Just where will you be able to smoke pot on Thursday?
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SEATTLE -- As of Thursday, it will no longer be against the law in the state of Washington to smoke marijuana. The Seattle Police Department is busy figuring out what all the intricacies of their policy will be, and there is a learning curve for marijuana users as well.
It will still be illegal to smoke marijuana in public places, such as a Bumbershoot concert, on a downtown street corner, or in a public park. In fact, think of it like an open container of alcohol -- anywhere you can't drink, you can't smoke marijuana either.
"So, the idea of someone smoking in public, they shouldn't be doing it, and if we deal with them they could get a ticket," said Seattle police spokesman Sean Whitcomb.
But Whitcomb says it's not something officers are going to be looking for.
"In fact, the joke might be that if we see someone smoking a joint on one corner, and someone drinking a beer on the other corner, we're going to go after the beer drinker," Whitcomb said. "Marijuana is still our lowest priority by city ordinance."
In the privacy of your home, of course, you will be able to use marijuana. But not if you live on the University of Washington campus.
"What would happen is that it would put at risk a lot of federal funding that we receive," said Norm Arkans, a University of Washington spokesman.
"We get a lot of research funding, our students receive federal Pell grants, we are obligated under the federal law to ensure that there are no drugs on campus."
That's because marijuana is still illegal at the federal level, and so like the UW, no dope smoking at Seattle's North, South, and Central Community Colleges.
"Since the federal law is in effect, we are going to adhere to the federal law," said Paul Kilpatrick, president of Seattle Central Community College.
He says there hasn't been any push back or feedback from the students yet. "But I'm sure I'll hear about it later," he said.
And while smoking marijuana will soon be legal and purchasing it will be legal, selling it will not. Which creates a certain conundrum.
The Seattle Police Department is updating the "frequently asked questions" section of their website and they'll post that in the next couple days.
It will still be illegal to smoke marijuana in public places, such as a Bumbershoot concert, on a downtown street corner, or in a public park. In fact, think of it like an open container of alcohol -- anywhere you can't drink, you can't smoke marijuana either.
"So, the idea of someone smoking in public, they shouldn't be doing it, and if we deal with them they could get a ticket," said Seattle police spokesman Sean Whitcomb.
But Whitcomb says it's not something officers are going to be looking for.
"In fact, the joke might be that if we see someone smoking a joint on one corner, and someone drinking a beer on the other corner, we're going to go after the beer drinker," Whitcomb said. "Marijuana is still our lowest priority by city ordinance."
In the privacy of your home, of course, you will be able to use marijuana. But not if you live on the University of Washington campus.
"What would happen is that it would put at risk a lot of federal funding that we receive," said Norm Arkans, a University of Washington spokesman.
"We get a lot of research funding, our students receive federal Pell grants, we are obligated under the federal law to ensure that there are no drugs on campus."
That's because marijuana is still illegal at the federal level, and so like the UW, no dope smoking at Seattle's North, South, and Central Community Colleges.
"Since the federal law is in effect, we are going to adhere to the federal law," said Paul Kilpatrick, president of Seattle Central Community College.
He says there hasn't been any push back or feedback from the students yet. "But I'm sure I'll hear about it later," he said.
And while smoking marijuana will soon be legal and purchasing it will be legal, selling it will not. Which creates a certain conundrum.
The Seattle Police Department is updating the "frequently asked questions" section of their website and they'll post that in the next couple days.
can i get a job if they drug test and test positive for pot?Â
Likely not. Employers can still take adverse action against marijuana users who test positive, and still do not have to accomodate medical marijuana recommendations.
Why don't people get as passionate about REAL problems in our society such as obesity, heart disease, sedentary lifestyles and psychological problems as they do pot. All those other things are WHAT ARE REALLY hurting Americans. Our priorities are completely out of whack as a nation. It's okay if we all die early deaths and hurt each other as long as we're living up to some 100 year old moral code!
 @jowsuf taxing little problems to pay for big problems, you'd think it would be the other way around. because everything cost!
I will smoke to that
Turn your head and it really does not go away. Â The ones that voted for this are idiots and we will all pay sooner than later.
 @bille57182 Pay how?
 @bille57182 When we pay for it, it might be cheaper due to privatization.  Unless, does your dealer provide a better deal?
The feds will still arrest you, and you will still serve jail time, the feds trump the state......and obama's admin is on the war path against pot smokers/seller.
Funny really since he was a pot head in high school and college.
Don't be ridiculous! It is the x Seattle Police chief that is after pot smokers, not Obama. Obama told the drug enforcement to put pot on the slow track and deal with other drugs. Obama was NOT a pot head! That X chief has always been a jerk and is now power hungry! He was horrible for Seattle and worse for the country as the DRUG CZAR! Why show your ignorance and politic thoughts when it comes to LAW?Â
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 @CindyBP The feds won't arrest anyone for smoking pot. They don't have the resources to send DEA agents to two states to pick up pot smokers. That's terribly unrealistic. What would likely happen is that they'll start raiding shops that sell it every once in a while, and I bet nobody will go to jail. I bet they'll just destroy the weed and take all the money then come back in a month and hit up another shop.Â
Well they have Beer Gardens at these so called Bumper Shoot or the Bite of Seattle, etc...They might as well have a Pot or Marijuana Garden too!
People should not be able to smoke any where they want too as regular tobacco has been banned as well. So what will we do??? Maybe we should sit down and talk about it!! That's a concept!!
What federal law? The 10th amendment reserves the power of prohibition to the states -- this is why the 18th amendment had to be passed so that federal prohibition of alcohol could be enacted. The 18th amendment was repealed in its entirety by the 21st amendment. Before the 18th was passed, the feds had exactly the same amount of supremacy over states that they do today...and they needed to pass the 18th to prohibit anything.
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Can the federal government make total prohibition of tobacco and/or alcohol on campus a condition of federal aid to a university? If so, then they can prohibit marijuana the same way. But if they can't prohibit tobacco or alcohol, then they can't prohibit marijuana either.
 @Bergman Oswell Do youi really think the the obama admin cares one whit about the Constitution?
Now that's funny.
 @CindyBP  @Bergman Oswell Do you really think ANY administration has cared about the constitution?Â
I will not fall into the trap of sheeple and be convinced about this being positive for our communities and citizens in Washington State. I cannot wrap my mind around why so many people want to go through life numb or high. Have you ever seen a person on this stuff? Their eyes are squinting and they cannot be serious or make logic. It stymies any ambition.  Individuals do not function well on this. This is a drug that alters who you are. I do not support this and think our State will regret making it legal.Â
 @ObsidianOne There's a HUGE difference between having seen someone stoned and having experienced it yourself. If you haven't smoked before, you simply don't understand marijuana. Sorry.Â
@ObsidianOne "The State" did nothing. The majority of voters in the state did. That's people just like you!
@ObsidianOne You bring up good points. My friend is as professor at HCC and tells me he hates having to teach students who come to class "high". They cannot function to their fullest, and he said it does alter who they truly are.
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However, as another poster said on here, then the fight should be against alcohol and prescription drugs as well.
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Personally, I don't plan to fight against pot, b/c I have known people who have cancer and tell me pot is the only drug w/ little or no side effects, that help their pain. In fact, the pot helps increase their appetite, which many cancer patients lose due to the chemo. This way, when they get the "munchies", they can actually put on weight vs. losing it.
 @ObsidianOne I agree with some of your points actually, and smoke pot and have for years. Having said that, I do not believe legalization will open any flood gates.Â
Interesting & how do you feel about alcohol & presciption narcotics? If one is not allowed neither should all mind alternating drugs. Oops they should also illegalize sugur & salt which cause laziness, obesity & high blood pressure and so forth. Â
Once again masses are judged by the actions of a few.
CherokeeWoman, I voted against legalizing, but I'm okay that it passed, and part of the reason is exactly what you spelled out in your post. Well said!
Aside from the fact that federal law trumps state law and it is still illegal....Let's forget that little slice of reality.
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 @Marc Actually, federal law does not trump state law except in areas where the U.S. constitution grants the federal government supremacy. Prohibition of intoxicants is not one of those areas where the feds have supremacy. Let's not forget that little slice of reality.
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The federal government only has the powers granted to it by the constitution; If the constitution does not grant the feds power over something, then they need to amend to constitution or keep their hands off of it. Can you find where in the constitution the feds have the power to prohibit marijuana? I bet you can't. The feds have greater constitutional authority over alcohol than they do over marijuana, and they needed a constitutional amendment back in 1919 to override state laws on alcohol prohibition. They had exactly the same degree of supremacy over the states in areas of prohibition in 1918 as they do today in 2012.
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So, where's the constitutional amendment granting the federal government authority to prohibit marijuana?
How can we forget, our great leader reminds of his power daily along with his protector the Holden.
Of course there is no reason not to legalize marijuana at the federal level if they are going to allow the worst mind alternating man chemical on earth to remain legal, ALCOHOL.
 @Marc Well first the Feds have to catch us. I don't see too many federal police in the Seattle area, do you?Â
 @Marc I am thinking the Federal Government can go suck an Elf..... We the people voted and the Federal Government can go pound sand.....
 @Funky-Munky  @Marc If the federal government came in and overruled the people of Washington State, it will just go to show that the people can vote all they want, it doesn't mean squat!
 @MjrBoSox420  @Funky-Munky  @Marc That has nothing to do with the federal government, the state government right here at home has proven that time and time again. The only reason the state allowed this to pass is because they stand to gain serious $$$$ by doing so.
I am anxious for tomorrow. Â Just wish there was a place to buy it legally now. Â I am allergic to every man made pain med there is and am in pain constantly without weed. Â Was going to get a MMC, but it is too expensive. Â I am disabled and the amount of money I receive is a joke. Â So I have had to decide whether to live with the pain, or buy illegally, or skip paying rent or some other bill, to be able to pay for the MMC. Â Also I found out that if housing authority finds any weed or bongs in my home I could lose my voucher, which means I would have to live in the back of my truck. Â So any of y'all that are on any federally funded programs still have to hide the fact y'all partake, because the federal government says the even MM is illegal. Â The federal government needs to make it legal, as they did for alcohol... I'd rather be around someone who smokes than someone who drinks. Â My ex never beat me when he had partaken, just when he used alcohol. Â
 @CherokeeWoman Just like in the Medical Marijuana law, there are many loopholes in the new recreational law.  Medical Marijuana patients can legally still DONATE money at dispensaries for medical marijuana. Then later when in your home or their home, they can legally GIVE you some of their medical marijuana because legally you can have it.  Then of course later, if you just so happen to owe your medical friend $100, then you should pay your friend the $100.  But that doesn't mean you're buying marijuana from them. They're giving it to you, and they got it legally.Â
 @CherokeeWoman One thing you might want to try, though I can't promise any success, is kava root. It won't do much to dull the pain, but it will boost your pain threshold, making pain more tolerable.
 @CherokeeWoman I was trying to figure out a way to get a MMC.... I don't like going to the doctor whatsoever, and I don't have much money either. I don't have the first clue on how to get an MMC, and feel I shouldn't have too either.
@CherokeeWoman I wish you luck finding some to purchase. It's hard to live day to day with chronic pain. And, it's difficult to hold down a job when you have medical issues.
I urge every man, woman and child to forego any ideas of partaking in the Cannabis Thursday Gala.
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Smoking marijuana is guaranteed to make the cracks in the sidewalk, look like the Grand Canyon.
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Truth be told, I fully expect the check-out lines at 7-11 to resemble the parking lot at Costco, with hordes of munchies buyers.
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DO YOU âLIKEâ MUNCHIES?
Munchies, a waste of money. Never understood why people would want to waste money on smoke if all they are going is eat, waste of good money & smoke. At least munch on fruit & vegies.
Okay, so they keep discussing the locations where pot can or cannot be smoked. Fine. But where does one buy pot now that it is legal? I don't want some crap quality  sold to me by somebody who isn't regulated.
@KoawoodplayerYou might check some of the indian smoke shops or korean corner markets.
Both of that kind of business sell the paraphernalia and might be able to point you in the right direction.
 @Koawoodplayer Unfortunately.... It will be forever before anyone can buy legally.... I am furious because now I have to get a MMC and see a doctor to do it.... friggin' ridiculous.
 @Funky-Munky  @Koawoodplayer No ya don't. Just get it from where ever you've been getting it from in the past. If they ask where you bought it form you say you didn't and that it just appeared. Prove otherwise. lol
 @Hachee_Bungwhy  @lakeview  @Koawoodplayer Everyone I know currently that smokes pot is a psycho in one form or another. One swears it helps him but he's afraid of nearly everything, another has realized that when he smokes it, he is far more anxious than when not smoking and that it affects his memory rather badly....The rest...are just 'out there' all the time. Who knows if that is an improvement or not!
 @Huntiing Wabbits Well, that may be true for some, but not for me, I'm prone to panic attacks, because of a chemical imbalance in my brain, and weed, and a lot of other drugs just make them worse, a doctor told me this, I know all about heart attacks, I have had one, and it was totally different from the pot episode, it's a chemical inbalance and it doesn't mix with alcohol or marijuana.
 @MC  @Funky-Munky FYI, the paranoia and panic attacks can be caused by the increase in blood pressure and heart rate and if you go to an ER anywhere in America thinking you're having a heart attack, they'll check your Oxygen level, if it's ok, the next question will be if you've smoked Marijuana, because it can create the same feelings of panic. HOWEVER, for many people the paranoia and panic attacks come from the way we've been raised to fear the repercussions of the illegal activity and the stigma attached to drug use. I smoked in high school and college. My first trip to Amsterdam, I was at a coffee shop that sold marijuana legally. Everyone was enjoying. About half way through the joint, I started freaking out. I thought the American authorities were going to come in and arrest me and charge me with violating some international drug law and visions of the movie "Midnight Express" with the guy hanging by his feet and the guard beating him with a baseball bat. Yes, it was some really good stuff, and it had me freaking out.  I smoked the rest of the joint and everything was fine. :-)
lakeview, usally people quit smoking weed due to paranoia, oh by the way it does help with anxiety & isn't physically addicting like prescription medication & no death as be related to marijauna overdose.
You are right it is nothing lik alcohol at all. It is not physically addicting, doesn't cause liver, kindey or heart failure and doesn't cause violent behavior on so called normal people.
 @Koawoodplayer  @Hachee_Bungwhy Koawoodplayer, you're probably better off just going to the gym or going for a walk for your stress. Relying on any drug to solve anxiety problems only asks for more trouble and demands more drugs.
 @dg54321 Yep, cigarettes and alcohol raise blood pressure also.
 @Funky-Munky Well I tried Marijuana years ago and it made me paranoid and have panic attacks for several days, I thought at the time it might be cut with something, like PCP, so a few years later I tried it again, same thing happened, so it isn't right for me, I have friends and family who smoke it all the time and feel high, nothing more, so I guess it is the individual  and their make up, I went as far as asking a doctor why it affected me like that and didn't my friends, I was told there is a chemical imbalance in some peoples brains that have this reaction, me, well, of course it would be that way, everything I take has an opposite effect on me, coffee puts me to sleep, those I don't care shots they give you before surgery have me flying around the room in a panic, I have always said, "If it can it will" always my luck....lol...anyway happy smoking to those who can.
@dg54321 @MC @Funky-Munky Oh, my. Good to know. Thank you!
 @MC  @Funky-Munky It depends on the strain...some cause anxiety whereas others relieve it. Also, there has been some evidence that over the long term MJ could lower blood pressure, but short term it raises it quite a bit. So if you have issues with blood pressure you might want to reconsider.
@Funky-Munky @MC These pharmaceutical companies should have a cap on what they can make in profit. They are so interested in the bottom line vs. helping people, it disgusts me. Of course, I may as well throw in insurance companies as well.
 @MC Calming tea works wonders.... Natural medicine works great.... pharmaceutical companies hate the fact you can provide your own medicine....
 @Funky-Munky It sure did with me...never again...
 @Koawoodplayer Try it and see.... It can alleviate stress and anxiety.... Like any medicine though it can be different for each person.... Some cases it could increase anxiety though....
@lakeview I guess it does depend on the person. I"m sure smoking pot is not all positive. There are going to be some cautions. As far as alcohol is concerned, I am allergic to it. I get hives, fast heart rate, flushing of the skin, and once I thought I had reached a toxic level after half a glass of a Mai Tai. I thought I was having a heart attack!
 @lakeview  @Koawoodplayer It affects everyone differently. I know people that can't smoke because it causes them anxiety. I also know people that smoke to help their anxiety.
 @Koawoodplayer Bad idea. Don't get started. Weed is a mild psychoactive. It isn't going to help with anxiety. I know a lot of people who stopped smoking weed because they couldn't handle the high. It isn't like alcohol at all.Â
@Hachee_Bungwhy @Funky-Munky I've never bought pot before. I just thought it would be good to try it and see if it would help my anxieties and stress. Perhaps even help lower my blood pressure as a result.