a whim broke several laws and set up [ a situation in which two people lost their jobs. In the report on KOMO News the reporter was quick to tie “dabbing” to BHO explosions, and easily painted the action in a negative light.

     At a time when cannabis legalization is going through a rough patch here in Tacoma, There were just 2 retail outlets caught selling to minors in the city, stunts like this do nothing but hurt the cause. Additionally, it gives cannabis consumers a bad name. The prank adds to the stereotypes that cannabis consumers have poor judgment, suffer from irrational thinking and a whole host of other bad labels that have been assigned to the cannabis community.