What We're Smoking (MJ legalization FAQs)

[Birdie Num Nums]

Uh oh - all those caffeine addicts wouldn’t pass.

Nor all those nicotine addicts.

 

[Car-Guy]

Uh oh - all those caffeine addicts wouldn’t pass.

Nor all those nicotine addicts.

Let's not leave out the alcoholics.

 

[MRG]

Let's not leave out the alcoholics.

An ENT referred to me as an "Afrin addict". No more guns for me.
ETA: I was able to kick a decade long legal opioid habit via a little plant matter. Not only that, I feel better with less pain

 

[Birdie Num Nums]

...
Of course you can pay more, but that was always the case. And to avoid the "street" element, to get your choice, well worth the modest markt up.

And the variety and quality of choices offered today (https://www.leafly.com/) are drastically superior to what was available during those old college days -- or so I've been told.

 

[RobbieB]

When I go I always get an "assortment", all top shelf of course. I get some sativas for the daytime and some indicas for the evening. And I take advantage of the "ounce" discount too. Get me 8 little jars of top shelf stuff, store 'em cool and dark and smoke away -

 

[Time2]

I'm still concerned with those poor people in Texas. No legal cannabis in the state. I just don't know what they can do. /s/

 

[RetireeRobert]

Oregon MJ is legal. Has been beneficial for real estate building owners. On just the south side of my town, there are thirteen cannabis shops between the south freeway exit and downtown. I haven't counted but I am sure there are similar numbers on the east, north, and west side of town as well. A lot of the buildings/shops the cannabis stores sprouted in had been vacant before, so a lot of happy landlords, getting rent income now when they had none before.

But, like the Oregon Lottery established some decades ago, a bunch of the tax revenue ends up supporting public schools. So, Oregon is addicting its school systems to these "sin taxes". Former Governor Straub, way back in the 80's railed against establishing the Lottery, arguing it would just addict the public schools to that source of taxes, and that was unconscionable. They established the Lottery anyway, and dedicated the taxes. Now they have done it again with MJ.

Personally, I don't use Cannabis, and I don't like that me or my family has to face another source of impaired drivers out on the roads. And some reports have indicated an increase in accidents and DWI's since Oregon legalized MJ.

 

[stepford]

The sad truth is that I just can't enjoy weed anymore. Same for DW. Both of us enjoyed it quite a bit in our teens and 20s (no surprise, it was the '70s after all), but found it becoming less fun as we got older. I found I hated the raw feeling of smoking and DW found getting high just made her uneasy. We had pretty much quit by the time we reached 30.

For old times sake we tried it again a few times in the last few years, but if anything the sensations were even more unpleasant. Probably the most ironic effect of aging - now that dope's plentiful and legal we have no interest in it.

 

[RobbieB]

I kinda know what you say. I felt the same way for a long time when I was working.

Me thinks that it's the "drugs and responsibility don't mix" thing. Distracting. Makes the mind wander.

Now that I'm retired and have little responsibility I'm enjoying the "buzz" again. Still got about 3/8's oz to burn down before it's time to go dope shopping again -

 

[Jerry1]

The sad truth is that I just can't enjoy weed anymore. Same for DW. Both of us enjoyed it quite a bit in our teens and 20s (no surprise, it was the '70s after all), but found it becoming less fun as we got older. I found I hated the raw feeling of smoking and DW found getting high just made her uneasy. We had pretty much quit by the time we reached 30.

For old times sake we tried it again a few times in the last few years, but if anything the sensations were even more unpleasant. Probably the most ironic effect of aging - now that dope's plentiful and legal we have no interest in it.

That’s exactly what happened to me. It happened later in life, but by the time I quit, I was practically having panic attacks when I smoked. Tried it a couple time since, but not much different. Like you, now that it’s legal, can even handle it. Oh well. I’ll have to blow that dough on something else.

 

[Birdie Num Nums]

That’s exactly what happened to me. It happened later in life, but by the time I quit, I was practically having panic attacks when I smoked. Tried it a couple time since, but not much different. Like you, now that it’s legal, can even handle it. Oh well. I’ll have to blow that dough on something else.

Sometimes I find that I'm "thinking too much" and should just "slow down," be here now, and enjoy the day.

 

[Vacation4us]

My Ex husband was a pothead. I hated the stuff. He stayed downstairs getting high I became a hermit in our room upstairs after taking care of the kids all day and getting them to bed. I would say it was the root cause of our divorce he would say otherwise.

I am not a fan of legalization. You smell the s*it everywhere here in California even while driving on the freeway.

My never tried a drug in his life new DH and I recently visited Oregon. They recently passed a law that ALL drugs are legal. Cabellas had a sharps container in the women’s bathroom and there were too many pot stores to count. They even have drive thru dispensaries there. The line was at least 20 cars deep.

No thanks. Call me a Pollyanna but I am 100% against legalization. Until you have lived with an addict or have an addict in the family your clueless to the negative effects.

 

[pacergal]

Can you fact post your claim that Oregon recently legalized "all drugs"?
Not familiar with that.

 

[stepford]

No thanks. Call me a Pollyanna but I am 100% against legalization. Until you have lived with an addict or have an addict in the family your clueless to the negative effects.

I don't want to turn an interesting thread into a flame war, but one didn't need to look too far to see the negative effects of criminalization and a 50 year long war on drugs either.

And yes, I've had friends institutionalized and dead from drugs. Having no personal interest in drug use anymore I still believe the positive effects of decriminalization strongly outweigh the (debatable) increase in use resulting from the now widespread legal availability.

 

[Keim]

Can you fact post your claim that Oregon recently legalized "all drugs"?
Not familiar with that.

The simple answer is: That poster is wrong. They didnt legalize, they decriminalized. Rather then putting addicts in jail for possession of minor amounts of drugs they are putting them in treatment.

In my experience as founder of a Recovery Community Center, and leader of a statewide effort in Idaho, this is a better-and cheaper-way of doing things.
https://drugpolicy.org/press-release/2021/02/drug-decriminalization-oregon-officially-begins-today

 

[MRG]

The simple answer is: That poster is wrong. They didnt legalize, they decriminalized. Rather then putting addicts in jail for possession of minor amounts of drugs they are putting them in treatment.



In my experience as founder of a Recovery Community Center, and leader of a statewide effort in Idaho, this is a better-and cheaper-way of doing things.

https://drugpolicy.org/press-release/2021/02/drug-decriminalization-oregon-officially-begins-today

Heres an article on the changed law.

+1,000,000
The only thing sicker than putting a sick person in prison is the system that did that to a fellow human. Nobody deserves that.

 

[GreenEggs]

My Ex husband was a pothead. I hated the stuff. He stayed downstairs getting high I became a hermit in our room upstairs after taking care of the kids all day and getting them to bed. I would say it was the root cause of our divorce he would say otherwise.

I am not a fan of legalization. You smell the s*it everywhere here in California even while driving on the freeway.

My never tried a drug in his life new DH and I recently visited Oregon. They recently passed a law that ALL drugs are legal. Cabellas had a sharps container in the women’s bathroom and there were too many pot stores to count. They even have drive thru dispensaries there. The line was at least 20 cars deep.

No thanks. Call me a Pollyanna but I am 100% against legalization. Until you have lived with an addict or have an addict in the family your clueless to the negative effects.

Having had an alcoholic father I can fully sympathize with your feelings after going through a relationship like that. I am sure that the strong smell of MJ everywhere is frustrating and brings back a lot of negative memories. Hopefully, over time the newness of legalization wears off and the "in your faceness" of MJ shops everywhere dies down to a reasonable level.

 

[pacergal]

The simple answer is: That poster is wrong. They didnt legalize, they decriminalized. Rather then putting addicts in jail for possession of minor amounts of drugs they are putting them in treatment.

In my experience as founder of a Recovery Community Center, and leader of a statewide effort in Idaho, this is a better-and cheaper-way of doing things.
https://drugpolicy.org/press-release/2021/02/drug-decriminalization-oregon-officially-begins-today

Thank you. That was what I was familiar with.

 

[Jerry1]

I know this is thread drift, but I have to concur that decriminalization is, in my opinion, better. When I say that, many people think I’m okay with rampant drug use. I’m not. I think decriminalization should come with ever dollar we currently spend on the war on drugs being shifted to treatment for people who need it and programs to discourage use of all drugs - including alcohol. Also, as I indicated in a prior post, the government needs to get out of the sun tax business. They’re addicted to the money from substance use and that creates a terrible conflict of interest to find the best solutions to the problem.

 

[harley]

ever dollar we currently spend on the war on drugs being shifted to treatment for people who need it and programs to discourage use of all drugs - including alcohol.

Or how about working to deal with abuse instead of use. Why should you or anybody get to decide what other adults do for entertainment as long as it doesn't hurt others. Otherwise what's to stop me from deciding that eating beef, or travel, or gardening, or RC planes should be discouraged? It seems best that gov't only deal with problems as they occur, and not impact responsible people from doing what they please.

 

[braumeister]

Yes, as Thomas Jefferson allegedly said, "That government is best which governs the least."


Note:
Although it sounds like Jefferson, he never actually said that. The quote was the motto of a magazine, and later popularized by Henry David Thoreau, decades after Jefferson died.

Still a good principle, IMO. The Constitution lays out a very limited role for the federal government, and it can be overwhelming when we consider how it has expanded its role over the centuries.

Sorry, back to the thread topic now.

 

[Car-Guy]

Yes, as Thomas Jefferson allegedly said, "That government is best which governs the least."

Still a good principle, IMO. The Constitution lays out a very limited role for the federal government, and it can be overwhelming when we consider how it has expanded its role over the centuries.

Sorry, back to the thread topic now.

+1 (at least +1)


Now back to the thread topic.

 

[4legsgood]

The sad truth is that I just can't enjoy weed anymore. Same for DW. Both of us enjoyed it quite a bit in our teens and 20s (no surprise, it was the '70s after all), but found it becoming less fun as we got older. I found I hated the raw feeling of smoking and DW found getting high just made her uneasy. We had pretty much quit by the time we reached 30.

For old times sake we tried it again a few times in the last few years, but if anything the sensations were even more unpleasant. Probably the most ironic effect of aging - now that dope's plentiful and legal we have no interest in it.

You might enjoy edibles. Save your lungs. It's slower and lower impact, at least to me. My dog has become pretty decrepit, and walks can feel like a slow motion chore, but I've had some very enjoyable slow walks with him in the woods, under a light influence, and enjoying bird and frog chorus while he sniffs to his heart's content.

 

[Qs Laptop]

The state of California is going to bail out the marijuana industry because illegal pot sellers, burdensome regulations, and high taxation of legal weed is causing the industry to struggle.

SACRAMENTO — The California Legislature on Monday approved a $100-million plan to bolster California’s legal marijuana industry, which continues to struggle to compete with the large illicit pot market nearly five years after voters approved sales for recreational use.

[..]

In 2019, industry officials estimated there were nearly three times as many unlicensed businesses as ones with state permits. Although some industry leaders believe enforcement has reduced the number of illegal pot shops, a study in September by USC researchers estimated unlicensed retailers still outnumbered those that were licensed.

Supporters of legalization blame the discrepancy on problems that they say include high taxes on licensed businesses, burdensome regulations and the decision of about three-quarters of cities in California not to allow cannabis retailers in their jurisdictions.

https://www.latimes.com/california/...uggling-marijuana-industry-cash-grants-budget

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

... Until you have lived with an addict or have an addict in the family your clueless to the negative effects.

Bold statement and very general. I have had to deal with addicts and dependency issues and have ZERO issue with the legalization of MJ.