Stan Rosenberg speaking at Kendrick Park last October
Here's yet another reason to love the new state Senate President and actual town "local", having passed the 25 year mark for living in Amherst: When asked by a Boston radio station if he ever smoked pot State Senator Stan Rosenberg replied, "Did I go to college in the 60s?"
Well ... yes. Umass actually. Back when it really was known as "ZooMass". But not anymore fortunately.
Rosenberg, being the savvy experienced politician, anticipates a referendum question to legalize marijuana for recreational use will be forthcoming in 2016.
After all he's from Amherst, so he remembers the town vote in 2000 where a pot advisory question asking police to "deprioritize" marijuana arrests passed handily1,659 in favor to 981 opposed.
A local election with a much better turnout than most (20.4%) propelled in a large part by students.
With the state-wide referendum process being used to decriminalize up to an ounce of pot back in 2008 and most recently in 2012 legalizing pot for medical uses, it is indeed a safe bet advocates will go for all the marbles in 2016.
So why not be prepared? Although Governor Baker is opposed to recreational use of pot he supports Rosenberg's formation of the "Special Senate Committee on Marijuana."
Now will somebody please pass the brownies.
It will be interesting to see when and how the down side of the Pot Revolution begins to rear its head.
ReplyDeleteIt may start out on the highway, with impaired drivers.
Or, perhaps in the workplace or in the classroom or within broken marriages.
And then we'll have to spend public dollars on the public service announcements and the education programs to get the folks who didn't know when and where to stop straightened out. Perhaps we'll go so far as to ostracize those who can't curb their pot use.
But, for now, it's the Age of Aquarius.
The Surgeon General is okay with burning stuff and holding the smoke in your lungs for as long as possible? Anyone who thinks this is good for you has never cleaned a pot pipe. I know, I know -- you don't Have to smoke it, but isn't that the norm? How many of us make bownies, after all. And don't forget I don't wanna be exposed to your second-hand smoke. So please respect the no-smoking-in-public-places ban. Other than that enjoy the tar.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe as we do with alcohol, we'll advertise it, it will sponsor Super Bowls and become a part of the free market fabric, like so may other drugs.
ReplyDeleteWhat prescriptions are you on?
Drugs, including alcohol, are far more prevalent in our society than people like to aknowledge. Most people don't even count alcohol as a drug, but of course it is.
Is there any reason many ARHS students wore Michigan sweat shirts on their channel 40 appearance this morning?
ReplyDeletePot will still be illegal for minors. And us geezers know not to drive while stoned. The ones who drive stoned would drive while drunk.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's not just brownies -- you can sprinkle it in chocolate pudding along with your flax.
I support freedom of choice!
ReplyDeleteYes me too . I happen to like cigarettes. Tar and nicotine legal. Free country .
DeleteNew source of tax revenue!
ReplyDeleteMassachusetts has not been able to implement its medical marijuana laws in over 2 years due to corruption. Meanwhile pot smoking locals are being put in jail, harassed by police and still treated like rapists. Worst of all, sometimes they are not, the enforcement is not consistent, which is worse than having strict laws. The police, who are not qualified, are standing judgement on the side of the road. Let's remember, it has been the MA govt that folks locally seem to worship like the church that has kept pot illegal and has locked up 10,000's of your children to make police (very loved here) jobs. The drug war, or police hiring program, is still alive and strong in Mass. The war is now, who will get the profits. 2+ years fighting over corruption and profits. It's not time to pass the brownies yet, its time to get a smaller and better govt for the people in stead of for the public unions and politicians. Pot is not cute and funny, pot is what locks up 5% of your children.
ReplyDeletePot smokers treated like rapists? Uhhhhhh.... blow things out of proportion much, hot dog breath?
ReplyDeleteActually, they may be treated worse. If you pass me a joint at a party, that's distribution of a controlled substance. And if it's your third offense (even if the other two were minor offenses back in high school,) the minimum, mandatory Federal sentence is life in prison without parole.
ReplyDeleteLegalized prostitution would be a new source of revenue. So that makes it a good idea?
ReplyDeleteWe have become whores for supposedly painless sources of government revenue.
Problem is they're not really painless in the long run.
Watch the pot fascination spin out of control.
Wow....its better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and confirm it. In MA sharing or passing a joint (or ANY OTHER smoking appartus) is not distribution. There is case law on the matter. NO ONE in MA who was ever arrested for pot did jail time (unless they got caught with 50+ pounds OR had another offense like a gun), the most they got was a CWOF. Stop spreading rumor and inaccuracies as fact.
ReplyDeleteAsk CO and WA how legalization is working for them...not just financially (it has been a boon) but ask them about the secondarey issues...then make your decision.
The weed in the 60s/70s was between 5-7% THC. 10% was the "good stuff".
ReplyDeleteIf you get 10% THC today you would claim that you were robbed. Most weed is in the 20s and 30s. The newer THC products (wax/dabs/butters) can be 90%+.
It is not the same social drug that it was in the 60s and 70s. When is enough enough?
11:06AM rejoin the conversation when you've come back down to earth.
ReplyDeleteOr has Ed started posting anonymously?
Still, I wonder why it's deemed okay to light this thing, stick it your mouth, suck the smoke in, and. Hold it in your lungs for a long time. You just can't convince me that this is a good thing for your body. Have you clean the pot pipe lately? That gunk we call Ganja is tar. Why don't we see the pictures of the rodded lungs on the weed containers? In the warnings about pregnancy.
DeleteI apologize for the poor typing.
DeleteWith legalization....
ReplyDeleteFirst, the party, the celebration, the high
Then, the hangover, the unintended consequences, the public safety issues, the young people who can't stop smoking, etc. etc.
This is the way that it goes, the way that it will go with gambling, too, in Massachusetts.
There is no free lunch.
If there was free lunch, all the stoners would be pretty happy about it.
ReplyDeleteI am starving! Let's go get some munchies! And get fatter and fatter too!
ReplyDelete"This is the way that it goes, the way that it will go with gambling, too, in Massachusetts.
ReplyDeleteThere is no free lunch. "
No?
I betcha the comps'r gonna
knock-your-friggan-socks off.
http://www.mgmspringfield.com/home.aspx
-Squeaks Squeaks
p.s. Mmmm mmmm good!
Folks are too stoned to continue this thread.
ReplyDelete