<p>My mildly amusing pot story: When I was about fourteen, I saw my uncleintelligent, employed, responsiblesmoking a joint on his porch. He threw it, half-finished, into the grass. I said, “Are you really just throwing that away?” (I was under the impression that drugs were extremely expensive.) He said, “Well, if you can find it, you can have it.”</p>
<p>I found it, took it home, and pressed it in a book. I would get the book out and look at it about once a week for several months. Then I threw it away. It was quite the curiosity, but I don’t recall feeling at all tempted to smoke it.</p>
<p>Pot today is about as strong as good hash was back in the day. That’s the biggest change. It also costs about 10X as much as the junk we had did.</p>
<p>I think at this point it depends what state you are in. My friend who is in her young 30’s recently went to a music festival in Northern Ca. She said people were openly smoking pot and there were plenty of police at the event.</p>
<p>Personal possession of marijuana has been decriminalized in California for many years, at least going back to the 70’s. Possession of less than an ounce carries a maximum $100 fine. I had to pay almost that much when I got cited for having my dog off leash in a local park. I’ve noticed that a lot of people at the local parks and beaches also openly flaunt the leash laws.</p>
<p>I am hoping for medical marijuana in wa for my arthritis.
Prescription stuff has so many side effects and even though I didn’t even * like* pot, back in the day- I would rather take that than something that is going to cause other problems.</p>
<p>barrons I wonder if the extra cost isn’t just inflation.
For example, I quit smoking when they were going up to $.75 a pack.</p>
<p>Now I believe they can cost $8.</p>
<p>I *have heard *that pot is stronger- but never hear about thai sticks anymore.
:(</p>
<p>Here in Mass, we recently passed a law that made possession of small amounts of marijuana a civil offense, punishable by a $100 fine. It’s not criminal anymore. As a result, the high school students are smoking pot instead of drinking. If they get caught with pot it’s just a $100 fine. If they get caught with alcohol, it’s a court appearance for minor-in-possession, and suspension from sports teams, etc. </p>
<p>I really wish they had made that law effective at age 21, or at least at age 18. Now the fifteen year olds who used to be afraid of trying illegal drugs are all trying pot, because it’s not illegal and the penalties are so light. It seems really stupid that a 16 year old with alcohol is committing a crime but a 16 year old with pot is not.</p>
<p>
One of D’s friends has a baby brother who was born when the friend was 15. Another boy was saying to D, “Man, she must be so embarrassed!”<br>
D: “Why?”<br>
Boy: “Well if her mom just had a baby, her parents are obviously still having sex!!!”<br>
D: “They’re married. So what?”<br>
Boy: “But they’re in their FORTIES! That’s just GROSS!”</p>
<p>I’m only 17, but if my child smoked pot, I would not be okay with it. I would hope that I could instill in him or her that it is indeed possible to have a good time without drugs. However, this is coming from someone who does not plan to have children, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.</p>
<p>Of course it’s possible to have a good time without drugs. It’s also possible to have a good time with them. More to the point, it’s possible (for many people, anyway) to integrate moderate use of the milder drugs into a healthy, productive life; it’s a matter of educating yourself to gauge dosage and consider the circumstances–time, place, company, and what you need to be fit for in the near future.</p>
<p>That said, if intoxicants hold no appeal for you, then of course you should abstain*. That’s where my son is right now, and I would be happy if he stayed there. But most of us, at some point or other, decide to try that beer or glass of wine or joint, and my main concern for my son is that he understand, if and when that day comes for him, that responsible, moderate use is possible–that you don’t have to go straight from abstention to Bluto Blutarski/Cheech & Chong territory. I hope we have set him an appropriate example in our house.</p>
<p>*And of course, if you’re underage, you should abstain whether or not they hold any appeal for you…</p>
<p>However, this is coming from someone who does not plan to have children, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.</p>
<p>I also will take it acknowledging that you are 17.
I have a child who was once 17, she also said that she was never going to have children, and that she also didn’t like " boys"- only as " friends".</p>
<p>Ten years later, she has a serious boyfriend, I am still waiting on the children question.</p>
<p>My concerns about marijuana are pretty much the same as my concerns about alcohol – except that in some jurisdictions and for some age groups, the legal consequences of marijuana use may be more serious, which matters in certain careers.</p>
<p>With either substance, there is a potential for overuse and lots of problems resulting from it.</p>
<p>When I was in high school, it was MUCH easier to get your hands on marijuana than alcohol. Then I got to college, and it was the other way around. I’m not sure about the current situation.</p>
<p>I agree that it’s stupid that in some jurisdictions, it’s a criminal offense for a 16-year-old to have alcohol but not marijuana, and that it’s equally stupid that in other jurisdictions, it’s a criminal offense for a 25-year-old to have marijuana but not alcohol. Both substances need to be dealt with by the law in ways that have some sort of consistency to them.</p>
<p>I have seen hookah bars now serving the fake pot. It seems to be springing up around college campus’ and is becoming popular. I took a look at the package which says not for consumption yet these places are serving it. I don’t know what chemicals are in the stuff but if it is causing a high than it has something that is probably dangerous. I would think smoking weed in the natural form is probably safer. If there are any attorneys reading this I would love to know how a place could serve something that says not for consumption.</p>
<p>I’d especially have concerns if they talked about it on the internet. I’ll just say you never know when your loose lips are going to catch up with you, and sometimes at tremendous cost. For example, in the military. Aside from DUI’s, that is a major difference between weed and ETOH.</p>
<p>Just saw on the news tonight - apparently Massachusetts’ whopping $100 civil fine for marijuana is kind of unenforceable. If you don’t pay it… nothing happens. There are no provisions in the law for any sort of prosecution for ignoring the fine. They sampled a few towns and found out less than half of the fines issued had actually been paid.</p>
<p>So a 16 year old with a beer ends up in court. A 16 year old smoking a joint… gets off pretty much scot free.</p>
<p>I am pretty sure the fine for a first time offense in my college town is like $25, it’s a civil infraction. It is much more inconvenient to get a parking ticket. However, as I understand it, the university itself takes a much stronger approach so if you are caught on campus it is a bigger deal.</p>
<p>I know more people 50 and over who smoke weed than 20 year olds. I’m not sure what their stance is with their kids but… Personally, I don’t really see the appeal. And some things don’t change – I get just as bored now being around a bunch of stoned people as I did when I was 16!</p>
It seems really stupid that a 16 year old with alcohol is committing a crime but a 16 year old with pot is not.</p>