'Let's Get High Bro' A Look Inside the Mind of a Stoner

I will be showing you the ins and outs of the changing marijuana culture here in Boston through the use of interviews and recipe ideas. This week I have decided to interview John (name changed to protect identity), a frequent marijuana smoker and avid supporter of federal legalization. I hope you learn more about some of the reasons people decide to smoke pot and their feelings on the culture behind it.

I walk into John's apartment, immediately hit by the distinct smell of marijuana. After making my way through a cloud of smoke, I see John chilling on his couch with a joint the size of a ruler in his mouth. The joint lasted the entire interview...

Q: When did you first start smoking pot? When did you start to smoke on a regular basis?

A: First time I ever smoked was when I was 13 years old and I actually got really high my first time which is something that does not happen to a lot of people. I used a powerful vaporizer so maybe that was why, but I was stoned for sure! I started to smoke every day when I was about 18 and I have been smoking that way ever since. I take occasional breaks for tolerance sake but other than that I have not stopped smoking. Let's get high bro!

Q: Does smoking so much hurt your productivity or your day to day life?

A: Smoking can cause me to become extremely lazy, but at the same time I have smoked enough to know how much I can smoke and still be productive. I have severe ADHD and smoking actually helps me relax and focus on what needs to get done. I smoke before I study and I have one of the highest GPA's in the entire school. I don't think many other people who smoke as much as I do can say the same. I am more forgetful for sure, and find myself telling my phone reminders all the time otherwise, I tend to forget. Overall, I think weed helps me be more productive if anything.

Q: How will your weed buying habits change as it becomes legal?

A: I think I will try out the stores when they open for sure, but I know that I will always turn to my dealer when I need pot. Weed has become so easy to get here and the quality on the street is top notch. The dispensaries will have good bud, but it will be overpriced as hell and they won't give discounts on large amounts. I typically purchase an ounce of weed at a time and that would cost me almost triple if I tried to buy that in a store. If stores continue to open however, I think we will start to see that price come down similar to what it is at legal stores in Colorado and Washington (around $100 an ounce for top notch).

Q: What is your biggest concern with weed becoming legalized?

A: Overall I don't really see a negative to legalization at all. People can say that it will make it easier for young kids to get their hands on it, but weed is so easy to get anyway that I don't think that will change much at all. I think the biggest issues will arise from competition within the industry and people trying to either blackball another company or try to find illegal and unsafe ways to get a cheaper product. There has been little problem reported in other states of increased criminal activity or danger after legal pot stores have opened and I expect similar results here in Massachusetts.

Q: What is a common misconception about weed that bothers you?

A: BEING LAZY. That is a huge one for me. Sure weed can make you want to chill out and not be productive but it all comes down to what mindset you have on a day to day basis. If you are driven and want to be successful and accomplish things, you will do it even with a big fat jay in your mouth. Another one that bugs me is when people think taking an edible is a good way to not get "too high". A lot of beginners think this way and end up really scaring themselves when a weed brownie makes them trip out all night. Weed edibles are much more concentrated and people with low tolerance can get really messed up with them. Eat a bit and just wait an hour, trust me it will kick in or you need to find a new supplier ;)

If you would like to be featured in a future interview, please feel free to reach out. I would be happy to talk to you even if you are anti-pot! I want to hear and share stories from all sides as our world is changing around us. Check back next week for my next post!!

Opinions and Opposition: Week 1

My part of this new blog is to explore the “Opinions and Opposition” against Weed Culture and figure out why. I personally think that it’s interesting to form a hypothesis about the topic, do some research, interviews or polling and drawing a conclusion based on that topic.

This week, I decided to poll my Facebook friends, who are based mainly in Massachusetts, Maine, and Florida and ask the simple question of if they believe recreational marijuana should be legal or illegal. I also asked them to comment on their reasons for why.

My Hypothesis: Many of my Facebook friends are my age (23), and because of that, I believe that about 80%-90% will believe it should be legal. I do believe that about 10% will respond saying it should be illegal and most of those that do will be over the age of 40.

The Results:

Conclusion: After my poll ended, I was very surprised at the number of responses I received for illegal and who I got them from. Of the 38 responses, I received, 29 said Legal and 9 said Illegal. Many of the responses I will cover in more depth in future blogs, however, what I got most out of doing this was learning what members of my family thought of the issue. My Father and Sister both said Legal, while my Mother and Brother said Illegal. I would like to encourage our readers to talk to their family members and see what they believe. Having this simple conversation can teach you a lot about your family.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest to stay up to date with Regulated Weed Culture and keep an eye out for more polls!

I Voted Yes, Now What?

Hello Everyone! Hope everyone has checked out our previous posts!

Many of you, like other Massachusetts residents, may be wondering what has been going on with the process of the legalization of recreational marijuana use since voting for (or against) it last November.  While there are many reasons for this slow process, there also have been several initiatives and actions taken by organizations in attempts to get it going.

One of the reasons, believed by many, why there haven’t been many actions taken by the state is because no influential people have come out in support of the marijuana industry, such as Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Governor Charlie Baker, despite being voted in by a state/city where the majority of the people voted for it (54% voted yes).  This is the idea that if the industry was supported by a major influential politician from the state, then it may influence and expedite the legalization process.  

Many people voted for the legalization of use and sale because they think it will benefit the state’s economy, which is something politicians definitely take interest in.  A quote by Jim Borghesani, a spokesperson for the Marijuana Policy, “we’re not asking anybody to be a cheerleader, we’re just saying that they should recognize that we’re taking profits away from criminals and putting it in the hands of legitimate business people who pay taxes and who check IDs”.  This perspective isn’t just for generating revenue for the state but also to make it safer for consumers to purchase marijuana. 

A positive step forward taken by the state was the establishment of the Cannabis Control Commission, which is the organization that is responsible for putting forth the laws and regulations of legalizing the marijuana industry in MA.  The regulations are going to be the first piece of legislature in governing the legal use of marijuana, which is one of the reasons why it is taking so long to put together.

The Cannabis Control Commission holds week-long public hearings to notify the public and inform people on the laws regarding use, sales, enforcement, etc., the hearings are all over the state. 

I encourage you to check out their website listed below, this blog will keep you updated weekly on what is going on with the organization.

Cannabis Control Commission: https://mass-cannabis-control.com/

Reference: Racoosin, Jen (26 Nov. 2017) Recreational Marijuana Legislation Faces Obstacles in Massachusetts  Retrieved on 27 Feb. 2018: https://dailyfreepress.com/blog/2017/11/26/recreational-marijuana-legislation-faces-obstacles-in-massachusetts/

Greetings Folks,

It was a beautiful Tuesday night yesterday, and hopefully you all had the luxury of being home, laid in bed or relaxing on the couch, and rolling up something nice! If you find yourself doing anything along these lines of relaxing, then this post is for you! We continue the beginning stages of our blog by discovering new strains!

Five Strains to Keep an Eye Out for 2018:

1. White Tahoe Cookies- "is a complex hybrid that combines genetics from The White, Tahoe OG, and GSC.  The flowers express a thick frosting of trichomes thanks to The White’s genetic influence. Its soaring euphoria and deep relaxation can be attributed to its Tahoe OG lineage, while the Cookies component adds a unique doughiness to the sweet, earthy terpene profile." 

2. Mimosa-  "a hybrid of Clementine and Purple Punch. This strain presents itself with several exotic and fruity phenotypes. The Clementine influence brings a heavy orange citrus note that is true to its Tangielineage, and the Purple Punch lends some sweet berry flavoring and, in some cases, a hint of color to Mimosa’s buds. A beautiful bud with shimmering trichomes that sparkle in the sunlight, Mimosa looks as good as she smells. A great strain for hash makers, I’d be hard-pressed to pass up any solvent-less hash that features Mimosa’s terpene profile."

3. The Vision- "a hard-to-find strain native to Ohio. Lemon G has a strong lemony, sour terpene profile. It’s prized for its uplifting effects that are known to bring on fits of uncontrollable laughter and good times. Add in the deeply relaxing effects and pungent, spiced flavors of Dosidos and you can start to see The Vision. "

4. Tina- "a heavy-hitting, award-winning indica with an exceptionally frosty appearance.colorful, potent, high in THC, and smells like jet fuel. If you’re going for a Kush, this is the mother of all Kushes."  

5. 999-  "This potent mashup of Tahoe OG Kush, Triangle Kush, and Biker Kushhones in on the best attributes of Kush genetics while enhancing the overall complexity of flavor. 999 has a chunky OG structure and hits like a champ. When it comes to aroma, 999 blasts traditional, yet amplified, notes of pine, citrus, funky earth, and gas."

There are many debates on whether or not "Weed Strains" is actually a thing, but with the amount of data and information provided online, it is clear to see that there are indeed various strain types. We are curious to know if you've tried any of these strains, heard of them, or if there are any other strains that are amongst your favorites. 

Interesting Links to Check Out:

https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/kbvz9m/weed-strains-are-mostly-bullshit-weedweek2017

https://www.leafly.com/news/strains-products/top-100-marijuana-strains

https://www.marijuana.com/strains/

https://www.pinterest.com/regulatedweedculture/cannabis-strains/

References:

Hyde, W. (2018, February 06). 5 Cannabis Strains You Should Be Excited About in 2018. Retrieved February 26, 2018, from https://www.leafly.com/news/strains-products/cannabis-strains-to-try-in-2018

Home Cannabis Cultivation by Mrs. Brown-Thumb

Aloha Readers!

During the elections of November 2016, Massachusetts' Residents voted to legalize the personal use of cannabis beyond that of its decriminalization back in 2008 and voting to make medical marijuana available for patients in 2012. The current laws are changing as town representatives and community members meet to decide how they want to regulate this emerging industry, however, personal cultivation and consumption has already been approved and is covered under the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' General Laws, Part 1, Title XV, Chapter 94G, Section 7;

"(a) Notwithstanding any other general or special law to the contrary, except as otherwise provided in this chapter, a person 21 years of age or older shall not be arrested, prosecuted, penalized, sanctioned or disqualified under the laws of the commonwealth in any manner, or denied any right or privilege and shall not be subject to seizure or forfeiture of assets for: 

(1) possessing, using, purchasing, processing or manufacturing 1 ounce or less of marijuana, except that not more than 5 grams of marijuana may be in the form of marijuana concentrate; 

(2) within the person's primary residence, possessing up to 10 ounces of marijuana and any marijuana produced by marijuana plants cultivated on the premises and possessing, cultivating or processing not more than 6 marijuana plants for personal use so long as not more than 12 plants are cultivated on the premises at once; 

(3) assisting another person who is 21 years of age or older in any of the acts described in this section; or 

(4) giving away or otherwise transferring without remuneration up to 1 ounce of marijuana, except that not more than 5 grams of marijuana may be in the form of marijuana concentrate, to a person 21 years of age or older, as long as the transfer is not advertised or promoted to the public." 

That given, my husband and I decided to try out cannabis cultivation on our own at home. Neither of us has any real gardening experience and we both have terrible records when it comes to keeping houseplants alive, however, we figured it was worth a try to theoretically save some money. So in November of 2017, we began the process of creating our own closed-circuit hydroponic reservoir system.

This will be a weekly blog, posted on Mondays, that will describe the process of cannabis cultivation we chose, from set-up through harvest, insights from other cultivators, as well as open discussions about issues encountered along the way. It will be great to hear about your experiences with growing at home as well!

The MA Laws pertaining to the Personal Use of Marijuana quoted in this blog can be found at- 

https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXV/Chapter94G/Section7