What We're Smoking (MJ legalization FAQs)

[GreenEggs]

The "What we're smoking" on the grill thread is a popular topic that shows up on my current topics sidebar often. I can't help but chuckle about the catchy title & think about cannabis legalization as it has been inching along across the states. I live in a non-legal MJ state and am curious about what it's like in states that have voted to legalize medical and also those which have voted in recreational marijuana.

How has it been in the state you live in, both from a public perspective and also from your perspective?

Has it been "no big deal" or have there been major problems? Has it been a financial Godsend for the state? Has the public opinion generally been pleased or have certain groups been complaining about it? Have the accident rates increased? Have other drugs become more of a problem? Have crime rates changed?

 

[Car-Guy]

I live in a backwards thinking state (Texas) so I'm not sure if/when we will ever legalize weed. (That's a note of warning for those who might be considering moving here ) Heck we won't even allow casinos... So if I want to smoke weed or gamble (legally) I've got to drive to an accommodating state. I'll be interested in in reading some of the responses to those who live in such states. To me, it's about the same risk as drinking liquor. Which makes me wonder, can you smoke and drive where it is legal? Really none of my concern, just asking in case I'm visiting.


Talk about forward thinking, I was in Louisiana a few weeks ago and saw billboards supporting/promoting their states HB67... Interesting.... No, it is not about casinos or drinking or smoking but it is about one of the worlds oldest professions..... Now they bring it up !!!

 

[Keim]

I'm in Idaho. It isn't legal here. Since I live on the state line, I see Washington, where it is legal and easily accessible to the general public. I am unaware of major problems.

Speaking strictly for myself, I wish they would treat it like alcohol, as the highway billboards, and other advertising venues are full of ads for it.

 

[RobbieB]

So far the only problem is the illegal market is as big as ever. Taxes and the difficulty in getting licenses (not in our town) keep the illicit product available.

The cool thing is the legal stuff is so powerful that it's truly "one hit sh*t", also so very cool to just drive up to the "dope store" and browse.

Me thinks it's time for another hit -

 

[Walt34]

In West Virginia we have casinos, but MJ is restricted "for medicinal purposes only".

I have not noticed the sky falling, or even shaking loose.

 

[braumeister]

So it's not really like this?

 

[W2R]

Recreational marijuana is not legal here, at least not yet. There's a bill in the works to legalize it (isn't there always?) but it may not pass. Either way, I think that perhaps they aren't enforcing these laws much.

There is a medical marijuana dispensary nearby but I don't even know if it is open yet. Not a center of buzzing activity, that's for sure.

Here's all the details about recreational and medical MJ in Louisiana:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_in_Louisiana

As for us, we don't smoke, drink, smoke pot, do other illegal drugs, or anything like that. It's not that we are religious, moralistic virtue signalers, or recovering addicts, but simply that TBH we genuinely prefer not to. So I may not be the most knowledgeable source of info about this, which is why I included the link.

Oh, and as for casinos? We have lots of them, and video poker in almost every bar or restaurant. We used to enjoy going to a casino to play the quarter slots now and then, but the odds became much less favorable after Katrina, in 2005 (plus our favorite casino was literally swept out to sea, "ain't dere no mo"). So, we quit doing that.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

So far the only problem is the illegal market is as big as ever. Taxes and the difficulty in getting licenses (not in our town) keep the illicit product available.

Same issues here (Oklahoma where medical MMJ is legal). In the last couple of weeks, there have been numerous busts of large, unlicensed grow houses. Bootlegging of pot is bigger than ever. There has also been a lot of breaking and entering of a lot of dispensaries lately too...but they occur almost always at night when they are closed. There is a bill seeking to limit the number of commercial licenses too since they are very easy to obtain.

We also have a LOT of dispensaries...2,264 in the state for 383,138 mmj patient license holders (one dispensary for every 169) patients. You wouldn't believe it, but Oklahoma has more dispensaries than any other state in the union (next runner up is California at 1,440 in 2020).

The tax revenue has been very good, but couldn't speak as to if it's helping any as of yet.

I do partake in edibles on occasion for insomnia and I agree...it's strong. You have to be incredibly careful to keep from catching "too much" of a buzz. It sure does help in the sleep department, though.

 

[Birdie Num Nums]

... To me, it's about the same risk as drinking liquor. Which makes me wonder, can you smoke and drive where it is legal? Really none of my concern, just asking in case I'm visiting.

Not in Washington state; it's illegal to drive under the influence of MJ/cannabis. It's called a "green DUI."

Early on some were trying to declare that the green DUI rates were increasing in the state, but it seemed to me most of those were people who also had been drinking. From my 50-plus years witnessing MJ use among people I knew from high school, college, and onward, driving under the influence of purely MJ (and not also with alcohol) was never a thing.

Now, some six years or so into legal pot and pot stores, it's a nothing burger. Just like having a liquor store down the block. (I have two MJ shops within a two-minute walk.)

This is the way it should have been done 50 years ago. Heck! Even 90 years ago when they made it illegal in the first place!

They should get it off the 1970 Controlled Substances Act. (Looks like Congress is considering that.)

One problem is, because it still is federally illegal, MJ shops almost always deal in cash because many banks won't deal with businesses that are technically considered illegal under federal law. Which makes these stores prime candidates for burglaries and hold-ups.

 

[CardsFan]

MO has recently legalized medical MJ. At this point, the only noticeable difference are all the billboards for the [-]head shops[/-] dispensaries.

DW has a benign tremor and some how knew MJ helps significantly , so she went through the process and got a card. A friend of hers has ALS, and also got a card. It helps her as well.

I have not been to the [-]head shop[/-] dispensary, but DW says they are very knowledgeable and helpful selecting the right product for your ailment.

Not cheap. $50 for 1/8 ounce, but hey, DW's card says she can buy 36 of those a month . That's right. 4 ounces per month.

 

[Car-Guy]

Not in Washington state; it's illegal to drive under the influence of MJ/cannabis. It's called a "green DUI."

Makes sense to me....

 

[sengsational]

I'm interested in personal growing allowance. Apparently Virginia allows 4 plants per person. But you can't legally get seeds, hehehe! I guess federal prosecutions for personal growing have ceased?

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Not cheap. $50 for 1/8 ounce, but hey, DW's card says she can buy 36 of those a month . That's right. 4 ounces per month.

That is pretty darn expensive. The "special chocolate" I like comes in a 200 mg (dosage) bar. It has "10" doses, but there is NO way I could handle a full 20 mg...I would be absolutely fubar'd so I half the dosage. It's on sale right now at my local shop for $12 or about $14 with taxes which gets me to about .70 a dose. I noticed in Alaska that it's significantly more expensive than it is here in Oklahoma.

 

[Birdie Num Nums]

Makes sense to me....

...

 

[CardsFan]

I'm interested in personal growing allowance. Apparently Virginia allows 4 plants per person. But you can't legally get seeds, hehehe! I guess federal prosecutions for personal growing have ceased?

Made me look. I THOUGHT 4 was the limit here as well, boy was I wrong:

https://greenhealthdocs.com/growing-missouri-medical-marijuana/

Patients can cultivate up to six (6) female flowering marijuana plants, six male plants and six clones at a time. Two patients can grow in the same facility. They are limited to twelve (12) female flowering plants, twelve male plants and twelve clones.

 

[Car-Guy]

Another question, if anyone knows....

What happens to all the "convicted criminals" that are/were in jail/prison for smoking and/or possession before it was legalized? Still in jail? Released? Records cleared?

 

[Car-Guy]

...

I think that was from Up in Smoke...? Haven't seen it in years, seems even funnier now...

 

[Birdie Num Nums]

Another question, if anyone knows....

What happens to all the "convicted criminals" that are/were in jail/prison for smoking/possession before it was legalized? Still in jail? Released? Records cleared?

In Washington state there were pardons, vacations of convictions, etc.
See here, for example: https://www.governor.wa.gov/marijuanajustice

 

[Car-Guy]

In Washington state there were pardons, vacations of convictions, etc.
See here, for example: https://www.governor.wa.gov/marijuanajustice

Glad to hear it... Bad enough to be in jail (I wouldn't really know) but to be in jail for something that has been legalized... UGH...

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Another question, if anyone knows....

What happens to all the "convicted criminals" that are/were in jail/prison for smoking and/or possession before it was legalized? Still in jail? Released? Records cleared?

Depends on the state. Oklahoma had a "mass release" not too long ago for many of these offenders. State level, NOT federal though.

 

[Ian S]

In Arizona, we've had medical MJ for years and recreational was passed last November. The local dispensary is on a main thoroughfare and there is usually a line of folks waiting to get in - number is limited due to pandemic I guess. Interestingly, some MJ products are only available to those who have a medical MJ card. I hate the idea of smoking anything so I guess if I decide to try, I'll have to go with some kind of edible. I've seen anecdotal claims that it can help achalasia; perhaps I should find out.

 

[Car-Guy]

Depends on the state. Oklahoma had a "mass release" not too long ago for many of these offenders. State level, NOT federal though.

That makes sense too.. Still a Federal crime... For now...

 

[Aerides]

In FL it's permitted for Medical use, and initially even when that passed it was edible/tincture only, not smokable flower/buds. But that was expanded in 2019, and it's not hard to get a license for medical use...just a matter of going to one of the many doctors who will gladly take your ~$200. The license is linked to your driver's license.

There are 3-5 dispensaries within about a 20 min drive for me, each with many products. An 1/8, which I remember being about $25 in the 80's, can still be that on less popular strains, but most run $35 to $50 - and these are squishy green buds, better looking than I ever saw in my college days. All cash only businesses of course.

It's interesting to be able to choose among the different strains, for different effect. But it does seem to be hard to find stuff that is more focused on pain relief without much THC high (and plain old OTC CBD doesn't do anything for me).

 

[Birdie Num Nums]

... and these are squishy green buds, better looking than I ever saw in my college days...

As that old song from the '70s used to go: "No stems, no seeds that you don't need..."

 

[stepford]

Here in CA legal weed seems to make remarkably little difference. The same folks who used to get high still get high. Society seems no more or less broken than it ever did.