By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor.
We are now seeing the fruition of the campaign to normalize in society state legal marijuana. We’ve discussed previously how those on probation in Washington State no longer will face prosecution for marijuana usage, and where marijuana shops and billboard advertisements are seen alongside energy drinks and beach ready bodies. Now Oregon, having recently legalized marijuana, hosts at its State Fair exhibitions and competitions featuring legal weed. Let the Fairijuana begin!
At the Oregon State Fair, you can rope a steer or rope-a-doper. Win ribbons in one of dozens of events judged by our fair’s experts, including: flower arrangements; glass making; bowl carving; chocolate cookies; brownies; and of course the other, traditional marijuana-free displays. A new rodeo event this year is guaranteed to excite: After two joints, see how long these young-buck cowboys can sit on a sawhorse without falling off.
Shameless attempts at humor aside, the fairijuana event is sponsored by the Oregon Cannabis Business Council. Chairman Don Morse stated that nine plants will be featured in a translucent greenhouse, restricted to those twenty-one years of age and older. This is the first fair exhibit reportedly in the United States to feature live marijuana plants.
The plants shown will be immature plants having not advanced sufficiently to produce flowering buds. This is unfortunately not unexpected given the bureaucratic morass of the state’s Liquor Control Commission’s rules prohibiting the transport of flowering plants. Thankfully, the state is not regulating rose bushes or other legal flowers. It’s not exactly a true state fair experience to see vases of stems and leaves. The commission expects however to finalize regulations and buds will be abound.
There will be judging among three cultivars of weed: sativa, indica, and hybrid categories and next year the fair expects to feature more events and booths.
Oregon’s state fair was not new to controversial shows and exhibits. Twenty years ago, the fair garnered considerable surprise to many when it featured a tattoo competition and exhibit.
Alas, the first true measure of the normalization of marijuana into Oregonian and Washingtonian societies will be when at state fairs, just as many people walk past the marijuana expositions as they presently do the flower, canned fruit, and brownie displays–rushing quickly as they must to catch the latest rodeo event, or the carnival rides. The only folks truly interested in such displays will be those old geezers and women who live on farms and like to win ribbons and trophies, except this time some will prefer tie-dyed shirts and dreadlocks.
By Darren Smith
The views expressed in this posting are the author’s alone and not those of the blog, the host, or other weekend bloggers. As an open forum, weekend bloggers post independently without pre-approval or review. Content and any displays or art are solely their decision and responsibility.
Well, one guy has the right idea on how to end drug dependency! President Duterte of the Philippines.
The reality is, that a nation that criminally prosecutes gangs on an individual basis, is doomed to failure. You can not realistically treat a group the same as you treat an individual. Look at the FBI’s war on the mob. They spend millions of dollars, convict a couple of dons, and yet the Mafia goes on and on. Been doing it that way for 60+ years. But you still have a Mafia.
My approach is to treat gangs like a quasi-invading army. Kill ’em. Put out “Wanted: Dead or Alive” posters. Kill enough, and the rest will surrender. Duterte is proving it.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
President Duterte is proud of the fact that he is not politically correct and it is clear that he has contempt for the core of the evil of political correctness which is the concept of human rights.
Human rights are not a good idea in theory but problematic in practice nor are they something to which we should aspire in some distant future. Human rights are EVIL, EVIL, EVIL!!!!!!
Lucifer and his most senior devils spent hundreds of demon work years inventing the concept of human rights and inflicting it on the world and how they roll about on the floor of Hell clutching their stomachs as they laugh so loudly that it is painful as some stupid humans mistake human rights for homo sapiens sapiens rights and foul thing up by trying to extend them to members of species homo sapiens sapiens who are not “human” in the sense of being entitled to human rights. Human rights are not homo sapiens sapiens rights and there is no nation in the world where 100% of the members of species homo sapiens sapiens resident within its borders can be afforded human rights, In some such as Brazil, Colombia or Honduras the proportion for whom human rights can be afforded may be as low as 5%, in other first world countries the proportion may be as high as 95% but nowhere is it ever 100%.
There are many reasons why a particular member of species homo sapiens sapiens may forfeit any entitlement to human rights such as:-
1/ Being in a war zone where a nation such as the US is rightfully making war and cannot afford the chore of conforming that all humans about to be splattered over the landscape by a drone launched missile are in fact terrorists;
2/ Those being wilfully and feloniously indigenous and in the way of development that will benefit multinational corporations and rich elites. Consider Berta Cáceres in Honduras who was righteously whacked by agents of the Honduran Oligarchy because of the inconvenience she was causing dam construction company DESA;
3/ All Palestinians who are an impediment to the Jews enjoying exclusive ownership of the land that God Almighty deeded to them in perpetuity in 2000 BC or there abouts;
4/ All people too poor to afford to defend themselves from the abusive process of the law.
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In Colorado, there is a bigger side effect happening in the state which few predicted and it threatens to bring Colorado to its knees…
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/legal-marijuana-drawing-homeless-to-colorado/
http://www.ibtimes.com/
I agree with the post about community colleges being a better choice for the first two years of college. It is a choice and not an echo. Community colleges are more adult than say places like Mizzou or Yale.
Karen
You have good points. Pot in the 60’s was sort of fun. I ran two marathons after ‘toking up’. I used to smoke a joint to muscle through all the dummy work of my profession. Bike riding, running, swimming, sex, and a lot of other stuff was great with pot. However, and it has been a long time, the latest stuff simply turns me into a zombie.
The hemp products and industry that could be benefiting society is one of the biggest and stupidest mistakes authority has made.
In the end it comes down to informed decisions and education. Unfortunately in this land of justice it seems to have been easier to simply destroy lives as a threat to others. America is truly going through an age of enlightenment. Because of the different states and the varying perspectives one can look at evolution while it is happening, from the past and all of its ignorance through to the future which hopefully will be based on common sense and education.
It was always my understanding that hemp was outlawed to be grown here, but not consumed, because at the time, it was illegal to grow marijuana. The plants looked so similar that it would be very difficult for law enforcement to look at 200 acres and figure out which plants were hemp and which could be pot. But it’s completely legal to import hemp products from Canada and elsewhere.
Since marijuana laws have loosened up, I wonder if it will affect hemp farmers, too.
SteveG – your advice on doomsday prepping is hilarious. 🙂
The other thing to consider about hemp is its utility as a printable substance, just like forested pine.
The text book printers have their deals cut with the likes of GA Pacific to perpetuate GA Pacific’s revenue stream exactly like Northrup Grumman/ Lockeheed Martin/ Raytheon/ BAE does with the US Military.
Rand Paul AND Mitch McConnell had to fight to get the federal government to allow the state of Kentucky the right to do research regarding industrial uses of hemp.*
http://www.kentucky.com/opinion/op-ed/article44470086.html
“…the state is not regulating rose bushes or other legal flowers.” What, how did this slip by the state regulators. If I order a yellow rose, what shade of yellow is acceptable? In our regulation happy society, it won’t be long.
Jerry – auctioneers can be confusing. My first time at an auction, I lost a lot because I didn’t realize someone had bid against me, and on the next lot, the auctioneer very kindly prevented me from bidding against myself. I just couldn’t understand what the heck he was saying!
SteveG – my grandmother had told my father that Prohibition gave the Mob a lot of its power. If people were going to buy alcohol anyway, then a black market, with the attending violence, was unavoidable.
I have to say that I would never want destructive, addictive drugs with no benefit legalized. Legalizing meth would not decrease its use, but rather increase it. But pot has medicinal value, and otherwise is just a strong sedative. Side effects in some people can be loss of ambition and over-eating, although I do not know if habitual use lessens the side effects. My concern with pot is the race to make it more potent. The last time I checked, it was 7 times stronger than it was in the 1960s. If they keep this up, it will have more scope for abuse and addiction, which would be sad. And I would not be surprised if it was discovered that smoking it was carcinogenic, as combustion often creates carcinogens in anything it burns. Even charred BBQ has PAHs. But it can have a lot of benefits.
My favorite plant is a cousin of marijuana – hemp. It does not get you high, but it is as close to a panacea plant as any can be. It is high in protein and may be eaten, made into hemp milk (great in my smoothies), rope, clothing, paper, and I think some plastics. And it typically does not “need” all the pesticide and herbicides as cotton.
I am curious, since it is distantly related to pot, will it cause a false positive test, or do those test for THC?
I voted for the proposition, here in SW OR, because it was better than the status quo before. But it was IMHO very poorly written. No authors’ name, for a start. Who decided to put the OR Liquor Control Commisssion in charge of this? Obvious conflict of interest, and their idiotic rules are a best-effort to strangle this new business. 25%-17% sales tax! In a state that has always opposed sales taxes as regressive. One thing it got right: homegrows, 4 plants per household. That’s enough for anybody if you do it right. This plant is the redwood of annual weeds.
Ron in OR writes, “25%-17% sales tax! In a state that has always opposed sales taxes as regressive.”
I’ll say it’s regressive, and it’ll push sales back into the criminal underground. The sales tax ceiling needs to be no more than that on alcohol. Otherwise, the policy implies that it’s somehow worse for the wicked people who smoke it rather than using alcohol like more decent people. It seems to be very foolish policy by those who weren’t quite on board with the proposition.
Of course, when it’s approved here in California in November, we’ll do the same d’mned thing.
Karen writes, “My favorite plant is a cousin of marijuana – hemp. It does not get you high, but it is as close to a panacea plant as any can be.”
I think that in a “survival situation,” all gear from 550 cord to clothing should be made of marijuana, not hemp, because it has the same tensile strength, yet it has that dual purpose. At the very least, we’ll be able to have some fun knowing we won’t be around much longer. The smoking lamp will be lit!
What a big deal fear of the unknown makes of an otherwise trivial topic! The violence and criminality of the underground market while cannabis is still illegal under federal law and in the overwhelming majority of states are the causes.
Oregon has reduced the attention cannabis receives to its proper perspective – something to be prized at the state fair like a blue ribbon rhubarb pie but not much else – as we all should.
I’m confused. Can you smoke a joint while bidding at a livestock auction?
These guys are talking to fast & I didn’t even light up yet.
I wonder if there is a prize for the biggest plant. I’d be proud of my little varmint if he or she won this.
@BLM Dog
Always smart to save money by going instate IMO – college costs a small fortune these days. Another way to save is do the first two years at a community college – cheaper and the class size is small – and then transfer.
However, “pot heads” are everywhere – legal or not.
@BLM
Hildebeest, one of the affectionate nick names for HRC – you know like $hillary, Killery, Hitlery….
Cannabis growers are true farmers. I live in a farming community in WI. They grow mostly corn and soybeans, but there are truck farmers as well that grow the full array of vegetables. These farmers love to talk about their crops. The weather is always a big topic. Spending winters in San Diego, I have gotten to know some serious cannabis growers. If you’re serious, you grow indoors so the weather is irrelevant. But, they speak w/ the same passion of the dairy farmers in WI. The yield is always important, no matter the crop.
Well, this will make all the dope fiends happy. Me, not so much.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Reblogged this on Matthews' Blog.
Yeah I hear they even have tie-dyed mustard for the corn dogs.
My kid was set to go to college in that state next January. This article changes my mind– probably not his mind. But it is my money which will go to improve his mind. I don’t want him around potheads. He is going to go to a local 4 year state university and live at home with me and wifeypoo. It will cost a lot less than Oregon. If he starts smoking tobacco or cigarettes then he is out on his own with no more subsidy. He can take care of the other dogs.
Good for you!
Love Oregon. and I’m a devotee of “Portlandia” Good for them! Let’s hope they stay strong to their independent spirit and do not vote for the Hildebeest in the general election.
“Hildebeest”
Now I am confused. Any chance you could check you political beastiery and give us the definition? Even A short description would help.
Do the participants have to be 21?
Well that certainly gives a different perspective to the term “4-H club champion”