California will vote on legal marijuana

[kcinsu]

i doubt itll pass.

 

remember prop 8? there is a lot of conservatism in cali

[awepittance]

i have a feeling it will not pass either, where else in the world is marijuana actually 'legal' and just decriminalized?

[karmakramer]

i think it will pass, being a weed smoker is a lot more tolerable to some people then same sex marriage

[Guest uptowndevil]

i'm excited to see the surgeon general warnings when it finally passes nationally

[Guest Babar]

drug testing in the work place

 

In France we have a word for this :

 

FASCISM

 

and it's illegal.

[awepittance]

haha

[Guest Al Hounos]

i really don't get you knobs who say "big deal, it's basically legal".... yeah, how?? last time i checked you still have to buy it from some dealer, who is, as friendly or easy to find as they may often be, a CRIMINAL. this also means paying 10x more than you probably should be paying. and then you have to carry an arbitrarily small amount of this home in your car or on your person, risking arrest, (a misdemeanor may not be a big deal to some WATMMember who works at a record store, but it is to most people). on top of that you have to stop smoking for a month before getting a new job, or possibly live in fear that a random will make you unemployed.

 

this IS a big deal!

[Guest Al Hounos]

oh yeah, i agree, marijuana is slightly more palatable to mainstream americans than gay marriage, believe it or not. i've known smokers who are conservative christians that watch fox news and voted for GW Bush.

[Guest uelogy]

whoah do they drug test you every time you go for a new job? do they do that in australia? I'm job hunting right now, should I be worried?

some places are now my undisclosed place of work has been tempting us with tests for ages - thankfully I believe they understand it would be such a bad business decision as they would lose 85% of their staff... Lmao drugpolicyfail

[Brandi_B]

drug testing in the work place

 

In France we have a word for this :

 

FASCISM

 

and it's illegal.

A good number of French people I've known say that you can smoke a "i forget the french name" whatever they call a weed/tobacco mix rolled into a cigarette, in public there. Seems pretty often that people smoke these in bars and there's no issues? And at concerts and such? I had one it was pretty nice, a lil more tobacco than I would've liked in it though.

[Brandi_B]

Yeah, one of the things I really just don't get abotu drug tests is this. The general population of jobs, regardless of their trade, have Managers, Supervisors, Foremen, etc. If there is a problem with a worker THEY KNOW ABOUT IT. They work with these people everyday. If they don't like the way someone is working out, they can (most of the time) let them go. The dick companies use drug tests when they ALREADY don't like someone, hoping they will fail, so that they can get out of paying them unemployment. Same with insurance. If there is a job related injury, and the urine test comes back positive for ANYTHING a claim is denied, the worker is fired, and screwed. So drug tests aren't really to "keep the workplace clean". They are leverage to work around federally mandated guidelines.

 

If a worker has a drug or alcohol related problem, it is typically obvious. There is a difference between someone who just doesn't know how to do the job right, and someone that has been on a 3 day bender, somehow made it to work, but isn't worth a damn thing right now. It ebbs and flows and supervisors are typically on point and there's no need for any kind of testing to prove someone is hungover (usually obvious) or drunk on the job (painfully obvious). I'm not gonna bring the whole alcohol vs weed debate b/c it's apples and oranges, but as far as the workplace goes, alcohol HANGOVERS are tolerated a lot more than some guy who has the munchies and keeps laughing all day. IMO that is a LOT more of a risk.

[Guest Ramses]

i really don't get you knobs who say "big deal, it's basically legal".... yeah, how?? last time i checked you still have to buy it from some dealer, who is, as friendly or easy to find as they may often be, a CRIMINAL. this also means paying 10x more than you probably should be paying. and then you have to carry an arbitrarily small amount of this home in your car or on your person, risking arrest, (a misdemeanor may not be a big deal to some WATMMember who works at a record store, but it is to most people). on top of that you have to stop smoking for a month before getting a new job, or possibly live in fear that a random will make you unemployed.

 

this IS a big deal!

 

Amen brother.

[Guest maus]

i really don't get you knobs who say "big deal, it's basically legal".... yeah, how?? last time i checked you still have to buy it from some dealer, who is, as friendly or easy to find as they may often be, a CRIMINAL. this also means paying 10x more than you probably should be paying. and then you have to carry an arbitrarily small amount of this home in your car or on your person, risking arrest, (a misdemeanor may not be a big deal to some WATMMember who works at a record store, but it is to most people). on top of that you have to stop smoking for a month before getting a new job, or possibly live in fear that a random will make you unemployed.

 

this IS a big deal!

 

i'll spell it out for you to help with your confusion.

 

i live in california. for $30, i visited a doctor about 1/2 mile from where i live. the doctor was 'busy' that day, so i spoke to his personal assistant. i told her that i often have trouble sleeping, or anxiety. most people often have trouble sleeping, or anxiety. we discussed how cannabis helps these conditions - particularly if consumed either in edible format (via the available teas or cookies / muffins at most dispensaries) or via a vaporiser (to minimise ingestion of carbonised materials). she agreed that cannabis is useful for my "conditions", and issued me a recommendation (medical marijuana is NOT a prescription, as many mistakenly believe - rather, it is simply a doctor's recommendation, available to anyone, anytime.)

 

this recommendation makes it completely legal for me to have on my person, at any time, up to an OUNCE of marijuana. maybe that's arbitrarily small to you, but that can usually hold me for, oh, i dunno, about A MONTH or so. perhaps your needs are greater. i can also have up to six plants growing per 'licensed' adult in the household.

 

i take that recommendation to a "dispensary" about a mile from my house. it is called "the farmacy", and is my personal favourite because unlike many dispensaries in LA (of which there are more than starbucks now), it is open for anyone to walk in (you don't have to show an ID to someone through one-way glass or anything.) my mom and my girlfriend's parents have all been in the store - it's like a whole foods, selling organic goodies, oils, incense and the like, but with a fully-stocked, daily-updated 'marijuana menu'. you need to have your recommendation to see the menu or purchase anything cannabis-related, though.

 

the guys at the dispensary know me, and now will often show me "off-menu" selections and the like. it's VERY similar to how the coffeeshops in the dam operate, just with terminology that reflects "medicating" as opposed to "getting stoned".

 

this is even less a factor now, actually. when i first went to the farmacy, the guy was in a white lab coat with short hair. now i go in, they're blasting dub reggae, and the guy has a green army jacket with rastafarian patches and a che guevara likeness.

 

drug testing isn't an issue for me as a freelance film composer, so that's not a consideration. i don't know of anyone in cali that gets drug tested, with the exception of my friend who is in OCS for the army, and that's a different matter altogether.

 

it's basically legal.

[Brandi_B]

i really don't get you knobs who say "big deal, it's basically legal".... yeah, how?? last time i checked you still have to buy it from some dealer, who is, as friendly or easy to find as they may often be, a CRIMINAL. this also means paying 10x more than you probably should be paying. and then you have to carry an arbitrarily small amount of this home in your car or on your person, risking arrest, (a misdemeanor may not be a big deal to some WATMMember who works at a record store, but it is to most people). on top of that you have to stop smoking for a month before getting a new job, or possibly live in fear that a random will make you unemployed.

 

this IS a big deal!

 

Any decent lawyer can get minor drug offenses erased from your record for a tiny fee. Also as long as you know when you are going to have your drug test you can use a screener, which works, and if you get the right kind, can't be detected. I smoked all day 2 days before I took a test that went to a lab. Used a screener, no probs. 25 bucks.

 

Also the term "criminal" is pretty loose these days. Jay walking, sharing music, using someone else's wireless signal, not using your turn signal, etc are all criminal technically. If you are that paranoid anyway, perhaps weed isn't a good thing for you. =D I understand where you are coming from, and in many places it is still severely punished, and that is a problem, and sad. But there are certainly places where it is indeed "quite legal".

 

Also if you are that worried about randoms, get a different job. A good portion of companies out there these days do not implement randoms. The majority of temp agencies only do them when you are hired, and if there is a workplace accident. If you are a good worker, just don't use them as a reference if you get fired, and no one's going to call the police or file charges.

[Guest theSun]

i work for a state college and i haven't heard one word about drug policy other than the whole "don't do drugs or drink at work" thing.

 

though i have plenty of friends that have to get tested before they interview for manufacturing/warehouse jobs. i guess they don't want stoners driving forklifts around. but really, the whole corporate drug policy is ridic. if your employees are jagoffs they are jagoffs. but if they are good workers who smoke weed once a week there's no need to fire anyone.

 

i just wish people would stop assuming weed has the same effects as heroin and shit.

[awepittance]

The dick companies use drug tests when they ALREADY don't like someone, hoping they will fail, so that they can get out of paying them unemployment. Same with insurance. If there is a job related injury, and the urine test comes back positive for ANYTHING a claim is denied, the worker is fired, and screwed. So drug tests aren't really to "keep the workplace clean". They are leverage to work around federally mandated guidelines.

 

excellent points, i was going to say something like this but you worded it better. Another situation is If a workplace wants to fire somebody and they feel they can't for politically correct reasons (the person is a minority, the Wire style Carcetti VS Burrel, or is openly gay) they could use a drug test as an excuse to fire them if it comes up positive.

[Guest Hanratty]

i really don't get you knobs who say "big deal, it's basically legal".... yeah, how?? last time i checked you still have to buy it from some dealer, who is, as friendly or easy to find as they may often be, a CRIMINAL. this also means paying 10x more than you probably should be paying. and then you have to carry an arbitrarily small amount of this home in your car or on your person, risking arrest, (a misdemeanor may not be a big deal to some WATMMember who works at a record store, but it is to most people). on top of that you have to stop smoking for a month before getting a new job, or possibly live in fear that a random will make you unemployed.

 

this IS a big deal!

 

i'll spell it out for you to help with your confusion.

 

i live in california. for $30, i visited a doctor about 1/2 mile from where i live. the doctor was 'busy' that day, so i spoke to his personal assistant. i told her that i often have trouble sleeping, or anxiety. most people often have trouble sleeping, or anxiety. we discussed how cannabis helps these conditions - particularly if consumed either in edible format (via the available teas or cookies / muffins at most dispensaries) or via a vaporiser (to minimise ingestion of carbonised materials). she agreed that cannabis is useful for my "conditions", and issued me a recommendation (medical marijuana is NOT a prescription, as many mistakenly believe - rather, it is simply a doctor's recommendation, available to anyone, anytime.)

 

this recommendation makes it completely legal for me to have on my person, at any time, up to an OUNCE of marijuana. maybe that's arbitrarily small to you, but that can usually hold me for, oh, i dunno, about A MONTH or so. perhaps your needs are greater. i can also have up to six plants growing per 'licensed' adult in the household.

 

i take that recommendation to a "dispensary" about a mile from my house. it is called "the farmacy", and is my personal favourite because unlike many dispensaries in LA (of which there are more than starbucks now), it is open for anyone to walk in (you don't have to show an ID to someone through one-way glass or anything.) my mom and my girlfriend's parents have all been in the store - it's like a whole foods, selling organic goodies, oils, incense and the like, but with a fully-stocked, daily-updated 'marijuana menu'. you need to have your recommendation to see the menu or purchase anything cannabis-related, though.

 

the guys at the dispensary know me, and now will often show me "off-menu" selections and the like. it's VERY similar to how the coffeeshops in the dam operate, just with terminology that reflects "medicating" as opposed to "getting stoned".

 

this is even less a factor now, actually. when i first went to the farmacy, the guy was in a white lab coat with short hair. now i go in, they're blasting dub reggae, and the guy has a green army jacket with rastafarian patches and a che guevara likeness.

 

drug testing isn't an issue for me as a freelance film composer, so that's not a consideration. i don't know of anyone in cali that gets drug tested, with the exception of my friend who is in OCS for the army, and that's a different matter altogether.

 

it's basically legal.

 

well, lucky you. if i lose my job in ny maybe i will go live in your town. it seems pretty illegal where i am.

[Guest maus]

well, lucky you. if i lose my job in ny maybe i will go live in your town. it seems pretty illegal where i am.

 

i have no doubt there are still stiff penalties in many places.

 

but this thread is about california. and keep in mind that if this does pass (i'm undecided on what i think the outcome will be - i find myself surprised regularly by how commonplace marijuana has become in cali culture, but it's still the legalisation of a once-demonised drug), the rest of the US won't be far behind.

[Guest Hanratty]

well, lucky you. if i lose my job in ny maybe i will go live in your town. it seems pretty illegal where i am.

 

i have no doubt there are still stiff penalties in many places.

 

but this thread is about california. and keep in mind that if this does pass (i'm undecided on what i think the outcome will be - i find myself surprised regularly by how commonplace marijuana has become in cali culture, but it's still the legalisation of a once-demonised drug), the rest of the US won't be far behind.

 

 

yeah, you're right. i kind of stopped thinking that this is just for cali. but cali will be my new vacation spot. hopefully my state will see how much money and how little of the projected social ills take place and it comes to ny.

[vertsk8er419]

have you guys called the number?

 

973-409-3274. press # key to send your approval.

[Brandi_B]

looks like some phishing

[vertsk8er419]

Yeah, it seems legit though. I just got it in a text, I tried it and it's just like everything I said. Better than nothing I guess.

 

EDIT: it's even complete with advertisements after you send your approval; seems pretty american to me.

[Brandi_B]

?

 

Marijuana “Phone Poll” Scam Confirmed - DO NOT CALL | Show Me the Facts

 

Quote:

[quote

The only legitimate tie it seemed to have were claims that it was backed by/associated with Change.org. Thus, the only logical thing to do was to contact Change.org for clarification. I just got this response:

 

Thanks for the note, Eric. We are in no way connected to the phone number you mentioned, and it also looks very much like a scam to us. We would really appreciate it if you would update your blog to let your readers know about this, as well as anyone else who may have been spreading the rumor that this is a legitimate number/operation, which it is almost certainly not. We will also try to write a blog post about it tomorrow clarifying things if we can find the time.

Thanks again for bringing this to our attention,

Ben Rattray

Founder and CEO, Change.org

 

Everything was pointing at “scam”, but this severs the last bit of potential legitimacy that the number had.

So please, DO NOT CALL 973-409-3274 as it appears to be a type of scam to either harvest phone numbers or even potentially charge you money by hitting the pound key (which would be the equivalent of you accepting charges).

STOP sharing this phone number as well. I literally sit and watch person after person share this on twitter thinking they are helping the cause when in reality they are just helping these scammers reach new victims. If you have shared this link, please post this update to let others know to keep an eye on their phone bill for any unauthorized charges.

Again, just to be clear: This number is not a legitimate polling number associated with any known marijuana advocacy group. Calling it does not help/support marijuana legislation in anyway and only risks you becoming a victim to some type of phone scam.

If you really want to help legalize marijuana, consider making a contribution to MPP, NORML, or other reputable, legitimate marijuana advocacy groups. Just like the many online petitions available, a “phone call poll” will hardly destroy prohibition.

Thanks again Mr. Rattray for your prompt response!

UPDATE: Here is what one victim had to say about their experience:

 

“i called and immediatly after i hung up i get a call from mediacom (my internet, phone, cable company) saying i have several new charges on my phone bill and they was chastising me bout it for like 5 minutes, i was like fuck it i’ll pay it, click.

so its a scam and now i have a few extra dollars to fork up on tha first!!!!”

 

Please help to spread this information especially on twitter to save people from experiencing this!

 

If by American you mean sneaky capitalist, then absolutely :/

[vertsk8er419]

?

 

Marijuana “Phone Poll” Scam Confirmed - DO NOT CALL | Show Me the Facts

 

Quote:

[quote

The only legitimate tie it seemed to have were claims that it was backed by/associated with Change.org. Thus, the only logical thing to do was to contact Change.org for clarification. I just got this response:

 

Thanks for the note, Eric. We are in no way connected to the phone number you mentioned, and it also looks very much like a scam to us. We would really appreciate it if you would update your blog to let your readers know about this, as well as anyone else who may have been spreading the rumor that this is a legitimate number/operation, which it is almost certainly not. We will also try to write a blog post about it tomorrow clarifying things if we can find the time.

Thanks again for bringing this to our attention,

Ben Rattray

Founder and CEO, Change.org

 

Everything was pointing at “scam”, but this severs the last bit of potential legitimacy that the number had.

So please, DO NOT CALL 973-409-3274 as it appears to be a type of scam to either harvest phone numbers or even potentially charge you money by hitting the pound key (which would be the equivalent of you accepting charges).

STOP sharing this phone number as well. I literally sit and watch person after person share this on twitter thinking they are helping the cause when in reality they are just helping these scammers reach new victims. If you have shared this link, please post this update to let others know to keep an eye on their phone bill for any unauthorized charges.

Again, just to be clear: This number is not a legitimate polling number associated with any known marijuana advocacy group. Calling it does not help/support marijuana legislation in anyway and only risks you becoming a victim to some type of phone scam.

If you really want to help legalize marijuana, consider making a contribution to MPP, NORML, or other reputable, legitimate marijuana advocacy groups. Just like the many online petitions available, a “phone call poll” will hardly destroy prohibition.

Thanks again Mr. Rattray for your prompt response!

UPDATE: Here is what one victim had to say about their experience:

 

“i called and immediatly after i hung up i get a call from mediacom (my internet, phone, cable company) saying i have several new charges on my phone bill and they was chastising me bout it for like 5 minutes, i was like fuck it i’ll pay it, click.

so its a scam and now i have a few extra dollars to fork up on tha first!!!!”

 

Please help to spread this information especially on twitter to save people from experiencing this!

 

If by American you mean sneaky capitalist, then absolutely :/

fuuuuuck, i should have known man. america is a scam to me, so i certainly couldn't tell!

[Guest Fishtank]

Looks like Portland could be next...

 

http://hightimes.com/news/ht_admin/3739

Petition signature collecting starts next Friday. 27,255 signatures are required by July 7th to get Measure 8 on next year's ballot.

 

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Portland, Oregon could be the next major U.S. city to legalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana. Measure 8's ballot caption explains that it, "Assets criminal penalty exemption for possession of marijuana in Portland."

 

The measure would allow possession of less than an ounce of marijuana for people over 21. Possession of less than an ounce at this time is a misdemeanor.

 

The ballot measure would not decriminalize pot, activist Parker Bell told reporters, it would legalize it, which means that the measure would bring commerce and money into it.

 

The opponents of Oregon's medical marijuana program, passed twice by voters, have been very active in recent weeks and months preparing legislation that could overturn the voter endorsed law. Police in Oregon have also been busy conducting grow raids all over the state. The DEA also moved into Oregon, bringing more pressure and scrutiny on the program. Since moving in, the federal agency has tried without success to subpoena the names and personal information of a number of OMPP patients.

 

It is widely suggested by anti-drug organizations that medical legalization laws are a front for proponents of total legalization. Now Bell is going to try to see what Portland voters think about exactly that, though it is not clear if it is a direct reaction to increased police intervention.

 

Portland would not be the first U.S. city to remove pot from the crime dockets, in fact there are about a dozen, including Oakland, Seattle and Denver, which have passed similar measures.

 

But in Denver, people quickly learned that their own mayor had no apparent use for it. He quickly reminded voters that marijuana was still illegal under state law, and they would still be arrested for it, in spite of the new city law.

 

So now you have city laws being passed that states won't recognize, and state laws being passed that the federal government doesn't recognize, as in the case of medical marijuana.

 

Opponents of legalization say it is a bad idea to legalize marijuana because of the message it sends to kids. Others contend that the children of peaceful people who smoke marijuana should not be denied their parents because they were arrested for possessing and smoking a natural substance people have used for thousands of years.

 

Petition signature collecting starts next Friday. 27,255 signatures are required by July 7th to get Measure 8 on next year's ballot.