Living in cannabis nation California

It’s an exciting time for many living in cannabis nation California.  Thanks to Proposition 64, individuals may now legally use and grow marijuana for personal recreational use.  It’s no longer necessary to be “ill” to legally partake in the great American pastime of smoking weed as it was called in the olden days.

Proposition 64 marijuana may one day be acknowledged in history books as doing more to rid California of disease and illness than the discovery of penicillin or the polio vaccination did over a half-century ago.

History books may one day read how very-ill patients were miraculously healed and became healthy enough to engage in cannabis nation California recreational activities.  They no longer needed their marijuana prescription medicine, only recreational marijuana.

A 2016 national poll reported the percentage of American adults smoking marijuana has nearly doubled in three years.  My generation, the 55-and-older crowd, is leading the pack as the fastest growing segment of American pot users.  Over 4 million AARP membership-qualified Americans “roll a doobie” to relax after a hard day of [insert your favorite hard day activity here].

The State of California is getting in on the action by keeping a watchful eye on this new booming, big dollar and high-profile California industry.  Three state government agencies with growing budgets – the Bureau of Medical Cannabis Regulation, Department of Food and Agriculture and Department of Public Health – are watching our cannabis nation California backs.

Local governments are also enthusiastically seeking their own regulatory high identity by making sure to get their fair share of fees and taxes from this new pot of gold.

Growing up when I did, I know an old-school thing or two about marijuana but mum is the word about my knowledge.  This, however, I’ll emphatically tell you:  I don’t use it now or plan to in my foreseeable future.  And, I recommend you do the same.

You see, at this chapter in my life, I’m not interested if it doesn’t help me make better decisions, run faster, jump higher, react sooner or perform better during a gym workout.  Whether in the business world or participating in an athletic event, peak performance on demand is the name of the game.

To be modernly-correct, I suppose, no judgment should be passed on anyone enjoying this new 21^st century version of Happy Hour so long as it doesn’t hurt anyone.  Honestly, however, it’s a matter of time before the hurt starts to rear its ugly head.

So, I’ll only engage in nameless judgement because Proposition 64 marijuana provides no wholesome modern-day benefit to the California you and I dream of for our children and grandchildren.  A seductive “Mary Jane” is someone I don’t want my grandchildren knowing on a first name and intimate basis.

Proposition 64 marijuana commerce offers chump change revenue for governments starving for new taxpayer dollars.  It’ll be another regressive tax for the low-income class, like lottery tickets, because they’ll pay a higher percentage of their income in cannabis taxes than their high-income class counterparts.

The rich folks are too busy making money and finding ways to pay less taxes; they can’t afford the down time being “stoned.”

Meanwhile, we the abstainers will reckon with relentless peer pressure that’ll test our abilities to have it our way without coming across as being anti-social or old-fashioned.  A simple “no thank you” to a marijuana offer may not get the job done.

Let’s be athletically-clever in our response the first or next time a water-filled bong or plate of marijuana-laced cookies come our way by saying, “No thank you, I’m an athlete living in cannabis nation California.”

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum