I usually write this blog several days in advance, so this post will be relating to old news for most of us. President Biden has issued a blanket pardon for all those people convicted of the federal crime of possessing cannabis. Our president has also urged congress to change the laws regarding cannabis, and has encouraged governors at the state level to do the same thing for their jurisdictions. I can only imagine Willie Nelson lighting up a spliff to celebrate this event.
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When I was in college, I was one of the few people who didn't have a connection to buy my own weed. Therefore, I only smoked if a friend would pass me his or her joint. For the most part, cannabis had little effect on me at the time, as it only made me sleepy. I can still remember one of the few times that I did get high, and I was tasked to drive from Flushing to Fresh Meadows (Queens county, NY). Instead of making a left turn onto the Long Island Expressway's service road, I continued South until I reached the outskirts of Jamaica. Let's just say that my my then girlfriend was more affected than I was, and that the only way to see the movie Logan's Run is well under the influence.
Over the years, I have had some interesting experiences with weed, but not in the way you might expect. For example, I was engaged once, and the woman who I was engaged to didn't think I would smoke. She lit up a joint, shared it with her friend, and didn't even think I'd enjoy a smoke. (You can easily guess that I didn't get married to that woman.) Another time, I was with a friend who was recovering from cancer, and he shared some of his stash. While smoking, "The House of the Rising Sun" came on the radio, and I did an impromptu translation of the first verse into (my long forgotten) German. Lastly, I visited some friends (documented in my previous blog) to watch some old cartoons, and enjoyed some of their stash - and had to wait a while before I was safe to drive. (People needed to be fully alert to drive to/from their home.) There are more stories, but these are the ones that first come to mind.
Now that cannabis is legal in New York, I don't find that it will influence how I live my life. Although recreational cannabis is not officially available in my state, it is available in at least one nearby state. I have no urge to go to a dispensary to buy any weed. Yet, I will continue to advocate for complete legalization, as I consider cannabis to deliver a safer high than that from other legal substances.
