Mary Jane

[JamesVincent]

I have a couple of questions. We now have 2 states that have legalized the use, not possession, use, of marijuana. How does this affect other aspects of legality? It is still a Federal crime to be in the possession of maryjane, how does the state legalization affect that? Companies or agencies that do drug testing, are they going to be able to hold marijuana use against someone in the states where it is legal? Would there be restrictions on its use while operating a vehicle like alcohol? If so, how would you test for it? Bear in mind I have never used any type of drug, more of an academic curiosity.

[AndyK]

I have a couple of questions. We now have 2 states that have legalized the use, not possession, use, of marijuana. How does this affect other aspects of legality? It is still a Federal crime to be in the possession of maryjane, de[ends how much you're holding. more important is the interstate transportation of weed

how does the state legalization affect that? not at all. federal laws trump states. however there are factors such as the amount of the stash / dealing vs personal use / aggressiveness of the relevant US Attorney

Companies or agencies that do drug testing, are they going to be able to hold marijuana use against someone in the states where it is legal? if drug use is part of the employment contract / agreement -- definitely yes. valid parallel is alcohol abuse. alcohol is legal almost everywhere, but most companies forbid showing up for work under the influence. irrespective of the legal status of MJ, there's nothing to prevent a company from forbidding it and screening for it. Also, reference anabolic steroids for the same question / impact

Would there be restrictions on its use while operating a vehicle like alcohol? If so, how would you test for it? Bear in mind I have never used any type of drug, more of an academic curiosity.

[fortinbras]

Some of the weekly newspapers in California, Colorado, and other states that have legalized use (at least medicinal use) of MJ have carried articles on how the federal govt is mostly interfering with the state legalization. Medicinal MJ dispensaries are being raised and so forth.

Considering that Obama was even photographed with a reefer in his youth, I was hoping for better.

[Arthur Rubin]

Some of the weekly newspapers in California, Colorado, and other states that have legalized use (at least medicinal use) of MJ have carried articles on how the federal govt is mostly interfering with the state legalization. Medicinal MJ dispensaries are being raised and so forth.

Considering that Obama was even photographed with a reefer in his youth, I was hoping for better.

It has been reported that in January 2008, Obama said he had instructed the Attorney General not to enforce the laws against Marijuana possession and sale in states where it is legal. The next day there was a raid on a California dispensary.

But we're beginning to touch on politics.

[JamesVincent]

Kentucky passed a law earlier this year so it is legal to commercially grow hemp. They announced last week that they will be going forward with plans to start growing hemp.

http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/b ... loser.html

[Pottapaug1938]

Kentucky passed a law earlier this year so it is legal to commercially grow hemp. They announced last week that they will be going forward with plans to start growing hemp.

http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/b ... loser.html

If I recall correctly, this plant looks like marijuana but has much less THC in it. Try to smoke it, and all you'll get is the sensation of smoking a length of manila rope.

[Cathulhu]

Since I live in Washington, I'm watching all this up close. While technically you could still be busted on Federal law, they aren't interested in individuals so much as the dispensaries and sellers. Adults over 21 may legally possess up to an ounce of weed. Very entertainingly, the police returned confiscated weed to people after the law passed, as well as tossing out about 200 pending cases of possession.

However, there is still nowhere you can legally buy it unless you have a medical marijuana card. And it still isn't legal to grow your own. My own conclusion--the law has started to change, but hasn't truly been perfected. I look forward to the days when I can start a victory garden legally. In the meantime, the passionflower I grew from seed this spring has set fruit, and the dragonfruit plant is two feet tall. Chocolate trees not doing as well; I need more heat in my hothouse. Got a bumper crop of Meyer lemons ripening now.

[notorial dissent]

Glad to hear the green house is working out well for you. It sounds like you are getting great enjoyment from it. I envy you the fragrances from some of those plants.

[Cathulhu]

It's my own little paradise. I step out the patio door and I'm in Hawaii. The banana plants really make it tropical, and the passionflowers and orchids really do it for me. I've got some angel's trumpets just for the scent, well out of kitty nibbling range. The actual Madame Cathulhu has clearly advised me that sugar cane is superior cat grass--she's got a sweet tooth! Thanks to the ASPCA website, I'm tagging plants that cats should not nibble and putting them out of reach. Who knew lemon trees were toxic to cats?!?

[notorial dissent]

Sounds absolutely, you'll pardon the expression heavenly, to me. Don't know if that wold work for me as my cats can either fly or levitate. I had one who used to like to sleep in the fern I had hanging from the ceiling. Always disturbed people to see him go sailing by at eye level after something.

[Cathulhu]

One of the somewhat clever things I've done is to buy up some old birdcages, as the little decorative ones make excellent plant hangers, and I have a catnip plant in one of them. I put it down where they can get at it, and they can help themselves to the flowers without harming the main plant body. Thanks to my neighbor cat Tiger, I had to stake a wire birdcage over the catnip in the back yard or he'd have grazed it down to the soil. But Tiger is a welcome visitor, and since he lives with four kids, I can't really mind him coming over to my fully fenced backyard when he needs a little peace and quiet. My spouse's cat, Gracie Boo-Boo, loves dearly to lie out there in the sunbeams. Heaven for me and the furfaces.

[Famspear]

I have a couple of questions. We now have 2 states that have legalized the use, not possession, use, of marijuana. How does this affect other aspects of legality? It is still a Federal crime to be in the possession of maryjane, how does the state legalization affect that? Companies or agencies that do drug testing, are they going to be able to hold marijuana use against someone in the states where it is legal? Would there be restrictions on its use while operating a vehicle like alcohol? If so, how would you test for it? Bear in mind I have never used any type of drug, more of an academic curiosity.

CBS Television had a segment on its Sixty Minutes program on this very topic yesterday (Sunday, September 15th). As of today, I believe you can watch the segment on the Sixty Minutes web site.

Bear in mind, that I may have used marijuana in the past.

But, if I did, I didn't inhale.

[wserra]

But, if I did, I didn't inhale.

And I was in international waters.