How has Legalization changed your grass life?

Since recreational cannabis became legal in your state, how has that changed your grass life?

I've lived decades in the SF Bay Area and during all that time as a corporate career person was always afraid of being busted. So was always careful about carrying and transporting grass. Secret compartments in my clothes or shoes and all that haha. And note as a senior, I lived during periods when simple possession was a felony so unlike the recent decade or two it used to be much more serious. Thus while driving one would be extra careful etc.

Today it is awesome that I can have grass in my pocket and can walk around anywhere, be in my vehicle driving, or anywhere else without having to worry about breaking any laws. Nor do I have to worry about it being in my vehicles say in the glove compartment. That does not mean using or smoking but rather just carrying, transporting. This is huge! Note the only place currently one can legally smoke here in California is in private residences thus never outside or in public except for a very few private lounges.

Another thing I really like is I can buy a large range of specific strains for smoking thus know what I am smoking as long as I am not experimenting with something new. Over the last couple years of legalization have found what works for me and can keep buying whatever confidently. In the old days was leery of smoking just anything available because one never knew when it might be laced or infused with other drugs or one might end up with some weak stuff and not get off.

A third thing I really like is recreational smoking lounges that are just within the last year opening up in San Francisco. For decades up in The City, one would have to sneak around in alleys or parks or out on the shore wherever smoke would dissipate. Now I just go into a lounge for a half hour session and then am out on the street free to be.

 

My expectation is states where rec weed is still illegal are closely watching how it plays out in legal states. And indeed the roll out has been bumpy. Here in California there is still much further to go however one ought expect those laws to move slowly incrementally because there are many issues and many opposed. Many voters want to see if any of the more problematic issues like driving under the influence and the effect on students plays out as bad as detractors paint it. If we can make it work here in California, it will be certain to continue spreading elsewhere.

From earliest counterculture era days, many of us learned to smoke outdoors in rural natural areas where others would not detect smoke or smell. That is one reason so many of us are nature oriented. But that is still very much against the law. Even in a place like Eureka (Humboldt), one cannot just walk down a city street where other citizens are and smoke grass. Nor can one do so in any of the many redwood parks or Pacific shores unless discrete. Likewise I often walk about in downtown San Francisco where streets are dense with people walking about much like Manhattan. And I rarely smell weed (outside of Tenderloin...homeless) because people are still very aware of being discrete. Not so much that police would likely bust one but rather it puts such authorities under pressure from those that are certain to complain.

The two biggest incremental changes here in the near future will be opening up a whole lot more rec smoking lounges and the ability to smoke outdoors if at locations where no others might be bothered by second hand smoke.

 

Some other changes are:

1, I who lives in a large urban area, now never have an issue about easily having cannabis available as there are a few dispensaries within a half hour drive.

2, There is so much available at a relatively reasonable prices for this person that is just an occasional smoker, that I can be unconcerned about smoking inefficiently simply to make my supply last longer. Recently tossed a half ounce of older stash into the trash because I would always going forward have higher potency weed and doubted would ever bother smoking the old weed.

3, Had always been suspicious of weed I had not sampled for either being weak, infused with who knows what, or laced with other drugs. Today can go into dispensaries and with a bit of strain research beforehand, be rather certain I am safely getting the pure strain I am buying with an approximate known THC potency and free of carcinogens from pesticides.

4, Even in situations where some non-smoker strangers out in public places may have in the past complained to authorities after smelling it in the air, today that is much less so because non-smokers are becoming more aware it is no longer a big legal deal, some are using it medicinally for valid reasons, and police likely won't do much beyond verbal warnings, so non-smokers today are more likely to just ignore discrete use being socially tolerant.