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Poll: Coloradans Happy With Legalized Marijuana

Quinnipiac has released a poll of Coloradans about their views on marijuana since it became legal in the state. A clear majority view it as positive:

  • Voters support the law legalizing marijuana 54 – 43 percent;
  • 49 percent of voters admit they’ve tried marijuana(only 15 percent admit using it
    since it became legal January 1);
  • Driving has not become more dangerous because of legalized marijuana, 54 – 39 percent;
  • Legalized marijuana will save the state and taxpayers a significant amount of money, 53 – 41 percent;
  • Legalized marijuana will have a positive impact on the state’s criminal justice system, 50 – 40 percent;
  • Legalized marijuana “increases personal freedoms in a positive way,” voters say 53 – 44 percent;
  • Legalized marijuana has not “eroded the moral fiber” of people in Colorado, voters say 67 – 30 percent.

The only naysayers disapproving: Republicans (63 - 28 percent) and voters over 65 (62 - 28 percent.)

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    Would this poll be an example... (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by kdog on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 12:35:37 PM EST
    of bitter old white people clinging to prohibition and tyranny a la guns and religion? ;)

    I heard the big Cannabis Cup was a raging success too J...a couple buddies of mine made the trip out, said it was awesome, with pictures to prove it.  The envy of 49 states...be proud Colorado!

    The thing that surprises me (5.00 / 4) (#2)
    by Zorba on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 01:25:00 PM EST
    About the percentage of those 65+ disapproving is that many of them must have gone to college in the 1960's.
    Mr. Zorba and I certainly did, and we are 65+.  In those days, you could hardly walk around many college campuses, at certain times, and not get at least a slight buzz from just the smoke wafting around, in public places, and in the dorms.
    And certainly at parties.
    I wonder how many of those 62% aged 65 and more, used marijuana, at least once, if not more, "back in the day," yet still registered their disapproval?  It would have been interesting if the poll had asked them, and everyone else, for that matter, if they had ever partaken.  In talking to my friends "of a certain age," I can only name maybe three who claim they have never tried it.
    Just sayin'.      ;-)

    Parent
    One would think a 65 year old... (5.00 / 4) (#9)
    by kdog on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 02:16:10 PM EST
    would know the score...my moms does and she is that age, could be the 75 and older set skewing the sample maybe???

    Or another theory, as we sadly know many former hippies turned their back on peace/love/dope and became 80's "greed is good" "hippie-kickin'" yuppies.

    Parent

    Perhaps. (none / 0) (#11)
    by Zorba on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 02:33:02 PM EST
    Although, even though people are living much longer, I would think that there are many more Baby Boomers alive than there are those in the next older generation.
    And I would love to know the percentage of Boomers who have tried marijuana.  I bet it's pretty d@mned high.     ;-)

    Parent
    Worried About the Children (none / 0) (#3)
    by squeaky on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 01:43:19 PM EST
    I know one person, who may be representative of the naysayers in CO. He has children, is in that age bracket, has smoked weed, but does not think it should be legal.... because of the children.

    Parent
    Does he think alcohol should be illegal, too? (5.00 / 2) (#4)
    by Anne on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 01:51:33 PM EST
    That's the question I've asked a few people who, in spite of having indulged in pot-smoking - among other substances - don't want it legalized, or even decriminalized.

    It's an interesting discussion to have; people have a little difficulty making their logic work - even if they still refuse to let go of it!

    Parent

    It's harder (none / 0) (#7)
    by jbindc on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 01:58:37 PM EST
    For kids to produce their own alcohol than it is to grow their own weed.

    Parent
    American kids... (none / 0) (#12)
    by kdog on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 02:36:02 PM EST
    can't even work the oven in the age of the helicopter parent...you're seriously worried about them looking up from the iphone long enough to grow their own weed?  Or is my luddite slip showing and there's an app for that?

    You slay me sometimes jb;)

    Parent

    One of my HS (5.00 / 1) (#28)
    by Mikado Cat on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 04:46:41 PM EST
    friends used to clean his weed, sort out the stems and seeds, and toss them out his bedroom window. 24 inches to a wall and nothing would grow there, or so he thought until the plants were tall enough to see through the window.

    Kids start smoking and drinking by HS, hopefully people will recognize this and start offering help to those who need it instead of punishment that doesn't work.

    Parent

    I would (none / 0) (#19)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 03:52:18 PM EST
    side with you Kdog. You've also got a lot of kids who don't even know where food comes from or the least idea how to grow it. So the odds of them growing some weed somewhere around their house is pretty darn slim. This isn't the 70's anymore and these kids really would not even have a clue where to start and if somebody was growing it, they probably wouldn't even know what it was. LOL

    Parent
    I always thought (none / 0) (#32)
    by nyjets on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 05:04:39 PM EST
    I always thought pot plants were easy to grow. Even if you had the black thumb of death, you could grow the plant in the back yard.

    (mind you I have zero contact with the plant/ drug so full disclosure  my knowledge is based on hearsay)

    Parent

    It actually is (none / 0) (#34)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 05:12:10 PM EST
    There's a reason it's called weed

    :)

    It once grew wild everywhere around here until massive campaigns to wipe it out.  My grand father used to grow his own for his "asthma" .  I learned this at about 12 when a friend visiting from CA was at his house with me and was amazed and amused.

    Parent

    Little pot plants (none / 0) (#72)
    by Mikado Cat on Tue Apr 29, 2014 at 07:26:54 PM EST
    used to be common around court houses and police stations from people dumping their stash on the way in. If seeds find dirt and moisture, you will get plants.

    BTW Pot Farmer is a popular game on FaceBook, so plenty of free instruction.

    Parent

    lol; two minutes on google will (none / 0) (#75)
    by Mr Natural on Thu May 01, 2014 at 09:22:08 AM EST
    yield all the instructions they need.

    Hiding the lamps, grow tent, water supply, and smell from mom and dad would be the real problem.

    Parent

    Alcohol OK (none / 0) (#8)
    by squeaky on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 02:05:10 PM EST
    I think that the rational is that MJ is attractive to young people, from his experience, alcohol not so much.

    Also, the older generation sometimes thinks more about the youth, because older people tend to be more concerned about the future as they know that life will end.

    So it may not be about older people not having smoked weed, but something else.

    Most worry is irrational.

    Parent

    Hahahahahaha! (5.00 / 3) (#10)
    by Zorba on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 02:27:28 PM EST
    He thinks that alcohol is not very attractive to kids?
    I don't know where he is coming from, but booze is certainly at least as attractive, if not more so, to those who are underage, and it's pretty easy to acquire, even if you cannot make your own.
    Use a false ID (admittedly, harder to get now than it used to be), get an older friend to buy some for you, or raid your parents' liquor supply.
    And, to be brutally frank, a bunch of young people who are drunk out of their minds, are more likely to get into car accidents than those who have smoked some marijuana.  Not that driving under the influence of anything is a great idea, but alcohol seems to be even worse than marijuana in that regard.

    Parent
    Yes (5.00 / 1) (#14)
    by squeaky on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 02:38:49 PM EST
    Worries are not usually very rational. But, in his case, I do not think he is personally concerned about his children being attracted to alcohol abuse. I think he is correct on that score, but for others there is no question that teen binge drinking at college etc is endemic.

    Parent
    Have you asked him about the (5.00 / 1) (#16)
    by Anne on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 02:55:25 PM EST
    latest innovation in alcohol - the powdered variety?

    I saw a report that the initial approval of "Palcohol" was issued in error, but there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of information on how the initial approval came about.

    But, I wonder how he would feel about packets of powder that, when added to water, would create a cocktail.  Think "Crystal Light" - now with alcohol!  It could be snorted, multiple packets could be ingested without being diluted, they could be taken places where bottles or cans or flasks would not be permitted.  I think it would be enormously attractive to teenagers - and a lot of other people in whose hands it would not be used judiciously.

    Listening to the radio the other day, one of the hosts, who used to be the police commissioner here, said cops can always tell the difference between drivers who have had too much to drink, and those who are high on pot: the drinkers blow through the stop signs - the pot smokers sit there waiting for them to turn green.

    Parent

    Yikes! (5.00 / 1) (#18)
    by sj on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 03:35:18 PM EST
    I'd never heard about powdered alcohol. After reading about? I don't know. Need more input.

    As for waiting for the stop sign to turn green? Embarassingly, I've done that with neither alcohol nor weed in my system.

    Parent

    Powdered alcohol? (5.00 / 1) (#22)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 04:00:44 PM EST
    Jeez, and I thought boxed wine and light beer were bad!

    Parent
    Hey (none / 0) (#23)
    by sj on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 04:11:07 PM EST
    boxed wine is perfectly fine after a glass or two of the good stuff.

    A phenomenon known even in the time of Jesus.

    John 2.10

    Parent

    Are you actually insinuating that ... (none / 0) (#36)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 05:20:48 PM EST
    ... rather that turn water into wine, Jesus instead directed his mother to have the household servants cart in a few five-liter cartons of Franzia white zinfandel for his friend's wedding celebration? Oh, merciful heavens! Boo! Hiss!

    (And LOL.)

    Parent

    Drunk or Stoned? (none / 0) (#17)
    by squeaky on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 03:10:07 PM EST
    There is crossover but many kids, and adults tend to go for drunk, or stoned. My friend's kids are not in the drunk category.

    Not that one is better than the other. I was never drawn to alcohol until my mid 30's, but that did not stop me from partying as a teen. And booze was readily available, just not interesting to me. The opposite is true for others.

    Parent

    I know to many people who (none / 0) (#25)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 04:33:08 PM EST
    Were stoners in their youth who are rabidly against any kind of decriminalization now that they have kids.  This county just recently voted to allow the sale of alcohol.  Not that that was a problem since I live less than a mile from the MO line and all the alcohol I want.  Eventually they got tired of losing all that tax revenue to the town across the MO line.  The same will happen with pot in time.

    Parent
    Palcohol? (none / 0) (#30)
    by Mikado Cat on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 04:54:48 PM EST
    I might believe it if they called it instant Jesus, as I have never heard of anything that converts water into alcohol. Alcohol is fuel, if you could condense it and mix with water the first use would not be drinking it, we could run cars on it reusing the water created from burning the alcohol.

    Parent
    Powdered (none / 0) (#35)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 05:15:26 PM EST
    alcohol

    I was amazed too

    Parent

    Oops (none / 0) (#42)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 05:45:32 PM EST
    That was supposed to be a wiki link but the wiki link is on that page.  Incredibly it says this,

    Alcohol powder is molecularly encapsulated alcohol. The powder produces an alcoholic beverage when mixed with water.

    Miracles of modern science, huh?

    Parent

    Not so powdered (none / 0) (#71)
    by Mikado Cat on Tue Apr 29, 2014 at 07:22:24 PM EST
    More like teeny tiny M&M's filled with booze instead of chocolate.

    How does powdered alcohol work?
    First things first: "Powdered" is a misnomer. Unlike CBS News's account, this powder is not "freeze-dried alcohol." Rather, it appears to be ethyl alcohol encapsulated by a fancy sugar container. Most powdered forms of liquids rely on cyclodextrins--literally small rings of sugars--to carry "guest" molecules in their inner cavities. To make the powder, you suck all the moisture out of the carrier and then just mix with ethanol. When you add warm water it dissolves the molecular container, springs loose the "cargo" (alcohol) and you get a martini.

    Parent

    Problem is (none / 0) (#13)
    by jbindc on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 02:38:07 PM EST
    How many of those kids are doing one and not the other (especially - how many kids are smoking pot while they are also drinking alcohol?)

    Parent
    And what exactly is your point? (5.00 / 1) (#15)
    by Zorba on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 02:45:08 PM EST
    Are you saying that kids who smoke pot are more likely than those who don't, to drink alcohol?
    Because I'm not seeing the point here.  Sorry.

    Parent
    The point is (none / 0) (#39)
    by jbindc on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 05:33:04 PM EST
    And, to be brutally frank, a bunch of young people who are drunk out of their minds, are more likely to get into car accidents than those who have smoked some marijuana.  Not that driving under the influence of anything is a great idea, but alcohol seems to be even worse than marijuana in that regard.
     

    You are making it an either/or proposition, when in many cases, people who smoke weed also drink alcohol at the same time.

    Not a good combination - especially for teens.

    Researchers from the University of Michigan found that teens who have consumed alcohol and smoked marijuana in the past year had higher rates of traffic tickets, warnings and car accidents.  Researchers found that kids who used alcohol and marijuana at the same time were at a particular risk: about 50 to 90 percent more likely to admit to unsafe driving than their peers who did not drink or smoke pot.

    "It's well known that both drinking and other drug use are linked to risky driving," lead researcher Yvonne Terry-McElrath, said in a statement. "But this suggests that it's not only the frequency of substance use that's important. The patterns of drug use are also related to the risk of unsafe driving."

    For the study, researchers collected and analyzed data from surveys of more than 72,000 high school seniors in the United States, conducted yearly from 1976 to 2011 through the Monitoring the Future study, supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

    They found that a "significant number" of students were using both drugs in 2011, Terry-McElrath said. That included 21 percent who said they used the drugs at the same time, at least occasionally. And those kids were at heightened risk for reporting unsafe driving - even compared with their peers who only drank, and those who used alcohol and marijuana but not at the same time.

    They also found that roughly 40 percent of teens who used both drugs together had received a traffic ticket or warning in the past year. And about 30 percent had been in an accident.



    Parent
    It's clear that the only research (5.00 / 2) (#49)
    by sj on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 07:26:15 PM EST
    getting funded right now is still of the "Marijuana Bad!" variety. It has been very, very difficult to get funding for medicinal research. Hopefully that will now change, and sooner rather than later.

    I'm sure you can find many, many articles/studies like the one you cite. You can also rent "Reefer Madness." So what?

    Parent

    You're right (none / 0) (#57)
    by jbindc on Tue Apr 29, 2014 at 06:49:56 AM EST
    It has been very hard to get research done on marijuana and its effects.  That being the case, you, nor anyone else, can say with any certainty that, "It's not as bad as drinking," "It's not as bad as using tobacco,", or "It really isn't harmful".

    We don't really know what the long term effects are (except that the younger you start using, there are higher risks for things like developing psychosis). Maybe now it will be easier to get some research done.  

    But anyone who thinks putting mind-altering chemicals directly into their bodies, especially over a long period of time, and think that is harmless, is kidding themselves.

    Parent

    Here's the gist of some of the discussion (5.00 / 2) (#60)
    by Anne on Tue Apr 29, 2014 at 08:14:42 AM EST
    I used to have with my kids, when they were younger:

    Even if there were oceans of research, on every substance, on the benefits and side-effects, on your developing brain, on the interactions with other substances, on the long-term effects, and every other thing you can think of, it still comes down to this:  you are a unique individual, and no one knows - not even you - whether you will be one of the ones who partakes with no ill or adverse effects.  No one knows if your DNA is free of whatever genetic marker caused the alcoholism and addiction that other members of your family have struggled with.  Your father and I smoked pot, we drank - and here we stand, seemingly fine.  But we all knew people, had friends, who didn't fare so well. What your friends and people you know have experienced can only tell you so much - percentages, chances, likelihoods.  But your brain is not their brain.  Your life is not their life.  You'll make your choices and what comes after may or may not be in your control, and they won't be able to be undone.  I can't be with you 24/7; I can't make your decisions for you.  I can only be open and honest and be here to listen if you want to talk.  And you can know that no matter where you are, or what time it is, if you call me, I will come get you.  I'd rather get a call from you at midnight to come get you from a situation you're not comfortable with, than get a call from a hospital or a knock on my door to tell me you're dead or injured or locked up.  If you need me to be the bad guy, be the excuse for why you say no, that's who I'll be.

    It's that first part that people should think about - that all the studies and research in the world can't predict what any one of us will experience; they can only give you odds, and from there, it's up to us to decide if we like our chances.  

    Apparently, in spite of the research on the ill effects of alcohol use, the brain cells it kills over time, the damage to organ systems, the way it contributes to domestic violence - to name just a few - the powers-that-be decided it should be legal, and adults could make their own decisions about it.  

    Try as I might, I can't figure out why marijuana should be any different.

    Parent

    I consider this exceptionally sage advise (none / 0) (#61)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Apr 29, 2014 at 08:45:28 AM EST
    And sadly as rare as it is wise.  If only every child was lucky enough to get this kind of honesty and support I am confident the world would a happier better  safer place.  My compliments.

    Parent
    Thanks, Howdy. It didn't mean, though, (5.00 / 2) (#64)
    by Anne on Tue Apr 29, 2014 at 09:10:02 AM EST
    that I didn't worry, and however wise it seems, in reality, we probably just got lucky: the kids came through okay - I did make a couple of late-night pick-ups - but if they hadn't come through okay, no one would have questioned my/our judgment more than we would have.

    It also needs to be said that we didn't just say this stuff and let them fly - we asked questions, made a point to meet parents and meet their friends and be present and expect other parents to be the same.

    I guess it comes down to knowing your kids, too - what worked for us might not have worked if they had been different.

    I'm a firm believer in helping kids learn how to make good decisions; I know more than a few helicopter parents, whose kids can't blink that
    Mom and Dad aren't up their butts.  How do they learn how to make decisions when wearing a choke chain?  My brother did this to my niece, and I kept telling him that the harder he tried to control her, the more ways she was going to find to be free - and darn if she didn't.  It's all finally ended up okay in the end, but there was a time when it looked like it wasn't going to end well.

    Parenting: it's not for the faint of heart; grandparenting, on the other hand, is the best!

    Parent

    Well (none / 0) (#65)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Apr 29, 2014 at 09:36:01 AM EST
    I would say that you care and worry about them is obvious by having given them freedom and guidance.  That is certainly, I would think not being or expecting to be a parent, not the easy way to deal with the situation.  Much easier to threaten badger and deny.  
    The latter is something I do have experience with because of the spectacularly bad parenting and the results of it in my extended family here.  I had a 19-20 year old nephew living with me for almost two years because his insane parents were pushing him to the point that I was actually worried he might harm himself.  So I said screw them, I have an extra bedroom.  His parents were not pleased, to put it mildly, but his grandparents, my sister and brother in law, were all for it.  The pathetic disjunction of the family is sort of a running family joke.  The mother herself is a total perpscrition drug addict who is also in conpleet denial about that fact.  Tyler told me some of the most awful and heart breaking stories about needing some kind of help with school or something and finding his mother passed out.  
    We usually had these conversations over a bong.  Ha.

    Parent
    Hope your nephew is okay - good that (5.00 / 1) (#66)
    by Anne on Tue Apr 29, 2014 at 09:56:17 AM EST
    he had someone to turn to, and that you were willing to step up for him.

    Sometimes people who can't control their own lives try to control the lives of others - and I think this is pretty common as to parent/child.  And, in a weird way, Tyler's mother may have been operating from a position of fearing his fate would mirror hers without their efforts to control him.

    Funny thing about kids: they always know what's going on, no matter how well you think you've hidden things from them or only had your arguments "in private," or whatever.  Always.  And they see the blatant hypocrisy in Mom and Dad enjoying their cocktails - maybe a little too much - and popping this pill or that rather than deal with what life's handing out, and then lecturing them about the evils of both.

    "Do as I say, not as I do" doesn't work any better now than it did when we were kids!

    Parent

    He is ok (5.00 / 2) (#67)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Apr 29, 2014 at 10:09:39 AM EST
    He really is.  And I have to tell you it's one of the things in my life I am most proud of.  He is severely dyslexic.  He dropped out of high school because of it.  This is when I invited him to live with me.  His mother, who's own most lofty goal is to get on disability SS which she will never do because there is nothing wrong with her and the doctors making the decisions are the same ones who prescribe the pills just to shut her up and get rid of her I guess, had told him for years he was retarded and his best option was to try to get a disability check.  Seriously.  I wish I was making this up.  
    Anyone could see that not only was he not impaired he was the most intelligent and promiseing member of his entire ridiculous family.
    Flash froward.  Tyler has gotten his GED and is now off working on towboats.  Something I did for about 10 years.
    I am so proud of him.  And I thnk that in some small way I helped to save him.
    The parents still won't come to family functions I attend.  As if that's punishment.

    Parent
    Just to be clear (none / 0) (#68)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Apr 29, 2014 at 11:05:40 AM EST
    Because, lets face it, it's often a subject I mention, Tyler was not gay.  But he certainly knew I was.
    (Heh) and so did his parents.

    Parent
    You know I expect that's true (5.00 / 1) (#69)
    by sj on Tue Apr 29, 2014 at 11:14:14 AM EST
    of a lot of things, though.
    except that the younger you start using [fill in the blank here]
    But when you start throwing out terms like "risks for things like developing psychosis" for MJ you will lose total credibility and any really valid warnings have a stronger likelihood of being ignored. If MJ has triggered some pyschosis (And how the he!! did you go from unsafe driving to psychosis anyway?) I firmly believe that the mind in question already had issues and psychosis was going to be triggered somehow anyway.

    Parent
    Clearly you have little actual experience (none / 0) (#40)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 05:37:13 PM EST
    In this area.  Honestly that is not very different from saying many who smoke pot also do meth.  It may be true depending on your definition of "many" but it is a meaningless statement.

    Parent
    But to be fair... (none / 0) (#46)
    by kdog on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 06:12:22 PM EST
    40 and a blunt was my 17 year old Friday night.

    The cold hard truth is the law can't really help ya too much, teach your children well. Banning substances entirely makes no sense regardless...it was all illegal when we were all doing it, and still  doing it in some cases.

    If it's about driving, reckless driving should always be a crime...no doubt.

    Parent

    Not familiar with that term (none / 0) (#48)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 06:23:57 PM EST
    "40 and a blunt". I assume 40 is some alcoholic beverage. Well sure.  No doubt that's common.  But the title of the article in that link was -

    Teens Who Use Alcohol, Marijuana Simultaneously May Be At An Increased Risk For Unsafe Driving

    Wow.  I wonder how much it cost them to find that out. My point is it is a ridiculous excuse against decriminalization.  It's just smoke.  Pun intended.

    Parent

    This would be (none / 0) (#52)
    by desertswine on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 09:27:23 PM EST
    a "40" I'm guessing.

    Parent
    K (none / 0) (#55)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 11:08:14 PM EST
    That did occur to me but I would think it would be a 45.  To many syllables?

    Parent
    I believe it refers to (none / 0) (#56)
    by Anne on Tue Apr 29, 2014 at 06:22:05 AM EST
    a container that's 40 ounces.

    And it's really cheap.

    Parent

    Yes... (none / 0) (#62)
    by kdog on Tue Apr 29, 2014 at 08:56:56 AM EST
    back in my day all you needed was ten bucks...2.50 for a pack of cigarettes, 2.50 for a 40 oz. of Olde E, and 5 bucks for a nickel bag of funk.  Set for the night.

    Now it won't even get ya a pack of cigs...yet another illustration of why we need to raise the minimum wage.

    Parent

    All (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by lentinel on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 01:57:13 PM EST
    repression is "for the children".

    What a crock.

    It has always been a crock.

    Parent

    Hypocrisy (5.00 / 2) (#29)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 04:52:42 PM EST
    I think it's one of the things that cause kids to rebel.  They are not stupid.

    Parent
    My brother-in-law... (5.00 / 3) (#6)
    by kdog on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 01:57:58 PM EST
    who I smoked a joint with yesterday, is one of those strange people too.  "For the kids" he says...to which I am forced to retort, "so when your daughters try it one day, you want them to risk arrest and the black market and all that bad news?"

    I don't understand why some people confuse "legal" with "encouraged"...cigarettes are still legal, and ya can't find a vice more discouraged than tobacco.  And smoking rates are way down..."legal and discouraged" works.

    Parent

    I had a friend (none / 0) (#21)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 03:58:02 PM EST
    who was the same way about alcohol. She would not drink in front of her kids but she would get drunk so I'm SURE her kids knew she was drinking.

    I think a lot of people think they themselves can handle it or control it or whatever but their kids cannot. They are afraid that their kids won't stop with weed or whatever. I don't know but I can tell you that weed is the least of the problems in my area. Crystal meth is the rage among the teenagers around here.

    Parent

    You are a young 65er, Zorba (none / 0) (#33)
    by christinep on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 05:11:34 PM EST
    At least, your statement makes me feel better ... given that my reaction was the same as yours.  
    I sure would like to know how and where in Colorado that Q sampled us "oldsters."  And, I am serious about the location for a few reasons -- Q has a history of overstating "conservative" sentiment in our state.  For example: If Q oversampled those identifying as "conservative (and overly so)in the more rural areas of the state vs the suburbs and cities, the result might show this huge opposition in the older age group.  

    Parent
    LOL! I do suspect that, (none / 0) (#45)
    by Zorba on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 05:57:56 PM EST
    if the sample was skewed more rural than urban, they would get a higher percentage of the older population registering disapproval.
    Although, you can't get much more rural than where Mr. Zorba and I live, albeit we are in Maryland, not Colorado, and we are in no way representative of the local population in political leanings.     ;-)

    Parent
    Not sure if I was lucky or unlucky (none / 0) (#58)
    by fishcamp on Tue Apr 29, 2014 at 06:54:56 AM EST
    but during my 16 years of education in Portland I never ran into any marijuana.  It just wasn't around.  When I moved to Aspen in 1960 everything changed in that area.  While in high school and college we did manage to get a buzz on with the 3.2% beer that was the only beer in Oregon back then.  Times have certainly changed for students  in Oregon and across the Columbia river in Washington.

    Parent
    Well, I'm just happy that ... (5.00 / 1) (#20)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 03:53:24 PM EST
    ... Coloradans are, for the most part, happy. I happen to think that contented people are really more fun to be around than the old curmudgeonly types who like to yell at the neighborhood kids to get off their lawn.

    But I suppose I'm being unnecessarily cruel in my assessment of old curmudgeonly types who like to yell at the neighborhood kids to get off their lawn. I should learn to not begrudge that daily bit of self-empowerment, since it probably marks one of the few and fleeting highlights of their otherwise miserable existence as an elderly shut-in -- a miserable existence no doubt exacerbated by their aural addiction to Fox News and right-wing talk radio.

    That was my own beloved maternal grandmother during her declining years in the 1990s, after she had a series of small strokes which left her physically impaired but her mind still very much intact. But a few years' steady and corrosive diet of listening to Rush Limbaugh and the now-late (and mercifully departed) George Putnam managed to cure this once-committed FDR New Deal Democrat of her lifelong addiction to equality and justice for all.

    Instead, she was often beside herself with disturbing visions of unmarried black welfare queens getting pregnant just for the bi-weekly check; Mexican immigrants illegally pouring over the border to re-annex California to the homeland; gay people recruiting her great-grandchildren into the depraved San Francisco lifestyle; Arkansas political hillbillies engaging in Whitewater land scams and gubernatorial cocaine deals; and a first lady coldly offing her lover in a Washington DC park, while her husband the president was busy feeling up anyone in a skirt who happened to walk by his desk in the Oval Office.

    At the end, she was left truly fearful what was to become of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, once they were left alone in a world gone madly awry. I've often thought about that rather sad and mentally gruesome way in which my grandmother departed this life, thanks to Rush and George and in no small part to my tea party uncle who talked her into listening to those fools. The lesson I thus learned is as follows:

    I think there's more than enough anecdotal evidence available that shows all the incessant media chatter out there is leaving a lot of older adults confused, angry and depressed, and it's also further relieving them of much if any hope at all for the future of the many loved ones they're soon to leave behind on this Earth. Much as we see in similar studies of young children, perhaps overexposure to audio-visual media is rendering far too many of elder persons antisocial in both their future outlook and their overall general attitude.

    Therefore, if you have older relatives who (a) are shut-ins and dependent upon the kindness of relatives and hired help, and (b) further find the voices of the radio / TV babblethon to be acceptable company in lieu of actual human interaction, you should do both them and yourselves a big favor and remove all AM radios from the home, and if necessary use the parental controls on the TV remote to block access to the more baldly partisan broadcast cable channels.

    Then, if you and your siblings, cousins and children really can't spend more personal time with your old folks yourselves, then really try to get them into a mutually acceptable situation like adult day care or a senior social club at a local church or community center, where they have the opportunity to socialize with people their own age and perhaps rebuild their own social network.

    (Much to his (and our) surprise, my paternal grandfather at age 75 even found love again at a senior center, after his 56 years of marriage had ended with my grandmother's death. He soon remarried and lived happily for another 17 years.)

    Or, if you're in either Colorado or Washington state, buy 'em a bong, some primo herb, a Bose stereo player, some decent headphones and the complete box sets of Tony Bennett, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd and The Eurythmics or whoever else you'd think they'd enjoy, just to get them started. That'll sure beat having to listen to the clueless and depressing likes of Rush, Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly, hands down, any day of the week.

    Aloha. ;-D

    Parent

    The depressing part is (5.00 / 1) (#24)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 04:28:14 PM EST
    The FOX/talk radio business model depends on keeping them angry and frightened.  So of course they have raised it to an art form.

    Parent
    Without reading (5.00 / 1) (#26)
    by Mikado Cat on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 04:40:08 PM EST
    all the details about the poll, demographics selected, how were they contacted, what was the format and what were all of the questions, its best to not read a lot into the condensed findings.

    This was a long poll on two different subjects.

    Something nice and positive to read, but I would not trust it to accurately reveal the suggested depth of analysis regards who thinks what.

    I am happy to take it as good news that may prompt more states to move in the direction of freedom.

    Parent

    Unhappy people vote (5.00 / 1) (#31)
    by Mikado Cat on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 05:02:12 PM EST
    Your life could be generally a huge pile, but with adequate weed it might not bother you all that much.

    "It's like I don't care about nothing man
    Roll another blunt, ooh la da da da la da da la la da da

    I was gonna clean my room until I got high
    I was gonna get up and find the broom but then I got high
    My room is still messed up and I know why
    (Why man?)

    Because I got high, because I got high, because I got high

    I was gonna go to class before I got high
    I coulda cheated and I coulda passed but I got high
    (Uh uh la la da da)
    I'm takin' it next semester and I know why
    (Why man? Hey hey)

    Because I got high, because I got high, because I got high

    (Go to the next one, go to the next one, go to the next one)
    I was gonna go to work but then I got high
    (Oh oh)
    I just got a new promotion but I got high
    (La da da da da)
    Now I'm selling dope and I know why
    (Why man?)

    Because I got high, because I got high, because I got high

    I was gonna go to court before I got high
    I was gonna pay my child support but then I got high
    (No you wasn't)
    They took my whole paycheck and I know why
    (Why man? Yeah)

    Because I got high, because I got high, because I got high"

    I keep waiting for that dystopian future (5.00 / 2) (#44)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 05:52:32 PM EST
    Society we see in all those futuristic movies where the government controls us by giving us pills.
    Where are my damn pills?  I'm agitated.

    Parent
    Too funny (none / 0) (#70)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Apr 29, 2014 at 11:21:50 AM EST
    Afroman! (5.00 / 1) (#47)
    by kdog on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 06:20:52 PM EST
    Did you first hear that in church yesterday? (none / 0) (#43)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 05:46:39 PM EST
    :-|

    Parent
    I'm sober for years (none / 0) (#73)
    by Mikado Cat on Tue Apr 29, 2014 at 07:33:00 PM EST
    but I love weed humor, ala Smoke two joints, Dr Greenthumb, thats the blunt truth.

    What gives you the idea I go to church for more than funerals and weddings?

    Parent

    Last night, CNBC radio ran a feature (5.00 / 1) (#76)
    by Mr Natural on Thu May 01, 2014 at 09:41:55 AM EST
    featuring Colorado's newest industry, Pot Tourism.

    CNBC.

    BTW, the study linking dangerous driving with the use of alcohol and pot was over the top ludicrous.

    They could have had the same results linking dangerous driving with the use of alcohol and twinkies.

    So much bull$hit, so little time...

    Ha (none / 0) (#27)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 04:45:49 PM EST
    Legalized marijuana has not "eroded the moral fiber" of people in Colorado, voters say 67 - 30 percent.

    I would still like to meet some of the 30 %

    You already have, Cap'n. (5.00 / 2) (#41)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 05:38:01 PM EST
    They're the same people who spent most of yesterday insisting to us that L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling is a liberal Democrat.

    Well, lo and behold and sure enough, he's not. Amazing what a simple little thing like a check of voter registration records can turn up, eh?

    You know, I'd lend them my bong, if only I could trust that they'd know from which end to inhale. I'd really hate to have them forever remember me as the guy who made them drink bongwater.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Well (none / 0) (#37)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 05:28:48 PM EST
    I'm sure they're just like the people you live around that you were talking about the other day.

    Parent
    You mean people (5.00 / 2) (#38)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 05:31:37 PM EST
    Who have to much moral fiber and not enough actual fiber?

    Parent
    Yep (5.00 / 1) (#51)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 09:00:26 PM EST
    Lol. I guess they aren't getting enough fiber to walk in those strange skirts.

    Parent
    I've heard it mentioned (none / 0) (#50)
    by Natal on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 07:33:45 PM EST
    that with the high cost of legalized marijuana street dealers will still thrive as they can undercut with low overhead and no tax.  


    This was at huffpo (none / 0) (#53)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 11:01:09 PM EST
    The Huffington Post spoke with owners at many of the roughly 30 dispensaries that sold legal weed on New Year's Day, and they all said the same thing: an eighth of an ounce of marijuana, which would have normally sold for as low as $25, was fetching anywhere between $35 to $70, after taxes.

    The proprietor of Denver-based Medicine Man revealed to The Denver Post that, after taxes, the shop was selling an eighth for about $64, and although The Associated Press found at least one shop selling the same amount for as much as $70, Marijuana.com found that the average price right now is approximately $65.

    ---

    Ok, I don't know where they are getting eights for 25 but I wish they would tell me.  35 to 55 is a pretty average price in my experience depending on quality and supply.  And the quality in these stores is reportedly top notch.  Personally I would gleefully pay 65 and somewhat less gleefully 70 to have dependable supply and to never have to deal with another flakey pot dealer again.

    Parent

    Having said that (none / 0) (#54)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Apr 28, 2014 at 11:06:10 PM EST
    Who really knows what legalization does to street prices.  I could see them going down with decreased risk.  Don't really know what the penalty in CO for unlicensed distribution but here where no one is licensed it's very very stiff.  

    Parent
    you also have to figure (none / 0) (#59)
    by nyjets on Tue Apr 29, 2014 at 07:48:17 AM EST
    Even if you can get the drug illegally on the street for a cheaper price, it might be better to pay a few extra dollars and just pay for it legally. If for no other reason, you are less likely to get in trouble with the law.

    Parent
    Anecdotally... (none / 0) (#63)
    by kdog on Tue Apr 29, 2014 at 09:05:02 AM EST
    I've already since the street price come done significantly in the NY...from an all-time high of 110-125 a 1/4 down to 80-90.  I do get a preferred customer rate, flakier customers pay 90-100.

    But I'm with you...I'll pay a little more for the convenience, quality, and assortment a legal distributor could offer.  

    But not too much more...it would be unwise to follow the tobacco model, where a fully taxed pack is 10-13 bucks, while the Native American tribes are selling for 3-4 bucks.  15-20% more is one thing, don't try to make people pay over 100% tax rates, the black market will continue to thrive if that's the case.

    Parent

    Good price link (none / 0) (#74)
    by Mikado Cat on Tue Apr 29, 2014 at 07:38:42 PM EST
    This seems like a reliable link for prices.

    Parent