Saw something pretty messed up this morning

Today, the Virginia legislature passed a law (expected to be signed by our Governor) imposing pretty stiff regulations on Delata-8 THC and hemp derived intoxicating products.
Virginia lawmakers pass tough delta-8 THC restrictions

Meanwhile, our lower legislative chamber committee on cannabis tabled both 2 republican sponsored bills as well as the democratic senate – passed bill that’s been sitting around since 2020 or so for establishing a retail cannabis market. They even killed the bill to instruct the CCA (Cannabis control authority, a state agency all of VA taxpayers are currently funding) to at least draft some regulations that could later be voted on.

Anyway, I’m out running errands this morning, and stop at the local gas station, I go inside to pre-pay and grab some combos and a soda that will probably be my lunch today, and while the young lady at the register is ringing me up, another woman enters the store.

Lady looks about 65, but probably closer to 40, with the kind of facial gauntness and twitching that suggests she might have some issues in her life, she pushes right up on me and interrupts the lady as she is telling me my total with a horse raspy voice “Do ya got any of THESE in this store?” and she holds out some pink looking little square delta 8 THC product box.

Normally, this is where I’d stop and mention to this lady the concept of courtesy and waiting one’s turn in line but her appearance and voice gave me pause. This lady was desperate for whatever it was she was trying to buy, probably knowing it may be pulled off the shelves soon.

Anyway before I could say something the cashier tells the lady “If you can just step back and wait a minute for me to finish with this customer I’ll check for you ma’am.”

I finish my transaction walk to my truck, pump my gas and prepare to leave, before remembering that I had a fedex parcel to put in the drop box at the station. So I grab it and walk back to the box, right next to the large glass windows of the front of the convenience store, and sneak a casual glance inside.

The cashier has laid out all the weird hemp-CBD-Delta 8 stuff they sell at the gas station on a separate counter and this lady is pouring over them, at least 20-30 packages of various products. Reminded me of the big losers at the horse or dog track searching the trash for a winning ticket.

As I walk back to my truck and get slowly get in, enter my next destination into the gps and start to pull away, I see the lady angrily storm out of the store empty handed, get in her little beat up shitbox of a car and go flying out of the parking lot ahead of me.

Curious, and going the same direction, I pull out behind her and follow for a bit. Sure enough she turns into the very next gas station, presumably to continue her search for whatever product she wants before it is pulled from the shelves.

I sit here and think to myself how fucked up is it that we have people running around like that in a state where you can just grow up to 4 plants of your own and have all the delta 9 you can handle, that somehow our legislature couldn’t get their shit together to get rec sales set up, while they continue to ban every alternative and loophole available to people like this woman.

To me, it seemed such a stupid thing, but then again while definitely cheaper in the long run, growing one’s own cannabis usually involves a decent upfront chunk of cash to buy lights, tent, etc. A chunk of cash a lot of folks might not have.

Also, in VA if you rent, your landlord can dis-allow you to grow cannabis even if the state otherwise says its legal, living near a large college town, there are quite a lot of renters both for income or length of stay in the city reasons.

Personally a lot of this doesn’t affect me, because I have the money, time, and space to grow my own, but I’m not too blind to see that there are others without these options in the state. To be clear, I thought all that unregulated bullshit in the gas stations and bodegas did need to go, but not without first providing persons with a legal pathway to purchase THC derived products.

Just a pretty fucked up situation imo, just felt like projecting it onto the internet for any related comments. Just really messed up for all those people in my state who can’t otherwise supply themselves, to take away access to something and leaving no legal means to obtain it, unless you happen to know a grower who will “give” you an ounce or less as allowed under current state law.

That's why I try to help people out with growing their own whenever I can, regardless of what personal views they may hold that I personally find reprehensible.

Disclaimer, I'm aware everything I posted here could just be summed up as


Take care of yourselves, and each other GC.

 

To be fair mate If I had a joint or some bud in my truck at the time I would have offered some to her, as I could tell she was probably looking for something stronger, but Delta-8 from a gas station was all she had ready access too. Sad state of affairs all around.

 

Yeah, NOVA folks are pretty lucky that some DC dispensaries will even deliver to like Springfield if you are ordering enough, though I am not sure of the exact legality of how they do it having not personally used any of those services.

If you care to get a medical card I think you can visit one of the 3-4 medical dispensaries in the state, but most are near major exurbs or cities anyway (I think Manassas, Richmond, Chesapeake areas all have one, but they can be 2-3 hour drive each way from down in the valley near where I am).

Its wild, I wonder how many people will be driving from VA to WV to get Delta 8 stuff from their gas stations (I live like 15 minutes from the state line), probably less than the folks from WV who drive to VA to have one of their growing mates "share" an ounce with them.

 

Its no issue at all mate, all related stuff, I work and drive through NC regularly and have family in SC, its funny because after seeing what the potential penalties for simple possession are in some states, has influenced some of our family vacation plans as well.

Last summer my brother and I took my father salmon fishing in Alaska, it was a bucket list item for him and it was possibly the last time he'll fly; at least a flight that long.

Being able to get off the plane in Anchorage, grab our rental car, and immediately go get dinner and buy some bud at the rec dispensary right next door (no worries about transport through airports etc) was a huge convenience. Seeing Denali come out from behind the clouds and being able to pull over and blaze a J was definitely a memorable experience for me.

Same deal with the beach, I could risk NC and SC possession laws (or PA if I'm heading northward) since there is little not no medical reciprocity, or I could just throw an ounce of the bud I grew and know is good in a locked smellproof case in the trunk, and go chill out at Assateague, or Tangiers, or VA beach, wherever in Virginia.

A lot of very conservative states (like WV next door) have a lot of beautiful natural tourism and associated revenues, and I think its only a matter of time that they realize thats even more tourism money they leave on the table.

For example, if NC decriminalizes, its possible that SC might start seeing higher tourism numbers at OBX vs myrtle, because people go to the beach for a variety of reasons, but a common one is to chill. While the parks and public beaches usually prohibit such use, its good to know I can get stoned as hell on my rental house porch, then walk out to the beach to relax in the sun and sand.

My philosophy is basically anywhere you can be even mildly intoxicated from alcohol, you should also allowed to be stoned, provided you aren't causing a disturbance to other patrons or staff, and assuming proper provisions are made to prevent people who don't want to be exposed to cannabis smoke, from being exposed to it.