So, Will You Smoke More Pot When It's Legal?

Comments

What about "I smoke rarely and this won't change my habits."

on December 3, 2012 at 2:39 PM

@1) That's fair, I added it.

Dominic Holden on December 3, 2012 at 2:42 PM

Has it occurred to anyone that "demand" may be related to "price" and we may not know about that until the future is here.

howie in seattle on December 3, 2012 at 2:43 PM

Though really, my increase in consumption from "almost never" to "occasionally" is probably not going to take effect until next year when it can be *purchased* legally, too. The pain in the ass/awkward social situations currently required to obtain it are the main reason it's been a while.

lilzilla on December 3, 2012 at 2:44 PM

I may actually smoke less now that I don't have to buy a huge quantity to keep around (that is, whenever I can buy it legally). Because if it's there, I'm gonna smoke it.

I'd love to be able to go out to the cafe and buy a spliff whenever I feel like it.

Dare to dream.

pfffter on December 3, 2012 at 2:51 PM

I have rarely smoked it in recent years because it was too much of a hassle. When I was young, it was worth the trouble. Now that it will be legal, I'll light up. It's really fun and leaves no hangover. Now that we have HDTV, movies will be eye popping.

Pope Peabrain on December 3, 2012 at 2:55 PM

Where's the option for "I'll prolly make a special road trip just to smoke up with my aging-hippie, chronic-pain-afflicted aunt & uncle, and not tell my cousins"?

rob! on December 3, 2012 at 3:02 PM

Now that I am old, both weed and booze make me dull and sleepy.

Big Sven on December 3, 2012 at 3:03 PM

Only if it's cheaper than booze and has the Beer Goggles Effect I rely on...

mubhappy on December 3, 2012 at 3:04 PM

Started smoking for the first time in years the day the authorities released everyone arraigned for simple possession

wxPDX on December 3, 2012 at 3:04 PM

I haven't smoked pot since before most of you guys were born. Will I smoke a bowl every now and then after it's legal? Yeah, probably. But I don't see any big changes happening.

Fifty-Two-Eighty on December 3, 2012 at 3:04 PM

If it stays 300 an ounce I won't be increasing my intake from zero.

brandon on December 3, 2012 at 3:12 PM

Here's one I'd like to see the answer to: if you live in Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Nebraska, or Kansas, will you cross state lines to buy legal and illegally bring pot back to your state?

Westside forever on December 3, 2012 at 3:14 PM

@13 according to the TSA, you can carry MJ with you on direct flights from CO to WA and vice versa.

But not to BC, cause then customs will jail you.

Will in Seattle on December 3, 2012 at 3:17 PM

How I wish weed had proven to be worth the candle for me. I'm one of those it makes anxious, twice as voluble, and half as interesting.

gloomy gus on December 3, 2012 at 3:20 PM

Since my typical consumption cycle seems to be about 3-4 months smoking, 3-4 months not, I might see that change just slightly, but not significantly.

COMTE on December 3, 2012 at 3:20 PM

@15 it makes me anxious from time to time. I just work through it.

pfffter on December 3, 2012 at 3:25 PM

No mention of edibles? I hate smoking, but I'm cool with digesting.

on December 3, 2012 at 3:28 PM

I don't smoke and I don't see that changing.
But for everyone who does, go crazy.
Just please buy locally.
Support Washington state.
Support you local farmers.
But only non-GMO, organic pot.

fairly.unbalanced on December 3, 2012 at 3:34 PM

I've never smoked anything (not even salmon). I had a weed brownie once and it made me cry. Ketamine gets me the same way. Drugs and me don't get on.

originalcinner on December 3, 2012 at 3:35 PM

Maybe after I get a job. They still test for that sometimes.

MacCrocodile on December 3, 2012 at 3:36 PM

"I don't smoke pot now and I sure as hell won't start." So strongly worded...

mhulot on December 3, 2012 at 3:45 PM

@21: Ugh, I had not considered that aspect. Damn. I'd love to give it a shot to have the experience, but not so much that I'm willing to shoot myself in the foot for a possible position I'm waiting on. I can't imagine legalization will change potential employers' behavior upon finding your drug test came back positive.

Knat on December 3, 2012 at 3:46 PM

@14, do you have a source for that? I'm pretty sure planes operate under federal jurisdiction.

I stopped smoking several years ago because I stopped enjoying it. Its legality will not change that, but I am excited for the beginning of the end of marijuana prohibition.

ourkind on December 3, 2012 at 3:48 PM

probably not. I used to be a total stoner but stopped because I could never get anything done. I smoke very rarely now, or at least not the amounts I used to. I can make an eighth last for about a month now. Before I was going through an eighth every other day.

seatowndawgtown on December 3, 2012 at 3:51 PM

How about "I'm not a smoker but I would like to make a flour-less chocolate pot cake (or whatever food item you choose)"

Simone on December 3, 2012 at 3:51 PM

@23 - I've been a temp for years now. Not that I'm desperate to smoke up, but it's excruciating.

MacCrocodile on December 3, 2012 at 3:54 PM

Don't really smoke but brownies.

OH YES, THE BROWNIES. THOSE DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE SQUARES OF "HOLD ON TO THE SHELF BECAUSE THE BED IS SLIDING TOWARD THE KITCHEN".

Baconcat on December 3, 2012 at 3:56 PM

@24, hah hah, you just asked Will in Seattle for a source for one of his idiot statements. When pigs fly.

Fnarf on December 3, 2012 at 4:00 PM

I'm excited to make some butter without worrying about my landlady smelling it while cooking. I'm not a big fan of smoking because the scratchy throat. But I do enjoy me some baked treats every few weeks.

Enigma on December 3, 2012 at 4:02 PM

@14--You first, and let the rest of us know how it goes, OK?

bleedingheartlibertarian on December 3, 2012 at 4:14 PM

I don't live in Washington State and the state that I do live in doesn't even allow access to medical marijuanna. It has been maybe a year since I've had any weed because I just don't know where to get it. I would love to be able to buy some to manage my chronic pain. Marijuanna really helps with the cramping and tension that I get along with the pain. I wouldn't smoke much, but I'd certainly smoke more than I do now. Never had digestables - I bet I would like them.

Schweighsr on December 3, 2012 at 4:20 PM

I haven't smoked dope for years but I am truly looking forward to my first legal joint, which I hope to share with my sons. :)

Sachi on December 3, 2012 at 4:22 PM

@29: This may be one of the few things he's right about. TSA doesn't confiscate MM.

on December 3, 2012 at 4:25 PM

I'm Dutch. The Dutch smoke very little pot per capita. It is mostly considered a "blue collar" habit comparable to dipping tobacco in the US. Every fraternity has a guy who smokes pot (I was the guy in mine; but I went to boarding schools which are pretty much dens of dope smoking). Once everybody is drunk they will hit a joint passing around (Just like people start dipping once drunk). But it is really frowned upon in general.

Hajo Smulders on December 3, 2012 at 4:25 PM

We won't have to lie to the kid now, which will be nice.

beatgrl on December 3, 2012 at 4:35 PM

Heeheehee... A retired cop (@11) says he'll "smoke a bowl every now and then". That is awesome.

These retired cops describing how the War on Drugs is a failure and a travesty are also pretty awesome.

Ipso Facto on December 3, 2012 at 4:54 PM

I think before i502, I laughed off negative effects of pot because of, and not in spite of, the fact that pot was illegal. Essentially, being told this thing was so terrible it must be outlawed, and then finding out it was far from that, struck down any credibility remaining in arguments against pot. Now we've taken that presumption off the table. And, maybe coincidentally and maybe not, I now see other, more personal, reasons for why I shouldn't smoke, e.g. I don't budget my time well.

But, that's just me. And I'm pretty proud of Washington for this vote.

edie murphy beverly hills have eyes cleary on December 3, 2012 at 4:59 PM

@24 it was/is on the TSA website. News is a couple of weeks old.

Will in Seattle on December 3, 2012 at 5:01 PM

Also, TSA is a federal agency. It comports with federal law or it doesn't get funded. No way would I trust that statement.

edie murphy beverly hills have eyes cleary on December 3, 2012 at 5:01 PM

@29 to get pigs to fly, buy a copy of the iPad game with flying pigs and the birds that love them. There's a Droid version too. Me, I find the game boring.

Will in Seattle on December 3, 2012 at 5:03 PM

Please note, I think they basically said (unless they've changed it due to pressure from other feds) they would not allow liquid forms in large quantity, and it's only the personal exemption limit that applies in BOTH states (minimum of the two). Medical MJ has a higher limit. Can not be for resale.

Will in Seattle on December 3, 2012 at 5:05 PM

Like several commenters above, I was also a pretty big pothead during much of my twenties. I quit in order to be more productive and also to prove to myself that I didn't need it and that I am fully in control of my own choices. The exercise of self-discipline required to give up weed is highly empowering (in the same way that making a commitment to veganism is).

I think I've only smoked once in the past two years. But when its legal and readily available I'll probably toke up on occasion. In my experience MJ can -- in moderation and under the right circumstances -- enhance creativity considerably and conduce a pretty wonderful time. But smoking too much just leaves me foggy and groggy.

Like Macklemore raps (along with Prometheus Brown on the Blue Scholars track Tommie Chong... but you already knew that): "I'm not against legalization -- no, not at all/ I'm against glorification, you are not Snoop Dogg/ moderation -- that's the key/ the door is unlocked, it's up to you how you use it/ make the call".

Ipso Facto on December 3, 2012 at 5:25 PM

I'm not sure the passage of i-502 will have much effect on people's smoking habits, and that was never really the point anyway. People who smoke regularly will continue to do so, people who never smoke will undoubtedly still refrain. Occasional smokers will do their occasional thing as always. People who were really hardcore about it signed up for medical cards long ago.

Tacoma Traveler on December 3, 2012 at 6:16 PM

I am going to smoke it more anyway because my drinking has gotten out of control and I find that when I'm stoned, drinking makes no goddamn sense and doesn't sound like a good idea. That said..

I think it'd be great if more people got stoned more often in this state, in hopes of seeing great things come out of it: more psychedelic art/music/culture, more new innovative ideas, more thinking outside the box, etc.

I know it isn't for everybody, fine, whatever. A lot of people try it a few times and then decide they hate it and won't do it again because they had a bad experience with it, and they probably had a bad experience with it because they got waaay too high, and/or got high under the wrong circumstances, which made them feel very paranoid or socially out of place or .. blah blah, you know. Your first time you gotta be alone or with a close friend or 2, outside, in the woods or in a quiet calm house/apartment with awesome music and food

i'm pro-science and i vote on December 3, 2012 at 6:36 PM

lol @ non-GMO pot! Where do you think they get names like Purple-White Widow-Thunderkushfuck?

JonnoN on December 3, 2012 at 6:54 PM

Let's see. Today the typical price is about $10/gram and falling. The state cartel wants to charge $20/gram. Which it can only do if they eliminate the competition from the greedy Mexicans and the slimy "dispensary/community gardens," and make sure that naive, stupid individual consumers are thrown in jail if they grow their own.

Why the jail? Because the cost of growing your own, if pot was actually legal in the same way that beer and wine are legal, is about 11 cents a gram. But the state wants to charge 250 times that. Which means that they have to use the police to squash any competition.

Welcome to the wacky world of "legal" marijuana made "legal" by I-502. Will it work? You tell me, stoners! What would you rather pay: $20 a gram, $10 a gram, or 11 cents a gram? This is an I.Q. test.

Mister G on December 3, 2012 at 8:09 PM

That's what I thought too. Non-GMO pot is for making clothes and string.

Hey, can Washington farm hemp now too?

Sandiai on December 3, 2012 at 8:21 PM

I've never tried pot before. (Sheltered life + general terror of moving half an inch out of my comfort zone.) I've thought about trying some snacks when they hit the stores, just to see what all the fuss is about. But given my chronic tendency to the melancholia, I can see myself liking it a bit too much, which I'm worried could lead to an unhealthy attachment. And I'm already unproductive and low energy enough as it is.

Chelydra_serpentina on December 3, 2012 at 8:48 PM

#48, define "GMO pot."

Mister G on December 3, 2012 at 8:48 PM

As a friend remarked: " when I smoke I expect to become Bob Marley, but I always end up feeling like Homer Simpson."

I'll give it another whirl when the weirdness of the acquisition experience goes away, but I'm not expecting to like it any better than I did 20 years ago.

nedludd on December 3, 2012 at 8:50 PM

And oh yeah -- I'm pro-legalization and have been ever since I got to know the particulars of the issue.

Chelydra_serpentina on December 3, 2012 at 8:52 PM

my consumption has gone to almost non-existent over the past year or so. however, if I don't smoke at least once every few months, I become incredibly agitated, angry and generally unpleasant to be around. kinda like Mister G I'd assume! it's not a dependency issue either...prior to when I started smoking as a teen, I had serious anger problems and cannabis unsurprisingly quelled them in an incredibly effective manner. it also helps me with anxiety a lot of the time; I actually feel more motivated to leave the house and be productive when I smoke. not to mention it's been a big help in musical compositions over the years.

despite all that, I just feel like I'm growing out of it? usually when I do buy some, it's such a small amount that I don't really feel like bothering the seller, or go out of my way to meet them. unless we happen to be at the same place at the same time, like at a show. maybe once it's available in stores I'll start buying some more often once again.

LEE. on December 3, 2012 at 11:39 PM

@14, @24 - from before I502 and doesn't talj about Colorado, but relevant. I've flown with pot to Oakland, LAX, and SFO. http://www.tokeofthetown.com/2011/11/man…

@47 - wtf cartel? 502 sets up state licensed tiers not unlike our liquor system, and the estimated price the state used to come up with the fiscal impact of 502 was $12/gram. You are talking right out of your ass.

NaFun on December 4, 2012 at 12:32 AM

I don't plan on smoking (not my bag) but I am excited for my Mom. She suffers from chronic pain, and it will likely be easier for her to access the stuff. It will do her a world of good if she can get something every once in awhile to take the edge off and have it help her sleep.

on December 4, 2012 at 2:44 AM

How about, "I live in Oregon, where we were to moronic to legalize it," so I will get some in Washington...?

rowan redwing on December 4, 2012 at 3:25 AM

No wonder the typical stoner is such a moron. #54 is happy paying $12 a gram for something that can be grown in the backyard for 11 cents.

Mister G on December 4, 2012 at 4:20 AM

@55 you know she can qualify for medical marijuana, right?

Joe Szilagyi on December 4, 2012 at 6:11 AM

I live in the Netherlands. I can smoke pot freely, and I don't, ever. There is not much pot-smoking done by the residents of the country, it's mostly tourists. I think what they might find is that once it's legal, no one really cares anymore.

juli81 on December 4, 2012 at 6:26 AM

I haven't smoked regularly in 20 years (basically since I got my first real job). I've thought about it occasionally for chronic pain management and accepted a brownie or one puff on a bowl when offered, but the hassle/expense kept it a once-every-five-years kind of thing. I quit smoking cigarettes for my asthmatic lungs' sake so I have no desire to ever smoke it again. I just like the pain relief/body high. So, when/if it's readily available for purchase in edible form...I'd get it for special occasions.

threnody on December 4, 2012 at 9:24 AM

I like my lungs. My lungs don't like smoke. Hence I have never smoked anything (pot, tobacco, anything) and never will.*

Though if Starbucks starts selling pot brownies, maybe I'll give those a(nother) try. (Yeah, I know: try specialty bars or liquor stores instead. Eventually).

* I supported I-502 and I'm proud the people of the state widely embraced rationality by adopting it (and I hope the SCOTUS will see it that way also). As with being a straight supporting R74, doing the right or sensible thing sometimes involves more than just voting along your own narrow self-interest.

Wandergeist on December 4, 2012 at 10:07 AM

The problem with the label GMO is that it's used to refer to the crossbreeding of plants to produce certain traits (which has been going on as long as agriculture) and it's used to refer to putting jellyfish DNA in corn so it glows in the dark.

It's really stupid.

dwightmoodyforgetsthings on December 4, 2012 at 12:15 PM

I will vaporize and/or consume edible pot more once it's not only legal, but more convenient to get. I am kind of a square and I have never had any luck obtaining pot more than once a year or so, so I smoke... once a year or so. If I could pick some up at the liquor store, I'd be a lot more likely to indulge maybe once a week, especially since I'm looking down the barrel of grad school right now and I could use the mental health buffer.

No smoking, though. Smoking is gross.

balderdash on December 4, 2012 at 3:11 PM

Not if the new GMO labeling init passes, @62.

But it's only for patented genes, so if you breed it, that's not the same thing.

Will in Seattle on December 5, 2012 at 2:54 PM

Please add: Got tired of it around 1977; don't intend to take it up again. But for those who do, enjoy!

The Wild Sow on December 5, 2012 at 7:51 PM

How about "I don't smoke now, but I'll smoke once or twice just 'cause it's legal and then return to my regularly scheduled non-smoking."

on December 5, 2012 at 10:32 PM

I've had my medical marijuana card for a while now. I buy it one or two grams at a time for when my muscle spasms get really bad or for when I want to have a special night with a sweetie.

Other than that? I love being sober, too!

quinkygirl on December 6, 2012 at 8:51 AM

So, Will You Smoke More Pot When It's Legal?

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