Pubdate: Tue, 14 Jan 2014
Source: Boston Herald (MA)
Copyright: 2014 The Boston Herald, Inc
Contact:  http://news.bostonherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/53
Note: Prints only very short LTEs.
Author: Margery Eagan

LIKE IT OR NOT, RECREATIONAL POT WILL BLOW INTO BAY STATE

I'm thrilled that Charlie Baker, Juliette Kayyem, Don Berwick and 
yes, Steve Grossman, were once little stoners.  Clearly the evil weed 
hasn't shut down their big brains, diminished their ambition or 
quashed their quest for big bucks.

How fun to imagine a long-haired Stevie Grossman toking up in his 
tie-dye shirt, ear pressed against an old, huge stereo speaker 
blasting "Purple Haze." I can almost hear Little Stevie belting out, 
"'scuse me while I kiss the sky!!!"

I'd say Grossman's hazy days have earned him some votes.

But what's wrong with Martha Coakley and Joe Avellone? The Age of 
Aquarius came knocking.  Jupiter was aligned with Mars, and they 
just, what? Picked up the books? Hit the library? Lectured classmates 
about "Reefer Madness?" Was there never an ounce of curiosity in 
their law-and-order bones?

Neither gubernatorial hopeful has any standing to debate marijuana 
legalization here, which is coming, by the way.  They don't know what 
they're talking about.

I do, however, since half the kids I grew up with - including me - 
got high.  And it was fantastic.  Most of us stopped.  A few, ahem, did not.

But with my perfect attendance at Durfee High School reunions, I'm 
here to report that marijuana use was not what separated the success 
stories from the disasters.  When I think of what's most destructive 
about marijuana actually, I think of the small-time users who lost 
scholarships or got fired because of drug hysteria.  I think of kids 
who got arrested, sucked into the criminal justice system and never 
quite rebounded.

I do not think of somebody giggling hysterically and shoving down a 
dozen Dunkin' Donuts.  An American tragedy that is not.

And while we're talking kids, enough with the "what about the 
children?" arguments against legalizing weed.  Go ask some teenagers 
how easy it is to score pot - in school, at 9 o'clock in the morning 
outside the language lab.  They'll tell you it's easier to get than 
liquor, which nobody's selling in school.

You have to make a real effort to buy booze if you're a kid.  You 
need a fake ID.  A big brother or sister you can convince to buy it 
for you.  Or you can steal it from your parents and hope they don't notice.

Here's the deal.  The war on marijuana is over.  Unlike gay marriage, 
which started here and headed west, legalized pot started out west 
and is heading here.

And when it arrives, Charlie, Juliette, Don and Little Stevie can 
have Joe and Martha over for a great big bong, mac n' cheese, 
pancakes and huge fat vats of Cherry Garcia.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom