Pubdate: Wed, 02 Sep 2015
Source: Seattle Weekly (WA)
Column: Higher Ground
Copyright: 2015 Village Voice Media
Contact: 
http://www.seattleweekly.com/feedback/EmailAnEmployee?department=letters
Website: http://www.seattleweekly.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/410
Author: Michael A. Stusser

THE CANNAQUIZ

Will you be Queen Sativa-or a few grams short?

Marijuana has been legal in Washington for more than two years now, 
but, surprisingly, people know very little about the law. Take the 
Higher Ground CannaQuiz and see how you rate!

TRUE OR FALSE?

1. Each adult can grow up to four plants in their backyard.

2. I can walk around with an ounce of weed in my pocket and not get busted.

3. Because marijuana is legal in both Washington and Oregon, I can 
take Washington weed to a Portland pot party.

4. My employer can no longer fire me for testing positive for marijuana.

5. Drinking and driving is worse than smoking and driving.

6. On average, 16,000 people die every year from marijuana.

7. If I get pulled over, the cops can't search my vehicle, even if it 
reeks of ganja.

8. Smoking and eating weed give you the same high.

9. Since legalization, more kids are using pot.

10. I can fire up in public, right?

ANSWERS

1. False. Unless you have a medical-marijuana card, it is illegal for 
you to grow marijuana. While all the other legal states (OR, CO, AK) 
allow home grows, Washington does not. #lame

2. True. So long as you're 21 or older, you can indeed!

3. False. It is illegal to drive or fly (or walk) across any state 
lines with cannabis. You can, however, blow smoke across the Columbia 
if ya wish . . .

4. False. Not only can employers drug test you in legal states, but 
they can fire your ass for failing one. National companies especially 
are enforcing this principle, as many are legally required to comply 
with federal laws.

5. True. A comprehensive National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration study shows that driving after smoking marijuana does 
not make you more likely to get into a car crash. Nonetheless, there 
is a limit of 5 nanograms of THC in the bloodstream for drivers and a 
zero tolerance limit for anyone under 21. (As THC stays in a person's 
system for several days, it may show up from use occurring long 
before a test, even though the effects have long since dissipated.) 
We suggest you do not drive after either smoking or drinking. Tests 
also show that booze and pot simultaneously hamper skills far more 
than either one alone.

6. False. That's the number of prescription-painkiller overdoses per 
year (16,600). Tobacco kills 480,000 a year, and alcohol-attributable 
deaths number 86,000 per year. Cannabis has not killed anyone. Ever.

7. True. In fact, not only is the smell of pot not a reason to search 
a vehicle, but the Supreme Court just ruled you can't be delayed even 
one second for a drug-sniffing dog to show up.

8. False . . . big-time! There's a delayed effect when you've eaten 
edibles (see Maureen Dowd) that can take 30 minutes or longer. Eating 
weed can also last much longer than smoking, sometimes peaking two or 
three hours after ingesting the product. The main thing folks should 
be aware of is that with a delayed onset, it may seem like you aren't 
going to get high, and so you may be tempted to take another cookie 
or brownie. Go slow. Once you've figured out your dose, you can 
repeat as necessary on future trips.

9. False. The latest study from the National Institute on Drug Abuse 
showed a slight drop in pot use of adolescents and teenagers. One 
statistic did remain the same: Over 80 percent of high-school seniors 
said it was easy to get their hands on marijuana. The challenge 
continues to be educating them on the legal and physical risks 
involved in using it.

10. False. Similar to alcohol open-container laws, weed can't be 
smoked in public places, including restaurant patios, parking lots, 
or concerts. (Total buzz-kill.) The good news is that if you do get 
caught with a doobie in Washington, ya won't be hauled to jail, but 
given a $27 ticket.

How'd you do?!

1-4 correct You're a burger short of a combo meal, a few grams short 
of a pound, and not the sharpest tool in the shed. Just be careful 
smoking herb and walking at the same time.

5 correct You're Half-Baked, and need to brush up on the law before 
leaving the house. Or, better yet, remain couch-locked!

6-9 correct You're a Budding Star, and only a few hits short of the 
cycle. Treat yourself to a brownie and a Seth Rogen movie!

10 correct You're in elite company, and high on knowledge! Bong hits 
galore! We pronounce you Canna King or Queen Sativa!

We'll be answering cannabis questions in future columns. If you have 
CannaQs of your own, please e-mail them to  ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom