My Brother and I Scored Tickets to See Argentina vs. Canada at the Conmebol Copa America – Here’s What Happened When We Got High Before the Game
Earlier this month, my brother and I were lucky enough to snag tickets to the highly anticipated Conmebol Copa America match between Argentina and Canada at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. And of course, being the cool, hip guys that we are, we decided to light up before heading over to the game.
As we indulged in some delicious pulled pork and ice-cold Stella Artois, my mind couldn’t help but wander away from the game and into deeper, more philosophical thoughts about the nature of sports events like this. From my vantage point, the players on the field looked like tiny ants, not professional athletes, but rather pretend hunter-gatherers fighting for survival and victory with every ounce of their being.
But what struck me even more were the 70,000 or so people in the stands. They didn’t seem like mere spectators, but rather alien overlords, watching the bloodbath unfold in the same way the ancient Romans would have watched gladiators battle in the Colosseum. These overlords, I couldn’t help but muse, were content with their elevated status above the unforgiving state of nature, indulging in food and drink while others fought for their lives for their entertainment.
But deep down, I couldn’t help but feel that they were also ashamed. Ashamed because they knew they weren’t living life the way human beings were meant to, unlike the players on the field who were truly living in the moment.
Looking back at the notes I scribbled on my phone during halftime, I cringe a little – but only a little. Because, let’s be real, I tend to write some pretty great stuff when I’m high. And I’m high quite often, especially when I’m working on challenging journalistic projects.
For years now, I’ve been using small amounts of weed to help me with my writing. Not only does it take away some of the pressure and help me overcome writer’s block, but it also allows me to see the world in a new light, make astute observations, and articulate thoughts that would otherwise be difficult to put into words.
And I’m not the only writer or journalist who has flirted with marijuana. Victor Hugo, author of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Misérables, was a member of a Parisian society of hashish enthusiasts. Hunter S. Thompson and Truman Capote were also known for their love of cannabis, and while I’m not saying that their substance use was the sole reason for their literary success, I do believe that there is something about cannabis that can enhance creativity and analytical thinking.
I still remember the first time I truly realized the potential of cannabis for writing. I was lying in bed, watching Andrei Tarkovsky’s Solaris on MUBI. I had seen the film multiple times before in my cinema studies classes at NYU, and I always found it to be incredibly boring. But this time, with the help of some weed, I was able to see the film in a completely new light and appreciate its avant-garde brilliance.
