Florida has watched 24 States pass recreational marijuana laws, what the heck are we waiting for? (1 Viewer)

[Ministry of Pain]

-Ohio has passed recreational marijuana laws and became the 24th State to do so

States Where Recreational Marijuana is Legal - ProCon.org

View a map of the US to see where marijuana/cannabis is legal along with the possession and cultivation limits of each state.

marijuana.procon.org

-I was a weed smoker going back into the early-mid 90s when we were just trying to get it on the ballot in Florida which back then seemed way behind vs States such as California
-Lived in California '00-'07, some of the best times of my life, got spoiled smoking any time anywhere I wanted without much stigma or anyone even raising an eyebrow
-Back to Florida, we passed the medicinal marijuana law pretty fast. But it's been like 5-10 years and we aren't getting any closer to making it recreational, why do I care?

Because I want to own a coffee/smoke shop or be part of that community once and for all.
I'm part of a craft beer store with a drive-thru, i want to turn part of it into a morning coffee spot with cannabis
I don't care if I make a lot of money or just break even, the combo of craft beers and cannabis with my 90's EDM/Miami Bass influence will find the Gen X crowd I'm looking for.
If I need a new location then all the better

All week in the store from Sunday thru Friday afternoon, it's rock n roll, top 40, old top 40 from decades ago, and finally when MoP rolls in on Friday afternoons and Saturday like I'm about ready to make the jump, we listen to dance music/90s House and the nice ladies that roll in off the beach not far from us and are still in their beach attire we'll say, they start dancing around the store while they're beer and wine hunting, and our sales increase and people stay longer in the store because they don't play this music on the radio much any more, where would they ever hear it even if they did like it?

-Back to this recreational law, I feel like it's something Floridians have just overlooked or think already passed but it hasn't. We need to work towards making this happen sooner rather than later. Imagine the joy for moms and dads after a long day at Disney and there on International Drive is MoP's Magic Buds n Beans, iced coffee and a J, and you're on your way

 

[ChiefD]

I would say the more drugs we give to Florida residents the better.

 

[Scoresman]

I would say the more drugs we give to Florida residents the better.

I would say the opposite.

 

[Sleestak]

The Villages would be off the hook

 

[msudaisy26]

My hunch. Florida has a lot of older people, older people vote at a higher rate, this generation of older people led the war on drugs and criminalizing Marijuana. You aren't going to change their minds.

 

[Doug B]

[Insert "laughing Leonardo DiCaprio from Django Unchained" meme here]

 

[massraider]

But it's been like 5-10 years and we aren't getting any closer to making it recreational

Do you really not know why?

 

[rockaction]

I think Florida would be pretty boffo if they legalized cocaine, too.

Keep that **** flowing up the East Coast and all.

 

[SFBayDuck]

What's a radio?

 

[Leroy Hoard]

If I lived in Florida I'd definitely want to be on something.

 

[urbanhack]

They are waiting for all back room deals between corporate weed and government cronies to get settled into place so they can screw everyone over.

 

[urbanhack]

Ohio just passed legislation but now R legislators want to roll back some of the rules and regs that were included.

 

[pacman_fl]

We have recreational directly north, south, and west, and medicinal directly east. I can sports bet with a 20 minute drive across the border (or less for some). Then people wonder why our property taxes are so high amongst so many other issues. The mid-west is a hodgepodge of dumb. @urbanhack has it right for sure in this state. The right people haven't been paid off.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

My hunch. Florida has a lot of older people, older people vote at a higher rate, this generation of older people led the war on drugs and criminalizing Marijuana. You aren't going to change their minds.

Right? I was going to say if MoP is trying to drum up support he needs to be hitting up traditional1940sbaseballguys.com because those are the people holding this up, not the youthful exuberant 40's and 50's crowd here at footballguys.

 

[The Commish]

If I lived in Florida I'd definitely want to be on something.

It's getting pretty close to necessary honestly.

 

[massraider]

My hunch. Florida has a lot of older people, older people vote at a higher rate, this generation of older people led the war on drugs and criminalizing Marijuana. You aren't going to change their minds.

Full legalization needs proponents.

When you are a proponent, your rivals get to say, "this guy wants to serve your kid fentanyl chocolate milk at school!!"

 

[urbanhack]

The cynic in me also suspects that the winners of the current medical system are just happy with the way things are and they are in the pockets of the politicians. They love the current status quo.

 

[Snotbubbles]

This should just be made legal on a Federal level and hit with a Federal tax on sales.

 

[NutterButter]

Florida has medical and all those old folks are already getting it for their glaucoma.

 

[Phil Elliott]

So less than half of the states have legalized recreational matijuana?

 

[Ministry of Pain]

My hunch. Florida has a lot of older people, older people vote at a higher rate, this generation of older people led the war on drugs and criminalizing Marijuana. You aren't going to change their minds.

That's not true, I toke with plenty of AARP card members.
They love 10mg gummies

 

[msudaisy26]

My hunch. Florida has a lot of older people, older people vote at a higher rate, this generation of older people led the war on drugs and criminalizing Marijuana. You aren't going to change their minds.

That's not true, I toke with plenty of AARP card members.
They love 10mg gummies

MoP for governor then. Not only are you a man of the people, you did a complete census of the state and what they want at no cost to the tax payers.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I think Florida would be pretty boffo if they legalized cocaine, too.

Keep that **** flowing up the East Coast and all.

I didn't know it was illegal in Miami, OK that might explain a few things

 

[Ministry of Pain]

My hunch. Florida has a lot of older people, older people vote at a higher rate, this generation of older people led the war on drugs and criminalizing Marijuana. You aren't going to change their minds.

That's not true, I toke with plenty of AARP card members.
They love 10mg gummies

MoP for governor then. Not only are you a man of the people, you did a complete census of the state and what they want at no cost to the tax payers.

This happened last night, my friend is visiting from Cleveland, a former Judge and we are just out having a good time.
While we are in one of my fav bars a fellow tells us to come visit him in the same shopping center a couple doors down.
There's a Publix in this shopping center so it's a very above board type area.
-It's the same strip where Robert Kraft was arrested or that spa used to be, maybe it's not as above board as I think it is.

-This would be a good time to share all marijuana in Florida typically comes from a dispensary, Trulieve has had the market on this for years now.
You also typically need to see a doctor and pay $100-$150 for a prescription that has to be renewed every 3-6 months, there is a reason i let my card lapse and went back to the old ways of doing business. It's pricey the way Florida wants you to purchase it.

The glass for this guy's shop was frosted and you couldn't really see in, we walk in and it's cases like a jewelry store just filled with flowers, gummy candies and very expensive glass pipes that were beautiful but $500-$1,000 they were more like art. After a long speech about why we didn't need all these things we typically needed or were required at a dispensary he just sold us a couple 3.5 gram little plastic containers with flowers, the real deal, I tried them last night. And we also grabbed some 10 mg gummy but he also had 30 mg ones, I left those alone.

-No doctor's note, no state issued ID card for cannabis, basically nothing and I didn't find his prices to be all that outrageous, whole thing was about $100 for 7grams and 10 gummy candies.
I still think I was tripping and something has to be off but I plan on making a 2nd visit by myself over the weekend and go in for a closer inspection and ask a few more questions...who am I kidding I just want to fill out an application and see if he wants to expand to more locations. If it's all legal of course...

 

[Ilov80s]

As a MI resident who has legal weed. I believe in this in the sense that it is the will of the people and it's liberty. Just be warned, it brings with it a lot of excess weed in all forms and you will see more kids vaping and eating high potency edibles. It's just very available and very strong right now, lots of kids are pretty deep in. And I am no prude, I was drinking before school in 8th grade and partying hard every weekend by freshman year of HS.

 

[Desert_Power]

Since hemp-derived products that are just as strong/stronger are available federally, not really sure what the big deal is anymore

 

[Chicago Hooligan]

As a MI resident who has legal weed. I believe in this in the sense that it is the will of the people and it's liberty. Just be warned, it brings with it a lot of excess weed in all forms and you will see more kids vaping and eating high potency edibles. It's just very available and very strong right now, lots of kids are pretty deep in. And I am no prude, I was drinking before school in 8th grade and partying hard every weekend by freshman year of HS.

A number of states commit some % of the take to education programs but who knows what result that actually has. Whether it's a result of w33d money or not, I hope substance education in schools today is way more grounded in reality than it used to be. DARE might as well have been Reefer Madness.

 

[urbanhack]

Since hemp-derived products that are just as strong/stronger are available federally, not really sure what the big deal is anymore

Because they aren’t regulated and aren’t tested like regulated cannabis. I like to know where my weed is coming from.

 

[Ilov80s]

As a MI resident who has legal weed. I believe in this in the sense that it is the will of the people and it's liberty. Just be warned, it brings with it a lot of excess weed in all forms and you will see more kids vaping and eating high potency edibles. It's just very available and very strong right now, lots of kids are pretty deep in. And I am no prude, I was drinking before school in 8th grade and partying hard every weekend by freshman year of HS.

A number of states commit some % of the take to education programs but who knows what result that actually has. Whether it's a result of w33d money or not, I hope substance education in schools today is way more grounded in reality than it used to be. DARE might as well have been Reefer Madness.

I am not sure any "drug education program" can counter easy access to a vape pen

 

[FreeBaGeL]

Ohio just passed legislation but now R legislators want to roll back some of the rules and regs that were included.

This is kind of what happened in Utah with medical.

State legislature was pressured to pass a medical marijuana bill that they could write themselves and make fairly restrictive. But they refused, as they just wanted it straight up illegal, so someone wrote up an amendment that was less restrictive that they were able to get on the ballot. The amendment passed, and then the state legislature was like "oh wait let's do that super restrictive version we can pass ourselves real quick before that goes into effect" and canceled out the amendment everyone had voted on.

Just another day here in the free state of Utah.

 

[Terminalxylem]

The cynic in me also suspects that the winners of the current medical system are just happy with the way things are and they are in the pockets of the politicians. They love the current status quo.

Who are these winners you speak of?

 

[bigbottom]

The cynic in me also suspects that the winners of the current medical system are just happy with the way things are and they are in the pockets of the politicians. They love the current status quo.

Who are these winners you speak of?

I figured he was talking about big pharma though I think it’s the other way around as to who is in whose pocket.

 

[massraider]

Who are these winners you speak of?

Groups backed by private equity, who usually operate in multiple states (MSOs in the cannabis world). They raised hundreds of millions, and there was a race on to see who could be the "Amazon of weed". They bought up a bunch of stuff, and are running their weed business the same way any other company with huge losses and crappy stock price would run their business.

In most states you have MSO cannabis owners, and small business owners. Most of the MSOs have gone public already, and have lobbying arms to push their agenda at a state-wide level. So in Florida, for example, Trulieve dominates the medical market. Maybe a bunch of small licenses handed out to local residents would be good for Florida consumers. Maybe Trulieve doesn't see it that way. Maybe Trulieve has the capital to lobby for this at the state level.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Since hemp-derived products that are just as strong/stronger are available federally, not really sure what the big deal is anymore

Because they aren’t regulated and aren’t tested like regulated cannabis. I like to know where my weed is coming from.

Since when did you ever know where your weed was coming from?

 

[Chicago Hooligan]

As a MI resident who has legal weed. I believe in this in the sense that it is the will of the people and it's liberty. Just be warned, it brings with it a lot of excess weed in all forms and you will see more kids vaping and eating high potency edibles. It's just very available and very strong right now, lots of kids are pretty deep in. And I am no prude, I was drinking before school in 8th grade and partying hard every weekend by freshman year of HS.

A number of states commit some % of the take to education programs but who knows what result that actually has. Whether it's a result of w33d money or not, I hope substance education in schools today is way more grounded in reality than it used to be. DARE might as well have been Reefer Madness.

I am not sure any "drug education program" can counter easy access to a vape pen

That's why you need to teach people what it is, what it isn't, and what it actually does. Tying substance education to the government policy on those substances doesn't make sense. Nor does a program of sensationalized information, narcing and total abstinence, i.e. DARE. But suggesting that in a school setting would cause a moral panic.

 

[jwb]

I still think I was tripping and something has to be off but I plan on making a 2nd visit by myself over the weekend and go in for a closer inspection and ask a few more questions...who am I kidding I just want to fill out an application and see if he wants to expand to more locations. If it's all legal of course...

Research THCa. That's likely what happened.

Besides the Delta 8 stuff (which i don't like), the farm bill has another loophole. Apparently all THC starts as THCa. It becomes THC when a) lots of time passes, or b) you heat it (like smoke or cook it).

What it boils down to is all weed, especially fairly fresh weed, will actually pass the "less than .03% THC" threshhold. There are plenty of places in illegal states selling high quality "THCa" bud that is the real deal.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

My state is still completely illegal and is surrounded by completely legal states on all sides. From a purely selfish perspective I couldn’t care less about legalization. I’m an old white professional guy, have smoked pot on and off my entire adult life and can easily buy and use pot with no legal risk to me whatsoever. My local sources are much cheaper and the quality is better for me because it’s usually milder, which I prefer. I made the drive to the closest dispensary several times when it was a new thing but the prices are ridiculous and the novelty of edibles and vape products has worn off. Just give me my regular bud and a dugout and I’m good. If I want an edible I’ll make my own using GM’s cookie recipe. The only risk I have with pot is that one of my kids will catch me or find my stash.

 

[Phil Elliott]

My state is still completely illegal and is surrounded by completely legal states on all sides. From a purely selfish perspective I couldn’t care less about legalization. I’m an old white professional guy, have smoked pot on and off my entire adult life and can easily buy and use pot with no legal risk to me whatsoever. My local sources are much cheaper and the quality is better for me because it’s usually milder, which I prefer. I made the drive to the closest dispensary several times when it was a new thing but the prices are ridiculous and the novelty of edibles and vape products has worn off. Just give me my regular bud and a dugout and I’m good. If I want an edible I’ll make my own using GM’s cookie recipe. The only risk I have with pot is that one of my kids will catch me or find my stash.

Why are you hiding your use from the kids?

 

[Boston]

As a MI resident who has legal weed. I believe in this in the sense that it is the will of the people and it's liberty. Just be warned, it brings with it a lot of excess weed in all forms and you will see more kids vaping and eating high potency edibles. It's just very available and very strong right now, lots of kids are pretty deep in. And I am no prude, I was drinking before school in 8th grade and partying hard every weekend by freshman year of HS.

Yup...could care less if it is legal but it would be nice not to have every city in the state not smell like a weed bonfire 24/7...the question I do have is between the lottery and the weed where is all the $ going...I always hear it goes back to the towns but at no point have I ever seen anything of substance that has been built or enhanced due to this $.

 

[massraider]

My state is still completely illegal and is surrounded by completely legal states on all sides. From a purely selfish perspective I couldn’t care less about legalization

Me, neither, nor federal. This piecemeal way it's happening is keeping institutional investors on the sideline. Small businesses actually have a chance to get going. Yes, some private equity has made it harder with the MSO players, but they're dumb for the most part, and have massive debt they are servicing. Cannabis is 100% the best opportunity for small business owners since the internet boom. . If it was federally legal tomorrow, Monsanto, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs etc would squeeze everyone out. I hope it stays federally illegal for decades

novelty of edibles and vape products has worn off. Just give me my regular bud and a dugout and I’m good. If I want an edible I’ll make my own using GM’s cookie recipe. The only risk I have with pot is that one of my kids will catch me or find my stash

Vape is convenience. You can vape places you cannot smoke. You have a pen for when you cannot burn.

Disclaimer: vape carts are my business, I may be slightly biased

 

[CletiusMaximus]

My state is still completely illegal and is surrounded by completely legal states on all sides. From a purely selfish perspective I couldn’t care less about legalization. I’m an old white professional guy, have smoked pot on and off my entire adult life and can easily buy and use pot with no legal risk to me whatsoever. My local sources are much cheaper and the quality is better for me because it’s usually milder, which I prefer. I made the drive to the closest dispensary several times when it was a new thing but the prices are ridiculous and the novelty of edibles and vape products has worn off. Just give me my regular bud and a dugout and I’m good. If I want an edible I’ll make my own using GM’s cookie recipe. The only risk I have with pot is that one of my kids will catch me or find my stash.

Why are you hiding your use from the kids?

There's a stigma attached to pot use in our community and I'm not prepared to have that discussion with them yet. Among my friends and family, I've never known any adult who openly uses pot in front of their kids until the kids are at least college-age.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

Disclaimer: vape carts are my business, I may be slightly biased

Are you aware of any known health issues associated with vape carts (as contrasted with smoking) or any reliable studies? I'm asking because I don't know the answer but am interested. I admit the convenience is appealing and its the one thing that might get me to make the one-hour drive. I have a portable dry vape that heats flower, have used the liquid/oil products but don't know enough about them to go all-in.

 

[massraider]

Disclaimer: vape carts are my business, I may be slightly biased

Are you aware of any known health issues associated with vape carts (as contrasted with smoking) or any reliable studies? I'm asking because I don't know the answer but am interested. I admit the convenience is appealing and its the one thing that might get me to make the one-hour drive. I have a portable dry vape that heats flower, have used the liquid/oil products but don't know enough about them to go all-in.

The only issues I am aware of is the concern a few years ago, with some off brand companies cutting corners, and using cheaper, dangerous chemicals.

A home smoker, who occasionally takes a legit cart on the go, no problems there.

I actually think the flower dry vape that you use now might be the best way. Like, if you graded each way to consume on a list of factors: cost, waste, health, discretion, convenience, flavor, buzz, etc., I think flower vape might be the best overall.

We waste a lot of flower when we smoke, it's the least efficient method. And the tech gets better and better with cannabis stuff every year (month, it seems).

I'm shopping around for a great flower vape now, this is the tab I have open right now

https://www.planetofthevapes.com/products/arizer-solo-2-vaporizer

 

[massraider]

As a testament to the convenience of vaping, my flight today has been delayed just now, and I am off to the bathroom.

 

[Raging weasel]

As a testament to the convenience of vaping, my flight today has been delayed just now, and I am off to the bathroom.

How do you get your vape thing through the metal detectors?

 

[massraider]

As a testament to the convenience of vaping, my flight today has been delayed just now, and I am off to the bathroom.

How do you get your vape thing through the metal detectors?

In my carry-on, next to all my other stuff that gets scanned.

They aren't looking for my vape, they're looking for weapons. I have friends who travel with flower all the time. That scares me more, but that's probably silly of me

 

[Todem]

I am ok with the way it is set up right now. Get a medical card.....go to dispensaries.

I don’t want to see people walking around in public getting high in front of children. And kids having to smell it all over the place.

We are fine down here. Florida is doing it right. Crazy because we do a lot of things wrong.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

I am ok with the way it is set up right now. Get a medical card.....go to dispensaries.

I don’t want to see people walking around in public getting high in front of children. And kids having to smell it all over the place.

We are fine down here. Florida is doing it right. Crazy because we do a lot of things wrong.

I'm in a legal state and public smoking like public drinking is not allowed except for certain licensed exceptions where the area is segregated from minors. Similar to drinking at at an outdoor cafe.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

I am ok with the way it is set up right now. Get a medical card.....go to dispensaries.

I don’t want to see people walking around in public getting high in front of children. And kids having to smell it all over the place.

We are fine down here. Florida is doing it right. Crazy because we do a lot of things wrong.

I'm in a legal state and public smoking like public drinking is not allowed except for certain licensed exceptions where the area is segregated from minors. Similar to drinking at at an outdoor cafe.

Yeah I don't know what the laws are in California but my brother lives in the bay area which I would assume is near the top of weed smokers per capita in the world. We spend a lot of time there visiting him and I can't say I recall ever seeing anyone smoking weed in public. I don't know if it's a legal thing or if people just prefer to do it in their home.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

I am ok with the way it is set up right now. Get a medical card.....go to dispensaries.

I don’t want to see people walking around in public getting high in front of children. And kids having to smell it all over the place.

We are fine down here. Florida is doing it right. Crazy because we do a lot of things wrong.

I'm in a legal state and public smoking like public drinking is not allowed except for certain licensed exceptions where the area is segregated from minors. Similar to drinking at at an outdoor cafe.

Yeah I don't know what the laws are in California but my brother lives in the bay area which I would assume is near the top of weed smokers per capita in the world. We spend a lot of time there visiting him and I can't say I recall ever seeing anyone smoking weed in public. I don't know if it's a legal thing or if people just prefer to do it in their home.

Even in the Netherlands where weed has been legal as long as I can remember, you don’t see people openly smoking pot in most public places outside of the hash bars, cafes and touristy clubs. You would never fire up a joint in a locals‘ bar or restaurant in Amsterdam even where smoking cigs and drinking alcohol are completely normal.