Do we still think pot is harmless?

Three of my last four contacts with cannabis or paraphernalia were with minors. I could smell a pipe in a kids back pocket that he was sitting on.

So Tony Stewart was not charged. Apparently the other driver who ran in front of him on the track had active cannabis in his system, not just the metabolites. Good decision making there.

 

Just imagine what you could have achieved WITHOUT the drugs!!!!

(maybe I should have smoked some)

On a serious note. Drugs can be a benefit if used wisely, or a detriment if abused. The trick is to find out the sweet spot, to actually know where the lines are between use and abuse. We need real information, not a slogan based on dogmatic refusal of a thing. It would seem that children should not smoke dope. That's good to know. It would also seem that we shouldn't live to smoke weed, or drink all day, or shoot up at business meetings (who knew?)

 

Didn't the most winningest gold medaler in Olympic history get caught doing bongloads?

 

Here's what always gets me about alcohol, the worst drug in the U.S. I think if alcohol were introduced today, people would ban it immediately. If red bull came out with a drink and said "btw, this drink will be involved in 40% of all violent crimes. It will lower your inhibitions and you will become a danger to yourself. Long term chronic use will cause debilitating health effects. 12,000 people will die annually because of people consuming our beverage and driving. It will be involved in a significant number of domestic violence cases. A large percentage of the population will become addicted to our drink. A moderate amount will affect your ability to think and handle complex tasks. It will change your mood. More will cause you to vomit and experience toxicity. More will cause you to black out. Even more in one sitting will kill you. So drink up, America. "
Most people would say that they are being served poison. But because it's been around since history, we accept it. And otherwise intelligent people turn a blind eye to the very real and deleterious effects of it. Why are people so weak that they will poison themselves voluntarily?

 

Because it can feel pretty fucking awesome to slightly poison yourself.

 

I get a bit strident sometimes. I know there are people that can handle their drink or their smoke. But many cannot. I guess for me one big thing was my add. Long before I knew what it was or how it was affecting me I knew I was different. I always felt slightly out of control and craved more self discipline. So the idea of intentionally lowering my self control was appalling. I still fantasize about becoming some stoic hardass that eats for nutrition, that works out consistently. That masters himself. I just can't imagine surrendering. Plus I think I would be a real asshole if I was drunk.

 

I can understand that. Alcohol is different than weed though. When I drink to much, I might act with less discretion. When I smoke too much weed, I just have a hard time holding a coherent conversation and I get really good at video games.

 

fixed that for you

 

It's been a couple decades, but I fucking owned at Mario Kart 64 and GoldenEye when I was super high.

 

The first local legal pot shop opens tomorrow across the state line in Washington (a whopping 8 mile drive at most from here). According to the article in the paper, they sell by the gram up to one ounce.

 

Why I said "local". Pullman had a moratorium on those type of businesses opening despite the bill passing that must have just expired.

 

Be prepared for sticker shock. Seriously, the shop down the street is getting $20-30/gram. The local black market price is roughly $10/gram and cheaper if you're buying more than a gram at a time.

 

I'm over sticker shock. Cannabis is so freaking potent--three hits, sometimes two, and I'm a goner. Back in the day, I'd split a joint with a friend, maybe smoke the roach later.
Not to say your mileage won't vary.

I'm straight until next summer, though.

BTW, nice to see you @cj2121!

 

yep, pretty lame the way they are doing this.

 

Dang. I used to buy "lids" which were roughly an ounce, 28.3 grams, for $10.00. I'm sure that the quality was pretty lame compared to what's going around these days.
--- merged: Oct 13, 2014 11:30 AM ---

A neighbor of mine tokes, and the pot he got seven years ago was pretty potent, and it wasn't even the primo stuff.

 

Colorado does not have the same limitations on growing that Washington does. So Colorado is having problems with illegal distribution. It's getting exported, it ends up in kid's hands, it just "disappears".

The stuff that's being grown now is much more potent than anything twenty or more years ago. That old stuff is just ditchweed compared to nowadays. We're talking up to 30% thc as opposed to the 3-5% of years ago. Feeding your brain high doses of chemicals generally isn't a good thing. But, it's not my brain. Not my problem until your brain is controlling a 3000 lb car.

 

Colorado has some issues; but it wouldn't appear to be a big deal. Pot doesn't disappear; it just isn't tracked any more than beer is. That was the intent in Colorado, to treat pot like alcohol. Every report that I've seen says that <18 pot smoking in CO is down from a few years ago. That makes sense to me, it was always easier to get pot in high school than beer.

The going price is around $250 an oz, here for medical. More like $350 for recreational. We have Phd botanists growing it, the quality of the product reflects that.

 

Washington's system encourages the black market. If you buy at a retail shop, not only are you paying the 9.8% sales tax, but you're paying a 25% excise tax. Hence the @25-30/gram price. I can buy 7 grams for $50-60 of the same quality on the black market. The only way to get in trouble buying on the black market is IF your connection happens to get busted while you are there. Once it's in your pocket, you're legal.

I have to admit that going to the store to buy a bag of weed is kind of a surreal experience though.