Give me your best arguments either for or against

[Ginevra]

Legalized use of recreational cannabis for adults over 21. It is a ballot initiative in my state. (My state already has legal medical use.) I honestly am not sure what I think about this yet, although I am leaning in one direction after asking this question on my FB. 
 

If rec use is legal where you live, how has that worked out so far in your state/region? 
 

Let’s steer clear of particular political figures and parties. 

[gardenmom5]

My brother dealt back in the 70s.  I saw him and his friends get stoned on a regular basis.  Then there were his "customers".  My bil used for many years - scary when you consider what he did for a living.   I saw the effects up close and personal.  no way in hades would I ever support legalization.  I've seen it destroy lives.

not even getting into the studies about how it is demotivating to the user, and it does make its regular users "dumb".   

 

[Melissa Louise]

Against, but I'm not sure I have a good argument.

It's a knee jerk reaction to the second adult child of friends being hospitalized with a cannabis-induced psychosis.

Will be interested to read the arguments.

I don't believe in criminalizing users but I don't like normalizing use in young people either.

[Melissa Louise]

Forgot to say, not legal here for recreation, but there's been an explosion in medical use, and somehow people who do not have serious illnesses are accessing it through medical providers.

[Lucy the Valiant]

Against. Because the people we love who have come out the other side are so strongly against it themselves. Their experience is a stronger voice to me than all the "data" behind legalization. 

 

 

 

Editing for clarity: "Come out the other side" = people who have overcome addiction to much harder things than marijuana; every single one of the ones we know well are opposed to legalization because they consider it a gateway to destruction. 😞

Edited October 24, 2022 by Lucy the Valiant

[Carrie12345]

For.

Reasons? Alcohol.

Until people are willing to go full prohibition, it’s just posturing.

Not that I’m for full prohibition. I’m just saying, unless you’re going to start arresting alcoholics for their potential impacts on others, there’s no unique leg to stand on.

[Rosie_0801]

I'm not sure how I'd vote on the topic but I lean towards decriminalising because I don't see any benefit to continuing to criminalise it. I think the question is too narrow, which of course it would be because a vote has to keep things simple, but context matters. Decriminalisation as an excuse to ignore the problem isn't the same as decriminalising but recognising it as a sign of self medicating for something, and offering counselling like I've heard of somewhere in Europe doing. (That's the theory, I don't know what happens in practice.)

[EmilyGF]

Against, because in the state I live in, advertising for cannabis now is like advertising for cigarettes was a few decades ago. 

I wouldn't be against it if they weren't allowed to advertise. But they are definitely working on increasing the market, and that makes me angry. Not sure why this smoke is better for your lungs than tobacco smoke.

Emily

[Hannah]

For.  There is no sense in criminalising it.

Here, the Bill for Private use is still being revised.   If it goes ahead it will allow possession of 600grams of cannabis per person in private, and up to 1200 grams per household as well as 100 grams in public.  Individuals will also be allowed to grow a limited number of plants for private use.

You can use cannabis for medicinal purposes if bought from a registered distributor and with a medical use card.

There is a ban on the advertising of tobacco products in South Africa, but not on alcohol.  

 

 

[Pawz4me]

I'm not well informed on the subject, but it seems to me that it's no more mood altering than alcohol, and (perhaps) is less damaging to long term health than alcohol is. So it seems hypocritical and illogical to me that one is legal and one isn't. Those are the main reasons I would be "pro" legalizing recreational use.

[Hannah]

10 minutes ago, Rosie_0801 said:

but recognising it as a sign of self medicating for something, and offering counselling like I've heard of somewhere in Europe doing. (That's the theory, I don't know what happens in practice.)

My cousin in the Netherlands works in health care of addicted teenagers.  It is technically illegal to use, possess or sell drugs, even soft drugs, but they do have a "tolerance policy", so it is overlooked if quantities are small.  Possession of is usually treated as a misdemeanor.   Criminalization and marginalization of drug users is avoided as much as possible and help is offered (and offered by National Health) at every interaction with authorities.  

 

[MEmama]

For. 💯

Legal, regulated pot is safer than buying it off the street where it can be—and very often is— laced with anything. It’s not the 70s or 80s out there any more. That’s my primary reason for legalizing, though there are other important reasons like preventing people from going to jail for possessing small amounts.  We all know who is most impacted and what the so called war on drugs is all about.
 

I'm all for using the tax revenue for drug rehabilitation and mental health support— I think that would be an excellent use. Occasional recreational use is entirely different than full on abuse, and the occasional joint isn’t going to turn someone who isn’t predisposed into an addict. Mental health is nearly always the root when it comes to addiction so if we’re truly interested in “solving” drug abuse, let’s start there. Also, I’ve no interest in playing morality police. I don’t use it myself, but I do enjoy a good drink now and then—who am I to make those decisions for another adult? 

 

[JustEm]

I'm all for it. I don't have any arguments for or against, well it smells bad. But if they legalize it here I just might have to partake for the first time since college.

[Carrie12345]

1 hour ago, MEmama said:

Also, I’ve no interest in playing morality police. I don’t use it myself, but I do enjoy a good drink now and then—who am I to make those decisions for another adult? 

Seriously. I can go out with a designated driver and get hammered in public if I want to.  
But if I were to eat a special cookie on my couch I’d be some sort of criminal? Make it make sense.

But we all know I’m not the target demographic for arrest, let alone jail time. 

[Faith-manor]

Decriminalize. We fill prisons with non violent drug users and then leave the rapists and abusers on the streets. I am not for treating a marijuana user the same or worse than the Brock Turner's of the world. We pay more of a price in this society over cigarette smoke and alcoholism than cannibis. Seriously. Think about that. If cannabis is illegal, then for damn sure cigarettes and alcohol should be. But wince we have decided that adults get to make the choice about that stuff, we should let them make the choice about cannabis which is actually less dangerous than the other two.

[BlsdMama]

Against recreational use and for heavily expanded medicinal use. 
 

I’m against recreational use because young adults need to be functional. It’s a “for the good of society” argument. 
 

Medicinal use hasn’t gone far enough. There is significant differences between strains. I spent $100 getting a card, another $100 on a caregiver card, only to have virtually no control over what I bought out consumed. In Iowa, “medical” means pain control, so high THC. 
 

And here’s high irony: I can cross over to Illinois and buy recreational but with  my medical card, still can’t purchase specific medical strains that Illinois citizens can. So I want a lower THC strain with higher anti inflammatory properties? Nope. But 21 year old College Joe can get high. SMH. 

[Mrs Tiggywinkle Again]

It’s been legal here for a while.  You can buy it in just about any form at little stores all over the place.  I have several friends who grow the allotted personal amount of plants in their basements.

It doesn’t really seem to have made any difference, other than people are more open about using it.  Surprisingly to me is the number of professional-type people that frequently use it in some form. I’m talking friends of mine who are doctors, nurse practitioners,  marketing executives, operations directors of various companies.  I suspect people are just more open about it now.

[4kidlets4me]

Decriminalize it. The war on drugs was only ever about criminalizing a certain demographic and that needs to end. It's on par with alcohol and I would argue alcohol can be far more damaging. 

Everyone needs to keep their eyes on their own paper and stop worrying what other adults do in their spare time.

[HomeAgain]

We have legal recreational use here.  It has changed nothing, really, between legalizing and not. There are not more pot smokers here than there was in any of our other locations, and habits are still mostly the same.  Our only issue here with it has been very recently, when we took the family to an adult-oriented activity and there were clouds in the parking lot from people smoking before they went in.  Meh.  Dh and I accidentally got high going to a concert in a state where it was illegal, so it's not like it's new.

My only concern with it is that it is hard to know exactly how intoxicated a person is on the road.  There are no adequate tests beyond the sniff test until they get a blood draw, so there's that.  But that's not a legal pot issue, that's a problem no matter what.

[Carrie12345]

47 minutes ago, BlsdMama said:

I’m against recreational use because young adults need to be functional. It’s a “for the good of society” argument

But then you should want to raise the drinking and smoking ages, too. Right?  
And the military age, for that matter. Dead soldiers aren’t functional young adults, either.

Though I wonder what that even means. I wasn’t functional as a young adult? This is news to me.

[fraidycat]

It is legal here in Canada. As a non-user (have never tried it), the only impact that I have personally seen is there are three new businesses in my town, which... good for them.

In my personal experience of living life in the land of legalization, the outcome has been neutral. I have not done any research into the health or law enforcement impacts.

ETA: The people that I know of who use, had medical cards to use prior to full legalization, and grew/used even before medical was legal. I have not seen an uptick in the number of users, personally. Though, I imagine there is some who have at least tried it that hadn't before.

Edited October 23, 2022 by fraidycat

[Scarlett]

It has been so poorly managed in OK it is ridiculous. Supposedly it is medical only but there are so so many dispensaries.  There is a much tighter control on alcohol here.  And they are talking about legalizing rec use soon.

Edited October 23, 2022 by Scarlett

[Wheres Toto]

1 hour ago, Faith-manor said:

But wince we have decided that adults get to make the choice about that stuff, we should let them make the choice about cannabis which is actually less dangerous than the other two.

 

16 minutes ago, HomeAgain said:

We have legal recreational use here.  It has changed nothing, really, between legalizing and not. T

Basically both of these.     NJ legalized earlier this year (I think? may have been last year).   I don't think advertising on billboards or anything is allowed because I haven't seen any at all.  I don't think it's allowed for cigarettes or alcohol, except beer, either.    The people I know who were smoking/imbibing before it was legal still are.   They may be more open about it than they were before.   Those who didn't smoke/imbibe, still don't.  

[Ali in OR]

Decriminalize it.

We legalized it here in OR a few years back (medical was ok before that). The biggest change I see is a huge number of pot shops around town.

[Arctic Bunny]

I would say we get practically zero 911 calls in my corner of Canada about pot. The stuff that can be added in on the street though, without knowing…. *That* ruins lives.

[Terabith]

I am for legalizing.  The war on drugs has been a failure, so let’s decriminalize and use money to fund treatment.  
 

Honestly, I am interested in trying it.  I’ve wondered if it would help my anxiety.  But I’m not willing to do so when it’s illegal, and I want to know it’s not contaminated with something else.  I think it’s likely less harmful to the casual user than tobacco or alcohol.  

[Kalmia]

I quite literally cannot stand the smell of pot, will leave the vicinity if I even get a whiff of it because the scent is abhorrent to my nose and makes me nauseated, and even knowing that people would be smoking it on the streets and making me very unhappy, I still voted to decriminalize it. Illegal pot is often (not always, especially here in Maine people often have grown their own) obtained from criminal enterprises that don't exactly provide organically grown pure marijuana. There can be toxic pesticides, additional drugs mixed in, etc. The sale of illegal pot also bankrolls other illegal activities including including violent crime. With legal marijuana, the sources are regulated, small farmers can make money providing organic, pure strains with no toxic adulterants. Maine legalized pot a while back and the only difference I noticed was that every tiny town suddenly sprouted three to five pot stores! I wondered how they all could stay in business, but they all have. I then learned that the state required local marijuana farmers to open at least three stores, not sure why. Anyway, all the people who were already smoking pot are still doing so with a safer supply. I have noticed some of the sweet, elderly ladies I know well from where I volunteer feel it is now okay to try edibles in hopes of taming their aches and pains without opioids or other strong, addictive painkillers their doctors suggested.

Edited October 23, 2022 by Kalmia

[Mrs Tiggywinkle Again]

31 minutes ago, Arctic Bunny said:

I would say we get practically zero 911 calls in my corner of Canada about pot. The stuff that can be added in on the street though, without knowing…. *That* ruins lives.

I have literally never once in 15 years had a 911 call about a straight marijuana overdose. Synthetic marijuana and pot laced with other drugs, yes.

We haven’t seen any changes since legalization, really, as far as more/less 911 calls regarding pot.

[MEmama]

24 minutes ago, Kalmia said:

I quite literally cannot stand the smell of pot, will leave the vicinity if I even get a whiff of it because the scent is abhorrent to my nose and makes me nauseated, and even knowing that people would be smoking it on the streets and making me very unhappy, I still voted to decriminalize it. Illegal pot is often (not always, especially here in Maine people often have grown their own) obtained from criminal enterprises that don't exactly provide organically grown pure marijuana. There can be toxic pesticides, additional drugs mixed in, etc. The sale of illegal pot also bankrolls other illegal activities including including violent crime. With legal marijuana, the sources are regulated, small farmers can make money providing organic, pure strains with no toxic adulterants. Maine legalized pot a while back and the only difference I noticed was that every tiny town suddenly sprouted three to five pot stores! I wondered how they all could stay in business, but they all have. I then learned that the state required local marijuana farmers to open at least three stores, not sure why. Anyway, all the people who were already smoking pot are still doing so with a safer supply. I have noticed some of the sweet, elderly ladies I know well from where I volunteer feel it is now okay to try edibles in hopes of taming their aches and pains without opioids or other strong, addictive painkillers their doctors suggested.

How interesting! Do you know where you found that information, by chance? I’m just curious about the reasons.

Anyone who proposes to be in favor of small businesses and growing the economy could learn from the states like Maine where it is legal. Pot shops are everywhere, at least in my corner of the state, and every one of them looks respectable and modern and safe. Much more so than your average liquor store, to be sure. 

[Elizabeth86]

I lean pretty darn far right and I don’t give 2 cares either way about weed. My area of the world is being devastated with meth and pain pills. Everybody and their granny. I’d just like to see that mess come to an end.

[EKS]

5 hours ago, Quill said:

If rec use is legal where you live, how has that worked out so far in your state/region?

I live in WA.  It seems fine here although I know that there are issues surrounding having to maintain an all cash business.  Apparently there continue to be issues with a black market because the legal stuff is so expensive.

I understand that in some areas of CA, there are problems with people growing it at home and the smell bothering their neighbors.  That may be happening here as well, but not in my area.

I support the legalization of all recreational drugs, as long as that legalization comes with access to a safe, cheap product, real education about use and abuse, and good help for those who need it.

[EKS]

5 hours ago, gardenmom5 said:

My brother dealt back in the 70s.  I saw him and his friends get stoned on a regular basis.  Then there were his "customers".  My bil used for many years - scary when you consider what he did for a living.   I saw the effects up close and personal.  no way in hades would I ever support legalization.  I've seen it destroy lives.

not even getting into the studies about how it is demotivating to the user, and it does make its regular users "dumb". 

Alcohol does all of this and more.  If alcohol is legal, marijuana should be as well.  And frankly, so should everything else.

[Arctic Bunny]

42 minutes ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle Again said:

I have literally never once in 15 years had a 911 call about a straight marijuana overdose. Synthetic marijuana and pot laced with other drugs, yes.

We haven’t seen any changes since legalization, really, as far as more/less 911 calls regarding pot.

Sorry, I was talking about the police side specifically, but yeah, no assistance with medical calls that I can recall.

[Kalmia]

36 minutes ago, MEmama said:

How interesting! Do you know where you found that information, by chance? I’m just curious about the reasons.

Anyone who proposes to be in favor of small businesses and growing the economy could learn from the states like Maine where it is legal. Pot shops are everywhere, at least in my corner of the state, and every one of them looks respectable and modern and safe. Much more so than your average liquor store, to be sure. 

Heard it through word of mouth. My college roommate and her husband own a farm in Maine and her nephew began farming pot as soon as it became legal. I mentioned the sudden appearance of shops everywhere and she said that her nephew said he had to have three shops to get a license. Though I do not know if you have to be a farmer to open a shop, probably not.

 

[wathe]

Legal here for 19+.  It's mostly fine.  

Not much different from when only medical use was legal.   (because IME, here at least,  much "medical" pot use was really a cover for rec use or addiction.  Interesting aside: When I ask patients for med lists, they'll  tend to include supplements, herbals, homeopathics stuff, but they almost never list their cannabis/TCH/CBD.  Then when I get to the subst use history they'll acknowledge daily cannabis, and spontaneously add the caveat "it's medical".  But not have included it on a med list as a medicine.  It's a weird phenomenon.)  

The biggest benefit is safe supply.  That's a huge, huge deal.  I'm already narcaning multiple opiate poisonings on every ED shift, I don't need more!!  Fentanyl in street cannabis is definitely a thing.

Advertising is not allowed.  Shop windows cannot display product, and are covered so passers-by cannot see inside.

The main problems:

 There are pot shops everywhere.  It feels like they've taken over small town down towns, and along highways with tourist traffic.

19+ is too young.  We do see a lot of problem cannabis use in teens and young adults, IME much more that before it was legal either medically or recreationally.  During the legalization process, medical experts recommended 25+.  That would have been much better.  But government decided on 19+, I think to match the ate for alcohol and tobacco.  Normalization of cannabis use among teenagers and young adults is a problem.   (normalization in general is a problem, but it's a much bigger problem in the under-25's)

Cases of kids or grandma inadvertently getting into edibles have also become a problem.  Older adults come in thinking they're having a stroke.  I'm doing more drug screens on elderly with weird presentations/abrupt changes in mental status.  I would like to see edibles banned - like gummies, chocolate etc.

On the whole, legalization is probably better than the alternatives.

ETA cannabis sales are restricted in much the same way that alcohol sales are.  It works pretty well.  I mean, problem drinking among teens and young adults is also a problem.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 23, 2022 by wathe

[City Mouse]

Colorado as had legal marijuana for quite some time. It has been an economic boom for small towns along the state boarder, or at least for the one small town near east. As an industry, it did more to revitalize this town than anything else.

Downside - since Colorado was one of the first states to legalize it( possibly the very first, but I don’t know that for sure), there was a dramatic increase in homeless people moving to Co so that they could continue their recreational use legally. As more states have legalized it, many of the homeless seemed to have moved on to warmer locations.

Many of the related legal issues that came up with legalization have been worked through - banking, security, other business not allowing use for employees.

I live in New Mexico which has had medical marijuana for many years, and legalized for recreational use this spring. I haven’t seen any problems develop. There hasn’t been any obvious increase of homeless people, no increase in violence. The shops are quite clean looking and secure, almost medical looking. In fact one shop in a town that I frequent is in an actual medical office. 
The biggest issue here is a supply chain issue. There is not enough legal suppliers.

I am in flavor of the legalization for several reasons. In fact, I have long said that if I had the money and resources to get started I would become a grower. I even picked out my location-an empty Kmart building.

[Idalou]

It's legal to smoke or have marijuana edibles in NY, but it is still not legal to sell it unless it is on soverign NA reservation land. The places all over NY outside the Res that do sell it are technically breaking the law, but very few are being stopped- it all depends on the cops. When it was legalized over a year ago, the state didn't have a plan in place for regulating dispensaries, and they've just now started issuing licenses.

 I would never buy a gummy or premade cigarette before licencing, due to the chances of it being cut with dangerous stuff. I do not fear pot. It is virtually impossible to overdose and die with strictly marijuana, but a person can take enough that causes severe panic attacks that can lead to tragic outcomes. 

 I do think it can be more potent than it was 40 to 50 years ago. It does not all smell skunky, some smell pretty sweet, like back in my college days, lol. There is a huge, huge apple orchard business nearby that is gleefully transitioning to pot.

 Regulated, over 21, taxes used for specific purposes.   I do think that there's been a lot of tinkering with the plants, usually for profiteering, and I wonder how far that will go. There's one that they've stripped of half its genes in order to grow better.  Most pot plants don't produce seeds, so you have to buy new each time. Look at the cost of seeds! Unfortunately I think it will eventually be controlled by a handful of pot producers and its won't have any of the positive qualities there are at this point.

[Danae]

Legalize.  And I say that as someone who has never used a recreational drug, including alcohol, and probably never will.  (Unless using booze to light fancy desserts on fire counts as recreation.  Which it probably does.)

I want stiff penalties for driving while impaired, whatever the substance involved, and for operating heavy equipment and the like. And strict enforcement of clean air act regulations. But possession or use in a safe location with safe transportation and not blowing smoke into non-consenting people’s airspace?  Not my jam, but not my business; shouldn’t be illegal.  

[Bootsie]

I do not see that prohibition works.  Instead, I think it causes more problems than it solves.  Possession of less than 2 ounces is the most-charged crime in my county.; I can't see that it is an effective use of taxpayer money.  And,, I do not think the charges occur equally over various demographic groups.  

[Clarita]

I hate cigarette smoke and it's legal. Alcohol is legal and it can hurt lives. Anything can be addictive. So decriminalize it set an age limit. I don't want my kids touching the stuff and I don't want to touch the stuff (unless we need it, but not recreationally). Drugs that cause one to go completely bonkers like police literally have to kill you to stop your rampage yea those can be illegal.

As usual business can tell you not to smoke indoors, you have to smoke off premise basically treat it like cigarettes and cigars. 

[Katy]

The only problem I can see is that there’s no good test for how recently you took it, so DUI charges in the event of a manslaughter type accident are problematic. That’s probably far more rare than alcohol problems though, and might reduce alcohol DUI’s. I’m for legalization because I think prosecution is a waste of time and money when it could be an easy source of tax revenue. And I don’t think it’s any of my business what some other adult does with a plant. 

[Dmmetler]

More and more, I think Nevada has the right idea. Legalize everything, tax it to the hilt, and restrict it. So, Nevada’s personal use law basically disallows any level of cannabis  in the bloodstream anywhere outside your personal residence. You can buy it, carry it, and use it at home; nowhere else. Honestly, I saw and smelled less marijuana in Reno, where it’s legal than I do in Memphis, where it’s illegal, in very similar parts of town. 
 

 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, EKS said:

Alcohol does all of this and more.  If alcohol is legal, marijuana should be as well.  And frankly, so should everything else.

This is one of the more compelling arguments I have seen. I can easily think of several people whose lives have been directly or indirectly derailed or tragically altered due to someone’s alcohol abuse. So the  argument that some people may ruin their lives or someone else’s with pot does not seem very compelling. 

[Lady Florida.]

It's legal here for medical use and has been for some time. Proponents keep trying to get a ballot initiative for recreational use and it keeps getting shot down - not enough signatures, courts say language is unclear or misleading. I think the next attempt will be the 2024 ballot.

I'm okay with decriminalization. I came of age in the 1970s and you may draw the conclusions that seems to lead to. I have zero interest in it for myself these days but it seems ridiculous for personal use to be a crime. As others have mentioned it's also clear which demographic is targeted.

As far as comparisons to alcohol, while cannabis use disorder is real it's not actually addictive. True cannabis disorder is rare and the harm it can potentially cause is miniscule compared to alcohol and opioids. 

[Melissa Louise]

8 hours ago, Pawz4me said:

I'm not well informed on the subject, but it seems to me that it's no more mood altering than alcohol, and (perhaps) is less damaging to long term health than alcohol is. So it seems hypocritical and illogical to me that one is legal and one isn't. Those are the main reasons I would be "pro" legalizing recreational use.

I thought this, and I recognize that alcohol does immense harm, but I'm now no longer sure cannabis does less damage, especially when used by young people at modern strengths. Not 'your 60's weed', in other words.

It is illogical to criminalize one and not the other.

I would want to know what the legal cannabis trade is like before voting - it's not only effects on users, but also what the industry itself is like - who is doing the growing, harvesting, processing? What are the labor conditions?

Edited October 23, 2022 by Melissa Louise

[Melissa Louise]

1 hour ago, Lady Florida. said:

It's legal here for medical use and has been for some time. Proponents keep trying to get a ballot initiative for recreational use and it keeps getting shot down - not enough signatures, courts say language is unclear or misleading. I think the next attempt will be the 2024 ballot.

I'm okay with decriminalization. I came of age in the 1970s and you may draw the conclusions that seems to lead to. I have zero interest in it for myself these days but it seems ridiculous for personal use to be a crime. As others have mentioned it's also clear which demographic is targeted.

As far as comparisons to alcohol, while cannabis use disorder is real it's not actually addictive. True cannabis disorder is rare and the harm it can potentially cause is miniscule compared to alcohol and opioids. 

True on a population level currently,  but the damage to a susceptible individual is immense.

It's no small thing to develop a psychosis as a young person, and require hospitalization for that, and then deal with the mental illness that has been triggered as an ongoing condition. Most recent young friend was definitely treated for withdrawal symptoms in the early part of her hospitalization. And she will be discharged to a substance abuse program. That's not miniscule.

[SHP]

3 hours ago, Katy said:

The only problem I can see is that there’s no good test for how recently you took it, so DUI charges in the event of a manslaughter type accident are problematic. That’s probably far more rare than alcohol problems though, and might reduce alcohol DUI’s. I’m for legalization because I think prosecution is a waste of time and money when it could be an easy source of tax revenue. And I don’t think it’s any of my business what some other adult does with a plant. 

I am pro legalize everything and ban private vehicles. I don't trust people to partake and be safe.

[busymama7]

Its legal in my state and a massive public nuisance, IMO.   The smell is the worst most disgusting smell and it is EVERYWHERE.  The rare times I have to go into a grocery store (I usually do pick up) I am absolutely grossed out having to smell it all over people when I'm picking my produce.   Just driving by places the smell permeates the car.  

I am old enough to remember public smoking like smoking rooms in schools and hospitals and sections on the plane. This is worse than that was because of how rank the smell is and how far it travels.  Sometimes I can't have my windows open in my home because of it.   

I don't really care about what people are doing and it doesn't seem to affect anything else.  But for this reason alone I wish it had never been legalized.   

[busymama7]

3 hours ago, Dmmetler said:

More and more, I think Nevada has the right idea. Legalize everything, tax it to the hilt, and restrict it. So, Nevada’s personal use law basically disallows any level of cannabis  in the bloodstream anywhere outside your personal residence. You can buy it, carry it, and use it at home; nowhere else. Honestly, I saw and smelled less marijuana in Reno, where it’s legal than I do in Memphis, where it’s illegal, in very similar parts of town. 
 

 

I'm in Las Vegas and this hadn't been my experience at all.   Some parts of town are worse than others but it is everywhere.

[Melissa Louise]

3 hours ago, wathe said:

Legal here for 19+.  It's mostly fine.  

Not much different from when only medical use was legal.   (because IME, here at least,  much "medical" pot use was really a cover for rec use or addiction.  Interesting aside: When I ask patients for med lists, they'll  tend to include supplements, herbals, homeopathics stuff, but they almost never list their cannabis/TCH/CBD.  Then when I get to the subst use history they'll acknowledge daily cannabis, and spontaneously add the caveat "it's medical".  But not have included it on a med list as a medicine.  It's a weird phenomenon.)  

The biggest benefit is safe supply.  That's a huge, huge deal.  I'm already narcaning multiple opiate poisonings on every ED shift, I don't need more!!  Fentanyl in street cannabis is definitely a thing.

Advertising is not allowed.  Shop windows cannot display product, and are covered so passers-by cannot see inside.

The main problems:

 There are pot shops everywhere.  It feels like they've taken over small town down towns, and along highways with tourist traffic.

19+ is too young.  We do see a lot of problem cannabis use in teens and young adults, IME much more that before it was legal either medically or recreationally.  During the legalization process, medical experts recommended 25+.  That would have been much better.  But government decided on 19+, I think to match the ate for alcohol and tobacco.  Normalization of cannabis use among teenagers and young adults is a problem.   (normalization in general is a problem, but it's a much bigger problem in the under-25's)

Cases of kids or grandma inadvertently getting into edibles have also become a problem.  Older adults come in thinking they're having a stroke.  I'm doing more drug screens on elderly with weird presentations/abrupt changes in mental status.  I would like to see edibles banned - like gummies, chocolate etc.

On the whole, legalization is probably better than the alternatives.

ETA cannabis sales are restricted in much the same way that alcohol sales are.  It works pretty well.  I mean, problem drinking among teens and young adults is also a problem.

 

 

 

 

This.

Regulate the heck out of the industry.

25+

(I'd be good with 25+ for a lot of things, including alcohol and active military service)