February 22, 2016 6:53 AM

Reefer Madness: Now legal and readily available in Oregon

I’m not much of a drinker; it seems the older I get the less alcohol likes me. Revulsion over the feeling of waking up and realizing I had too much to drink the night before far outweighs any enjoyment I might get out of whatever I may have indulged in. I’m not a teetotaler or morally opposed to drinking- I actually will enjoy a drink (generally one and only one) now and then- but more than one drink usually succeeds only in putting me to sleep. Yeah, I’m a real party animal…if that animal is a hibernating bear.

Over the years, I’ve discovered I enjoy marijuana far more than alcohol. I don’t partake much, but given the choice between the two, I’d prefer to light up. I can wake up the next morning still feeling on top of my game. Now that the Devil’s weed is legal in the Democratic People’s Republic of Oregon, I can admit to that without worrying such an admission in writing would get me into trouble with employers (actual or potential) or those friends and acquaintances who disapprove of breaking the law. It’s still against federal law, but as in Colorado and Washington, the feds have chose to look the other was once Oregon voted to legalize recreational marijuana. Oregon has chosen to regulate marijuana through the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC), with the result that the OLCC model used to tax and regulate alcohol has been applied (as much as is practical) to marijuana. The process hasn’t been seamless nor without its challenges, but considering that the state created a regulatory framework largely out of thin air, the process has worked pretty well.

One of the things that I’ve marveled at is that I’ve never paid for weed- not a dime in more than 30 years. I’ve always been blessed with friends who have an oversupply or are willing to share, and every now and again I get to be the beneficiary of their largesse. The result is that I have NO idea how much marijuana costs on the free (and legal) market…and I probably won’t for some time, since I have enough to keep me going for quite awhile.

For some, there’s still a stigma of immorality (remnants of the Reefer Madness mentality, I suppose) associated with marijuana. From my perspective it’s no difference from enjoying the occasional social drink. It’s a way to relax and unwind, and it’s easy to stay within my limits, which means I don’t wake up the next morning with a hangover. Attitudes here in Oregon are still evolving, but people are beginning to recognize and understand that marijuana, at least in the global sense, is far less destructive. After some initial projections of disaster by those who opposed legalization, the early returns have shown that legalized marijuana has had little, if any, deleterious effect on the collective health and well-being of Oregonians. Combine that with the live-and-let-live ethose prominent in much of the Beaver State (particularly in the Portland area), and the collective moral health of Oregonians is largely what it was prior to legalization. Not only that, it’s one less victimless crime police have to worry about dealing with.

Medical marijuana has been legal in Oregon for several years, so there was already a network of dispenaries licensed by the state. Many of these have adapted with little trouble to the new legality of Satan’s Succotash. Given my constant oversupply thanks to my friends, I’d never had reason to go to a dispensary…until this week. While getting ready for a long weekend at the Oregon Coast, I discovered that while I had plenty of product, I had nothing to convert said product into a readily enjoyable form.

I had to run some errands, so I stopped at a place called Greeley Gallery a couple miles from home. From the outside, it looks like any other business in a strip mall. As soon as I walked in the front door, though, it was clear that this was unlike any other business I’d frequented. A woman behind a bullet proof window greeted me and asked for my ID. Once she’d logged me into their system, she press a buzzer, another door audibly unlocked, and I was able to pass through into the sales area.

When I was in college weed was weed. We were happy for whatever we could get, and never did we suspect there was more out there than the Minnesota Ditchweed we lit up. As I looked at the display cases arrayed before me, it was clear I’d entered a different world. Just as with the transformation coffee underwent during my 20s, there was a plethora of facing me, and I could consult with the “budtender” about what would best suit my needs. I was impressed at the range of options before me, and though I didn’t purchase any weed (I was there for other things), I left with much to think about for my next visit.

Oh, and the security? It’s understandable once you consider that banks have so far refused to open merchant accounts for marijuana-related businesses. Banks are governed by federal law, and since marijuana is still considered illegal by the feds, no financial institution has thus far been willing to assume the risks they see as associated with having marijuana-related businesses as merchant customers. This means that marijuana sales in Oregon are still cash-only, making these businesses easy targets for criminals. Suddenly, the bulletproof glass and the electronic door lock made more sense.

It’s a brave new world here, and while many states and the federal government remain firmly mired in a “Reefer Madness” mentality, Oregon (along with Washington and Colorado) have listened to their residents and legalized marijuana. Time will tell what the long-term impact will be, but the early returns are exceedingly positive. For those of us for whom alcohol no longer does it, this is a very good thing. Before long, taking a few tokes will have no more social stigma than sipping on a gin and tonic.

This is what progress feels like.

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on February 22, 2016 6:53 AM.

Christian morality: You may well be a sociopath if you can't be moral without a Supreme Being was the previous entry in this blog.

If Franklin Graham is a Christian, I'm Kim Kardashian is the next entry in this blog.

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