When Change Smells Like Pot

[Jim Finnel]

D.C. is shifting into party mode.

You may have heard about the extended bar hours and the estimate of a 2 million visitor population surge.

But, while wandering around Pennsylvania Avenue after the inauguration opening ceremony today I caught a whiff of that familiar smell from the dormitory I lived in about 12 years ago.

That's correct. Pot, weed, schwag, the stickiest of the icky. Whatever you want to call it, someone was smoking it somewhere nearby.

I thought Obama supporters yelled, “Fire it up,” just to get people excited.

Now I'm not the kind of guy who's going to call a cop over something like that, and I'll fully disclose my only proof of the puffing comes from my own nose. I don't have any police reports nor did I physically see anyone actually smoking on the street no matter how many times I sheepishly looked around.

That smell is distinctive, though. We've all caught it at concerts, or maybe outside of the theater before Pineapple Express. Or, walk down the right street in Riverside and you'll smell it coming out of one window or another.

But I wondered, who in the world tokes up for an inauguration?

Maybe it's just me. I've never heard anyone start a story like, "Man, that whole swearing in was a blur."

Regardless of the inspiration the smell still seemed out of place. Or did it?

Marijuana legalization is one of those issues that seems to have fallen off the radar, even before the nose-diving economy dominated the presidential campaign trail.

Silent protest for a revival on Inauguration Day? Probably not that epic.

Still, whatever happened to the War on Drugs? Did it go silent after all those years and all those tax dollars?

Perhaps those few pot smokers bold enough to light up within view of the White House, are making a point.


News Hawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: jacksonville.com
Author: David Hunt
Copyright: 2009 The Florida Times-Union
Contact: Contact Us | Jacksonville.com
Website: When change smells like pot | Jacksonville.com

 

[Keith Lake]

Still, whatever happened to the War on Drugs? Did it go silent after all those years and all those tax dollars?

With all due respect Mr. Hunt (the reporter). Where have you been. Your job requires you to know the facts.

I for one don't consider the 778,000 cannabis arrests last year (90% for non-violent possession) to be a quiet drug war.

 

[Erk202]

yo i live in DC, and little do you know, there is a weed spot down the street from the White House, and its been there for years...

Plus 70% of people in DC smokes anyway, or use to. So you'll be smelling that weed shit quit often. Nothing new 2 me

 

[zolar]

obama should do a bush deficit reduction pilot program that legalizes and taxes pot to pay the bills that bush stuck us with set it up as temporary to expire when the costs that bush hid from the people are paid off.....


he just might have balls enough to call for congress to reevaluate controlled substances every 20 years to accomodate the progress of science like the constitution says.

 

[gnomegrownfl]

obama should do a bush deficit reduction pilot program that legalizes and taxes pot to pay the bills that bush stuck us with set it up as temporary to expire when the costs that bush hid from the people are paid off.....


he just might have balls enough to call for congress to reevaluate controlled substances every 20 years to accomodate the progress of science like the constitution says.

damn i like that idea

 

[nbk380]

ANd there are new anti pot ads on TV have you seen them? Even in the liberal state Sheriffs still refer to reefer as a gateway drug. geesh when will people WAKE UP
An undercover operation busted 16 adults and 15 students in my county. They put a 23 year old into two high schools to buy "stuff".
Isn't that entrapment?
Yes the drug war is alive and well.

sounds like 21 jump street! what country are you from? It hasnt been entrapment for years where i'm at! You gotta be a FOREIGN victim of the 'war on drugs' WAKE-UP YOURSELF -- it's not the 60's.

AND FOR CLARIFICATION--the 1st thing that gets you high is the 'gateway'!! some smoke weed, some huff gas, AND some just bend over for 30 sec. while breathing hard and stand up then blow hard on their thumbs till they pass out!!!

BUT EVEN AS A GATEWAY -- should weed be illegal while gas and thumbs and even the air we breathe stay legal?

 

[nbk380]

yo i live in DC, and little do you know, there is a weed spot down the street from the White House, and its been there for years...

Plus 70% of people in DC smokes anyway, or use to. So you'll be smelling that weed shit quit often. Nothing new 2 me

its hard to find the 3 out of 10 people that dont smoke anywhere!!!! i always bump into the smokers and quit lookin!!!!

 

[Jim Finnel]

....the 1st thing that gets you high is the 'gateway'...

imo gateway drug does not refer to the first thing that gets you high.
imo a gateway drug is one that simply by its use leads to the use of other drugs. at least thats the way the propagandists use the term.