Friday, February 10, 2023

Legal Marijuana

New York State recently made marijuana legal for recreational use and the first store just opened in NYC. To its credit the State is prioritizing social justice in licensing sellers. The first store is a laudable non-profit (Housing Works) which started in 1990 to help people with AIDS find housing. Currently it provides housing, healthcare, and vocational training to thousands of New Yorkers. I went into the city for an art event today so I added a detour to Housing Works and -- legally -- bought cannabis.

I understand those who oppose marijuana but (1) it's legal here, (2) I'm an adult, and (3) you're gonna have to respect my self-determination. As a former pot-user I know the scare tactics of the drug war (from 1960s onward) were untrue: I'm not going to become a heroin addict after puffing a joint.

Candidly I haven't smoked grass in 40 years. I consumed it in college and law school, then dropped the activity when I got a job. For me lighting up after such a long time is more nostalgia than anything else.

The reason I smoked during the seven years I spent in higher education was to reduce stress from academic striving. Those were tough years and pot helped me relax after long days of study. I didn't get that relief from alcohol and currently drink only for flavor or to improve socializing. 

Marijuana has changed over the past half-century. Grown with better care than the skunk-weed we often got, it's cultivated by horticulturalists who know what they're doing. Legal weed is guaranteed pure and safe, avoiding contamination that sometimes taints illegal pot. Plus, a new market is opening -- products designed to appeal to connoisseurs. Terms like terpenes and cannobinoids are used to distinguish among different weed strains. Each type is labeled with its percentage of THC (the thing that makes you high) so telling strong product from weak is now easy. This isn't your grandpa's ganja.

Buying pot in New York means standing in line, proving you're over 21, selecting from a menu and paying. Like you do for everything else. Simple and efficient. The menu has dozens of brands of pot in flower form, rolled joints, vape oil and edibles. 

Have you ever smoked pot? Will legalization make you consider it again?



14 comments:

  1. I may have enjoyed a spliff or three while at university. I found smoking affected my lungs, so I just stopped.

    Not sure I'd go back to it, although if it helped with pain (as I get older) and was available in the UK in a vape, maybe.

    Enjoy and I hope no one harshes your mellow, man 😉

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    1. Ha! I understand the concern about our lungs; there are now alternatives to that like edibles.

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  2. Oh, I'm all over it - it's been legal in Canada for years now. I have been booze-sober for 5 years, and cannabis is my relaxant, calmer and social lubricant. I like edibles and beverages, which make me feel like I'm being more social. I have smoked pot since I was 17, so really glad that the stigma is fading from its use. It's always helped my anxiety and stress levels.

    The stores here are great - you can just view everything on screens while your "budtender" makes recommendations.

    Welcome to the party, girlfriend! Let's go giggle in the corner, then play dress-up in the closet!

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    1. Absolutely! You lead where I want to follow. :)

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  3. I used to smoke pot in my late teens and early twenties but like you stopped using it when I started working. I don't drink alcohol, so I might give it another try if it were legal here. xxx

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  4. Nice!! Didn't try it until my early '30s...was totally brainwashed by the "war on drugs" propaganda and scary commercials and after-school specials, so I honestly believed I would get very sick or die if I tried it. Then I found out no one had ever actually died from marijuana, LOL. I can't say it does much for me except make me hungry, but it's fine! BTW, given your interest in glass sculpture, check out Edie Parker. She currently has a beautiful collection of modern glass pipes that look like ice, and her regular line has marble tabletop lighters and acrylic ones you would not believe are acrylic - they're just gorgeous!

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  5. When I was 17, I went to watch a Prom with some friends from camp and we all stayed at a girl called Cressie's house and they were smoking it. I tried a puff or two but I don't think I inhaled as I was wary of it. I remember it smelling quite nice though.
    I cannot stand the smell of that nasty skunk stuff they seem to sell in the town near my school- it literally STINKS the same as Foxes smell!

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    1. It's possible to consume cannabis without smoking or the odor: e.g., edibles.

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  6. Enjoy! Old hippies like me are so happy it’s legal! Way safer than alcohol. Cali G

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  7. I think you forgot that you smoked some weed in Toronto! With that makeup artist. Remember? Personally I don't take recreational drugs. I don't like adding anything to my body.

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    1. That's right! Totally slipped my mind. Thanks for the memory.

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