Marijuana legalization

[Lynx]

I'm old and hardly remember anything about marijuana (but the smell). Anyway, it's been legalized for adults in a number of states, some, starting this year. Of course, Sessions and the DOJ plan to continue prosecuting its use.

So the Colorado Senate Dems tweeted:

Colorado Senate Dems
We'll give Jeff Sessions our legal pot when he pries it from our warm, extremely interesting to look at hands.

I love these guys.

[Catie Cavy]

Ha ha!

I thought republicans were supposed to be for state's rights. . . .

[lisam]

My state legalized it for both medicinal and recreational use. I hate pot, but if people use it it's none of my business. It can be annoying--I think people are still trying to figure out what's okay, what's legal, etc. For example we have a law for smoking cigarettes indoors of businesses, but some people don't seem to think it applies to pot and will light up inside buildings.

I think it's a good thing to legalize it. I hope my state, and others where it's legal, will fight back against Sessions and his crap.

[Lynx]

I don't think marijuana is completely harmless. I do hope there are stringent laws regarding smoking and driving. There used to be an old joke about people getting ticketed by police because they were driving too slowly...

I would likely not spend my money on pot but am okay with its being legal.

[Catie Cavy]

I agree. I'm not into pot myself and could do without it, but I have trouble understanding why using it should be a crime and punishable by going to prison. What people want to do in the privacy of their homes is their own business. I guess in public though, others need to be protected from secondhand smoke and from inadvertently getting a contact high (unless they want one I guess).

[Lynx]

Interestingly, I was on the google news page today and there was a "Fact Check" area that addressed the second hand smoke issue. Here's the Snopes link:
https://www.snopes.com/possible-high-secondhand-marijuana/

Apparently inhaling enough smoke to affect a person would happen only if there was very limited ventilation (and perhaps a lot of smoke).

[Clint The Cuy]

Recreational marijuana has been legal in my state for a few years now. I’ve never been a fan of smoking it myself, but don’t care what other people do in their own homes. I did buy some when the first legal store opened in Seattle and 99% of it is still in my kitchen drawer. Actually I felt like a total newb when trying to buy it since all of the customers were like cannabis experts,

“Yeah, I’d Like 2 grams of blackberry kush, 3 grams of black camel and 1 oz of 15% CBD to THC oil.”

And I’m like, “Can I have the one in the purple box?”

I will say that the marijuana purchased legitimately was not nearly as skunky and gross as the stuff from high school. Much cleaner.

The gray area for me is that I know a lot of companies drug test their employees and I do not know how they are handling this. Even if you smoke/ingest it on your own time, will you lose your job or be prevented from being hired due to your testing positive for THC?

I have a part time job with Quest Diagnostics as a courier and I drive their vehicles and I get drug tested. I know a union electrician that would probably smoke some in his down time, but he is too afraid of losing his great job.

That tweet is hilarious though.

[mmeadow]

Cannabis is now legal here in Massachusetts, subject to lots of restrictions. Although I understand that it's pretty simple to get a medical prescription, which entitles you to buy it from highly-regulated stores, you cannot buy it otherwise. You can grow small amounts; a local indoor gardening store around the corner from me was giving away seeds just after legalization. This 60s gal (both age and coming-of-age decade!) had to rub her eyes in disbelief when I read the sidewalk sign board.

There is a local business that cheekily circumvents this by selling and delivering extremely expensive fruit juices; along with your juice, they thrown in an herbal "gift"!

[mmeadow]

That Colorado Dems tweet is awesome!

[Lynx]

Yes indeed! That tweet really tickled my innards!

A very 60's gal here too. I think I would have grabbed some seeds and given growing it a shot :-)

[mmeadow]

70s memories: my crazed do-it-yourselfer boyfriend of that time rigged up our pantry closet with grow lights and produced a small crop of really terrible weed. The fire department came right through one day, investigating the roof that was leaking dangerously near our electrical service (slumlord). We were relieved that they were totally focused on their job and completely uninterested in our little illegal indoor farm.

[Clint The Cuy]

Coincidentally I found myself in a weed retailer yesterday with my boss trying to find some “Charlotte’s Web” to make a tincture for a patient of ours. A horse with laminitis (a very painful hoof disease) is having trouble with pain management regardless of his medications. It was tried by another vet for another horse that did well with it. We will see what happens!

[Lynx]

How very interesting! I hope it helps! Before this legislation was enacted, I doubt a vet could get any.

[GPIG]

They have been talking about legalizing it for medical purposes in my state for several years now. It was voted on, passed years ago but politicians keep messing it up, so people who want ti for medical reasons still can't get it. I could care less about weed one way or the other, I don't like it, never did but if someone else likes it, good for them,knock yourself out. I don't think they should need a medical reason either. I wish they would stop with the I 'm only going to approve this because people need it for medical reasons bs. No they don't, they want to get high and if if it does help some medical problems all the better. Man such hypocrisy, just legalize it

[Lynx]

There is some thought it would help with the opioid crisis.

[Bookfan]

Huh. That's an idea. I think it's been studied quite a bit & long term or chronic use causes some problems, as alcohol does. It's certainly not as addictive as alcohol, if I'm remembering right. But I have come to the conclusion that criminalizing it is dumb & counterproductive.