cannabisnews.com: How To Spend a Fun, Safe Holiday










  How To Spend a Fun, Safe Holiday

Posted by CN Staff on April 20, 2007 at 11:19:33 PT
By Joseph Ruchalski 
Source: Daily Reveille 

Louisiana -- Friday fell on the 13th last week, a great day for horror movie aficionados with all-day movie marathons and blood-red wine swilling. Today promises to be a more cheerful day in which millions around the world will celebrate by smoking, vaporizing and eating cannabis. Unsurprisingly, civilization does not plunge into irrevocable chaos on a day where so many ignore local, state and international laws, and it cannot go without mention that possession is a crime in all 50 states. If anything, restaurants and convenience stores will see a spike in sales that strengthens our economy, an ultimate act of patriotism in our post 9/11 world.
This column is devoted to these patriots and how they can avoid common and uncommon pitfalls alike to have a safe, fun 4/20. Code word "420" was born out of a pragmatic necessity for six San Rafael High School students to secretly talk about their marijuana smoking rituals without raising parental suspicion. Ironically, the term is now a widely known reference to partaking in marijuana smoking. Housing and roommate advertisements on Craigslist often say "420 friendly" to indicate a tolerant atmosphere for those who partake. Many smokers toke up at exactly 4:20 a.m. or p.m., and pro-legalization organizations such as NORML hold all-day fundraising activities and festivals.Although 4/20 is a day in which marijuana users can "come out," that does not mean one should let their guard down. In more liberal areas of the country, marijuana "offenses" are often overlooked by police officers if an effort is made to be discrete and smoke is kept away from passersby. One can only look in the weekly Campus Crime briefs to see how marijuana offenses are handled on and around campus. The most common thread running through these arrest reports by far is students caught because they chose to smoke in a parking lot, their car, a less secluded areas of campus or their dorm rooms where all kinds of scents travel easily. In certain cases, the law sees your car as an extension of your home, and many people intuitively recognize this. University police regularly patrol parking lots, including deserted commuter parking lots, at odd hours to guard against burglars. Flicking a Bic, even for just a moment, serves as a beacon to officers that something illegal may be going on. Repeatedly lighting a bowl only increases the chances of attracting unwanted attention. If one must smoke in their car or public, joints are less noticable. Rolling papers are the best smoking device for the stoner on the go. It avoids drug paraphernalia charges, and they are easy to dispos. Second, they only require, if well rolled, one light to get going. Third, they promote a good general rule for anyone wanting to smoke outside their home - do not carry more than you intend to use. Penalties for possession only grow harsher the more you have, especially if a stash is separated into multiple bags; escalating charges to "intent to distribute," despite possible intentions. For more good legal advice, check out "Busted: The Citizen's Guide to Surviving Police Encounters" at YouTube.comAssuming one chooses to break the law, they can try to stay safe, be responsible and have a good time too. One golden rule about drugs is "set and setting." Subjective effects are largely dictated by a user's state of mind and their surroundings. It's important to partake only when one is entirely comfortable, relaxed and have taken care of life's responsibilities. Bad experiences aren't always mental though. A lot of users who have reported incidents of their marijuana being "laced" are mistaken in their assumptions. The possibility certainly does exist, given the black market nature under which marijuana is sold and marketed. However, before jumping to that conclusion, think of two things - a dealer's economic self-interest and your own nutrition. Drug dealers, like any other business person, are in it for the money. It would not be in their economic self-interest to sell you two drugs for the price of one. Moreover, some drugs, because of their chemical properties, are not smokable at all. Reports of LSD or "acid" laced weed are impossible given the fact that LSD is an incredibly fragile molecule which degrades when exposed to even moderate levels of heat or light, much less a flame. Nutrition-wise, a person's tolerance for Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana and any food they may have ingested greatly effects the intensity of these effects. Take it slow and stay well hydrated and fed before kicking off your 4/20 celebrations.Another word about paraphernalia and staying safe - avoid homemade devices using tinfoil, plastics and aluminum cans. Although the Coke can water pipe is a favorite, it does not do any favors for lungs. If one finds themselves without any proper smoking devices, improvise by using an apple or carrot to fashion your very own organic pipe. Most important - relax and take today as it comes. Whether going to a music festival, art museum, vegging out on the couch or playing ultimate frisbee, have a good time. Source: Daily Reveille (LA Edu)Author: Joseph RuchalskiPublished: April 20, 2007Copyright: 2007, Daily ReveilleEmail: editor lsureveille.comWebsite: http://www.lsureveille.com/CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml

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Comment #3 posted by FoM on April 20, 2007 at 20:12:42 PT

jp4andmore
I know you are new here but I would appreciate it if you would not to be so explicit. There are all ages and types of people that read CNews. Thank you.
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on April 20, 2007 at 11:27:42 PT

Michigan News Brief
Police: No Freebie for Pot Smokers on 4/20***By Derek Wallbank, Lansing State JournalApril 20, 2007Michigan -- Despite the fact that today, April 20, has been dubbed 'National Smoke Marijuana Day', Lansing police say they won't give smokers a green-light to light up."We know all about 420," Lt. Bruce Ferguson said, adding that while police won't be specifically on the lookout for smokers, they won't hesitate to bust someone they see smoking marijuana today."It's not a freebie today."According to Barbara Mikkelson of the urban legends reference website Snopes.com, the 420 (pronounced four twenty) tradition began with a group of pot smokers at San Rafael High School in 1971, as a code for the time when they would meet outside to smoke.More recently, April 20 has come to be the central time for marijuana advocates to lobby for the decriminalization of recreational marijuana usage.Copyright: 2007 LSJ.comhttp://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070420/NEWS01/704200301/1001/news
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