By Jon Hiltz

 

When examining cultural differences around the globe, one doesn’t need to work hard to see the gap between Iran and the entire Western World.

The 1979 revolution which toppled the U.S. supported Persian monarchy and instituted a strict Religious Islamic regime made our co-existence on this planet somewhat frosty.  In recent years, there have been varying degrees of thaw and refreeze, but still, the cultural and political differences remain. One of the few exceptions to that rule is marijuana.

According to a recent article in the New York Times, Iranians love their weed, and the Ayatollah does not seem to care.

The ultra-strict government that has a penalty on the books of 99 lashes for consuming alcohol and routinely executes suspected drug dealers turns a blind eye to cannabis.  In fact, there is seemingly no penalty on the law books for cannabis at all, which is one of the reasons this ‘viceless’ nation loves the ganja.

Throughout the streets, restaurants, and alleyways of Tehran, the unique and familiar smells of cannabis are often present.

The Times reports that in 2015, the government opened 150 alcohol treatment centers, and it continues to be deeply involved in battling heroin.

When it comes to much lighter substances, unlike the U.S. where the DEA refuses to change the classification of marijuana, Iran does not issue prison sentences for small amounts of pot, which it is only mentioned briefly in the country’s penal code.

Cannabis flows in the snow-capped mountains of Iran where snowboarders roll joints and the fantastic scent of marijuana is prominent at ski resorts that surround the slopes.  University students in Iran smoke cannabis in their dorms to help them sleep or to concentrate while studying.

If that wasn’t enough, Iran is very progressive on the hard drugs as well.  Since the early 2000’s, the nation has provided clean needles and syringes to help stop the spread of HIV and other chronic diseases among users — some areas of Iran report that as many as one in three people are infected.

Iran has also implemented a methadone plan that is designed to battle their heroin issues, and the UN is even helping fund a drug treatment plan despite extreme criticism from the West over their human rights problem of routinely hanging drug dealers.

A further surprise on the progressive wheel, Iran has also been known to distribute condoms to sex workers — a very liberal act from a society that Westerners view as a puritanical.

In the case of outright legalization of cannabis, activists have been trying to make headway with the government since 2015, making the case that both cannabis and poppy fields (for opium) are indigenous to the country and could help make Iran move away from oil dependence.

Iran also has a problem with prison overcrowding and these reforms will help with those problems significantly.

When it comes to legalization efforts in Iran, nobody is holding their breath. But if all the reports are accurate, this complicated and fascinating society may possess more understanding and empathy than we give them credit for…perhaps we are not so different after all.