City officials to give away weed.

September 17, 2002 6:23 AM

City officials to give away weed. A Santa Cruz councilman wants to show solidarity with those arrested in a recent federal raid on a medicinal growing operation. Apparently "the whole community is up in arms about this." This, being the raid, not the medicinal use of marijuana. Is the general public's attitude finally starting to sway?
posted by FiveFrozenFish (20 comments total)

Seems to me like the public's attitude has been pretty positive, at least those who know the facts. The attitudes that need to change are those of the law-makers and the pharmaceutical companies.
posted by Ufez Jones at 6:38 AM on September 17, 2002

the main problem is the potential for the medicinal pot process to be abused, as it has in the past by myself and friends! after all, what percentage of pro-pot advocates do you think really care about the relatively few patients who really deserve it? suffice to say, i have already dispatched my SF-based friend down to this town hall...
posted by adamms222 at 6:47 AM on September 17, 2002

Interesting potential legal tactics here. I wonder what the states-rights wing of the Supreme Court would say if a state government started giving away pot. Could the feds sue a state? Probably depends on whether Al Gore is governor or not.
posted by alms at 6:57 AM on September 17, 2002

So what if the potential is abused, adamms222? We abuse the process of acquiring prescription drugs, too. We've convinced ourselves that the best way to raise this nation's children is to pump them full of Ritalin. After 9/11 Americans started hoarding Cipro. Five years ago you didn't see an ad for anything prescription-related on television, now for some reason everyone in the country suddenly NEEDS one of these magical patented designer medications that solve all your non-existent problems for pennies a day (and possible drymouth.)

Given that track record, you doubted that once pot is medically legal thousands across the country weren't going to SUDDENLY come up with cases of stomach problems? Or some kid of work-related stress? You make it sound like mass national hypochondria is a new thing; this version is just much more obvious.

I hate all of those concepts, but in the long run, I'd rather see everyone abusing access to marijuana than abusing access to alchohol. Or Ritalin. Or trying to use fake prescriptions to score some Xanax.
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 7:11 AM on September 17, 2002

i think between this and noelle bush (and the biting social commentary that is traffic :) the WaD is hanging itself :) the noose is tightening, USA TODAY!
posted by kliuless at 7:34 AM on September 17, 2002

Is the general public's attitude finally starting to sway?

If you equate the Santa Cruz community with the general public's attitude. I wouldn't.
posted by semmi at 8:08 AM on September 17, 2002

actually, throughout the last century, california has been a good predictor of what "mainstream" america has coming. Who would've thought we'd have a Vans skatepark in Houston 15 years ago? California had'em first. California has had public cardrooms for decades. They've been spreading around the west and the northeast and the gulf coast the last ten years. Our culture is dominated by television and celebrity. It doesn't surprise me that the powerseat of entertainment, southern california, should have an enormous influence on the national culture, and if you've ever been to california, you know that smoking pot is more accepted than smoking cigarettes. That being the case, I have a difficult time imagining a future America that has a less tolerant attitude toward marijuana, the medical kind or the just plain fun kind, than it does now
posted by chris0495 at 8:21 AM on September 17, 2002

What an odd system: the state decriminalises on medical grounds, the feds dispute & reinforce their laws, meanwhile the patients suffer. What are they on?
posted by dash_slot- at 10:58 AM on September 17, 2002

Is the general public's attitude finally starting to sway?

If you equate the Santa Cruz community with the general public's attitude. I wouldn't.

First of all, it's not just Santa Cruz, it's the entire state of California. Santa Cruz is just the latest city to be raided by the feds. Before that it was Oakland, and before that it was San Francisico. Besides California, there's also: Alaska, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. That's 18% of the 2001 population of the US.

Nevada is voting to legalize in general, not just for medicinal purposes.
posted by badstone at 11:29 AM on September 17, 2002

if you've ever been to california, you know that smoking pot is more accepted than smoking cigarettes.

By who you can't smoke cigarettes at bars in LA(I know the catch, too). Texas has the same attitude in my opinion.
Actually I now know more who do smoke the wacky-tobaccy in Tx vs Ca. I was told just don't get caught, and here in the South I meet more officials that do behind closed doors. Maybe that is the difference. Those that don't hide, they just ignite it.............
posted by thomcatspike at 11:48 AM on September 17, 2002

Dash that is it, not what are they on? what are they to get......the pharmaceutical companies.
posted by thomcatspike at 11:54 AM on September 17, 2002

Medical marijuana links page

The Santa Cruz Buyer's Club used to be located in a very cozy victorian house in the downtown. (Might still be, for all I know-- this was some years back.) Most of the clientele was at the point where they clearly needed some sort of palliative care; the statistic that many are terminally ill sounds correct. Instead of sitting home alone and taking painkillers, the club's living room gave the patients an event to look forward to which added an hour or two of pleasant social interaction to their day, improving the quality of life for the patient and their caregivers alike. I was surprised to discover that some very conservative people in the town supported medical marijuana as a result of seeing someone through AIDS or chemotherapy. The program in Santa Cruz did in fact look like a good model for marijuana treatment, and I'd recommend a visit for anyone considering organizing a similar operation.
posted by sheauga at 1:28 PM on September 17, 2002

Hey, Arizona's prop 203 is for more than just medical weed - it also decriminalizes possession. Plus some other stuff too.
posted by hurkle at 2:36 PM on September 17, 2002

sheagua: But, hey, what's a little compassion in the face of the Killer Weed, eh?

The DEA is a heartless, facist organization.
posted by five fresh fish at 4:25 PM on September 17, 2002

Coupla questions -

Can someone tell me how many joints 2 ounces of marijuana provides? TIA.

Second - if marijuana possession is legalized in Arizona or Nevada, will drug testing requirements change? Or can companies still discriminate based on usage? I certainly understand why its use needs to be restricted in certain professions, but I really couldn't understand why my company was so all-fired concerned that I might produce some jiminy wicked software product marketing that they made me (and all employees) take a drug test.
posted by qrs136 at 2:36 PM on September 18, 2002

170.
posted by BirdD0g at 9:20 PM on September 18, 2002

Yowsa. That's a lotta joints. What's a couple ounces of weed cost?
posted by five fresh fish at 9:29 PM on September 18, 2002

About $250/oz due to the fact it's illegal. If it were legal, probably about $40/oz.
posted by BirdD0g at 6:39 AM on September 20, 2002

& how many plants is that?
posted by five fresh fish at 10:08 PM on September 22, 2002

i wonder if they'll pinch a lil bit for themselves??
posted by Degaz at 6:26 PM on October 14, 2002