Wacky Weed Updates?

[Razors Edge ★]

I think NJ approved marijuana.  Anywhere else folks here live legalize the demon weed?  Still not a "thing" in Virginia

[Randomguy]

[Razors Edge ★]

Just now, Randomguy said:

That's a nicer set than I had as a kid, and it is actually amazing to see what looks like a fairly "modern" version.  I would have thought they were phased out in the early 80s, but those look pretty new.

[Randomguy]

12 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

I think NJ approved marijuana.  Anywhere else folks here live legalize the demon weed?  Still not a "thing" in Virginia

I am curious, too. 

NJ approval is a good thing, it will hasten NY approving it.  It is brazenly sold here, all sorts of folks delivering it on request.  If I wanted pot in an hour, I could have it delivered to my apartment in an hour.  From hundreds of sources.  

[Randomguy]

Just now, Razors Edge said:

That's a nicer set than I had as a kid, and it is actually amazing to see what looks like a fairly "modern" version.  I would have thought they were phased out in the early 80s, but those look pretty new.

It is probably an old photo or NOS.  The new ones are unnecessarily safe.

[Kzoo]

Michigan.  I haven't followed it too closely.  I believe medical is pretty ubiquitous.  I think recreational needs local approval  I know we have a few shops on our side of town where I work.  I see and hear discussion on local news over time but never really internalize any of it.

 

[Razors Edge ★]

It looks like MONTANA legalized it!

[MickinMD ★]

18 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

I think NJ approved marijuana.  Anywhere else folks here live legalize the demon weed?  Still not a "thing" in Virginia

Back in the '90's my sister, brother and I smoked weed together for the first time.  By the early 2000's, an alcoholism crisis by my brother brought him and his wife into AA and, in support, the rest of us never drank or smoked dope in front of him - except for beer when eating steamed crabs.

So we've been weaned off the stuff.  I was never a major user - I'd rather work more slowly to the buzz-level I want by drinking alcohol.  So I'm not sure I'm crazy about legalized marijuana - the stuff today is much stronger than a generation ago which was much stronger than the generation before.  Are there any statistics about traffic accidents caused by people high on stuff other than alcohol?

[Dirtyhip]

We became Amsterdam, apparently

[ChrisL]

10 minutes ago, MickinMD said:

Back in the '90's my sister, brother and I smoked weed together for the first time.  By the early 2000's, an alcoholism crisis by my brother brought him and his wife into AA and, in support, the rest of us never drank or smoked dope in front of him - except for beer when eating steamed crabs.

So we've been weaned off the stuff.  I was never a major user - I'd rather work more slowly to the buzz-level I want by drinking alcohol.  So I'm not sure I'm crazy about legalized marijuana - the stuff today is much stronger than a generation ago which was much stronger than the generation before.  Are there any statistics about traffic accidents caused by people high on stuff other than alcohol?

I don’t believe CA saw any increases in DUI or accidents due to the legalization of pot.  We are getting accustomed to the smell, we can’t walk the dog 10 steps without smelling it somewhere in the neighborhood.

When I was in LE in the late 80’s marijuana use was so commonplace we didn’t bother arresting anyone for possession unless it was a large amount and/or packaged for distribution.  In the  main city park we made so many people rub out their joints that pot plants would sprout up from the grass!

[UglyBob]

It passed here in AZ. I don't think it will make a big difference. Everyone who wants to use it here just gets a card for medical use. It's way too easy to get one.

[Zephyr]

It became legal here...., and the sun still rises in the east and sets in the west.  BFD.

A lot of people lost money betting/investing on the legalization because of the uproar to get it legal they thought it was going to be a cash cow.  

Turns out it was a case of the squeaky wheel, as only like 12% of the adult population smoke weed at least once every six months.  Not nearly the sale numbers people were expecting during the process

[Razors Edge ★]

2 minutes ago, Zephyr said:

Turns out it was a case of the squeaky wheel, as only like 12% of the adult population smoke weed at least once every six months.  Not nearly the sale numbers people were expecting during the process

It really doesn't seem to be that big of a market in most places.  It does seem to draw a crowd in some younger or poorer areas.  But, seriously, it has zero impact on my life in general and I know very few daily users and wonder if having it legal in VA would matter.

[Zephyr]

35 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

It really doesn't seem to be that big of a market in most places.  It does seem to draw a crowd in some younger or poorer areas.  But, seriously, it has zero impact on my life in general and I know very few daily users and wonder if having it legal in VA would matter.

It didnt matter here at all.  It had been quasi-legal for years anyway.  Sitting on a park bench smoking a joint would get you a court appearance and a $50 fine, sitting on the same bench drinking a beer was a $225 fine.  Most times, it was not worth the time and paperwork for a $50 fine so yoy would just make them crumble it up and send them on their way, if they werent carrying

[donkpow]

Ohio currently has the medical use exception.

I doubled my money in 2019 on a Canadian pot company before that industry crashed. I currently hold stock in a Canadian pot company with international exposure, Aphria. The industry can't get off the ground due, in part, to price competition from the black market.

[Razors Edge ★]

18 minutes ago, Zephyr said:

Sitting on a park bench smoking a joint would get you a court appearance and a $50 fine, sitting on the same bench drinking a beer was a $225 fine. 

Now THAT is messed up.  But unsurprising.

I am always amazed at the variety of rules around "open containers" across the US.  One of those "do folks really need to know all the differences?" things.  I remember my brother got a huge ticket for drinking a beer on the beach in NJ.  A total BS revenue sort of thing, but one that also makes sense from a "keep the raging drunks from going crazy" perspective.  If you're too lazy to transfer your beer to an unmarked container, you may also be likely to drink too much and destroy the "family beach" vibe.

[bikeman564™]

1 hour ago, Dirtyhip said:

We became Amsterdam, apparently

did you get a Heineken brewery?

[smudge ★]

The pot shop in Negaunee always has a line of cars snaking around the parking lot. Always busy.

[Mr. Silly]

Kzoo is right.  It's legal here but requires local approval for a shop to sell recreational weed.  I noticed a bill board advertising that a medical dispensary just added recreational weed reasonably close to my home.   

You want me to try it out and report back?

[Randomguy]

I am glad to see that we are winning the war for drugs.

[Scrapr ★]

3 hours ago, Dirtyhip said:

We became Amsterdam, apparently

yep. Went from pot to legalizing psylilocybin  mushrooms. Plus i think legalizing small amounts of all drugs. The war on drugs is ending

[Dirtyhip]

7 minutes ago, Scrapr said:

yep. Went from pot to legalizing psylilocybin  mushrooms. Plus i think legalizing small amounts of all drugs. The war on drugs is ending

We are taking the route of Portugal and just became more liberal than the Dutch.  Hope the can't beat 'em, treat 'em plan works.   This can be repealed if it is a fail.  

[Randomguy]

 

[ChrisL]

1 hour ago, Dirtyhip said:

We are taking the route of Portugal and just became more liberal than the Dutch.  Hope the can't beat 'em, treat 'em plan works.   This can be repealed if it is a fail.  

The legalization of shrooms is a little odd to me. I get pot and don’t have a problem with legalizing it but psychedelics are a whole other matter.

[Prophet Zacharia]

19 minutes ago, ChrisL said:

The legalization of shrooms is a little odd to me. I get pot and don’t have a problem with legalizing it but psychedelics are a whole other matter.

I’m going to argue that those who are prone to use them already are. They’ll just have less risk of being robbed when buying them, and be more sure of the quality/safety.

I also think the only people discouraged from buying drugs due to current laws are middle aged, middle class folks who can’t afford to risk a citation or arrest for buying pot due to their occupation. Teens and 20-somethings use fairly commonly, and older folks get their medical cards if they want it. I couldn’t risk buying anything due to career implications. Decriminalized status helps me not at all, even if I wanted to just stay in on a Friday night and cause no one any harm.

[Randomguy]

Have we not learned the lessons that "Reefer Madness" taught us?

[ChrisL]

1 minute ago, Prophet Zacharia said:

I’m going to argue that those who are prone to use them already are. They’ll just have less risk of being robbed when buying them, and be more sure of the quality/safety.

I also think the only people discouraged from buying drugs due to current laws are middle aged, middle class folks who can’t afford to risk a citation or arrest for buying pot due to their occupation. Teens and 20-somethings use fairly commonly, and older folks get their medical cards. I couldn’t risk buying anything due to career implications. Decriminalized status helps me not at all, even if I wanted to just stay in on a Friday night and cause no one any harm.

I agree with the second point but on the first, then why just shrooms & why not legalize LSD then? The affects brought on by psychedelics is far different than pot and alcohol and i think this will turn out badly.

It also looks like Oregon is decriminalizing heroin & cocaine making it public health issue and not a criminal issue.  I tend to agree with the concept except hard drug users are often busted for other crimes so they can feed their addictions.  Many addicts will end up in jail anyway...

 

[Razors Edge ★]

3 minutes ago, ChrisL said:

It also looks like Oregon is decriminalizing heroin & cocaine making it public health issue and not a criminal issue.  I tend to agree with the concept except hard drug users are often busted for other crimes so they can feed their addictions.  Many addicts will end up in jail anyway...

Yep. It is why it is so challenging.  Addiction is a disease, so simply treating it as a crime was a dead end that we wasted decades or even centuries on. 

Then, we added the idea that it is a crime FIRST, disease second and adopted some level of trying to help folks AFTER they got through some legal process. 

Now, it may be it is a disease first, a crime in some cases (distribution or stealing to feed), and likely better for all involved if we can break the cycle and treat the disease with the legal bits limited to the worst offenses.

But all approaches are WAY EASIER said than done.

[Prophet Zacharia]

49 minutes ago, ChrisL said:

why just shrooms & why not legalize LSD then? The affects brought on by psychedelics is far different than pot and alcohol and i think this will turn out badly.

I don't know their rationale for where they drew the line. It may be arbitrary, it may be reasoned, I don't know. But I believe strongly that more people are harmed by meth and heroin than mushrooms, and I believe the Oregon law does address the former as well. And I don't believe that Joe Citizen is going to go out on start using meth or heroin just because laws criminalizing them have changed.