I waited to go to an actual factual, legal weed store until, just like my first intentional trip to a head shop, friends were going that way and I tagged along for a ride. I have always felt that carpooling to such places can be an important social time. The store in question was The Fire Station a locally operated provisioning center in Negaunee, Michigan. Situated fifteen minutes west of Marquette, this place is much too far away for me to justify taking a leisurely drive up there (just over three hours away) to buy legal weed, but it is an indication of what may be coming to our state in the very near future. You see, my city and our state, just fifty miles south of the U.P. does not seem to see the massive tax revenue that can be raised using pot as a good thing. Some very powerful people still must believe the early film Reefer Madness, that claimed folks would become depraved when they smoke the heathen devil's weed, or that young, chaste, White womyn would develop uncontrollable and hedonistic desire to bed Black men if cannabis was freely available to them. some people have actually gone as far as to say that pot is addictive or deadly. All of these things are lies, but that does not mean that they are not reasons that are frequently used to justify making pot illegal or keeping it that way.
Our legislators and those who fund their campaigns, also seem to be immune from salient facts about legal weed, not just retreating into ancient propaganda, they also flee from demonstrated facts playing out in the here and now. Colorado, which has had legal weed for the longest has not only witnessed the lowest rate of self-reported pot use amongst High School Seniors since they began keeping records in 1970. Add to this, the lowest teen pregnancy rate in the U.S. and the lowest rates of opioid addiction and IV drug use and you can see some startling trends toward strengthening the social fabric. I didn't see any of these sorts of effects in the U.P. of Michigan, but perhaps it will take a bit of time.
The facility was a tiny building with a waiting room for about a dozen people and a small counter as well as displays of merchandising items and their non-weed sales displays. They allowed people to not have to wait in line by taking online orders to be picked up when you stop in. The reason there is a waiting room is that access to the room with weed in it is highly controlled. Individuals are only allowed in the room that has pot in it in small groups. It reminded my a bit of a clinic or dentist's office in that there was a definite reception vibe going on in the waiting room and it was very different than any sort of pot sales place I have ever been before in that there were no scales or packaging facilities of any kind. Everything seemed to be pre-packaged and prepared elsewhere for sale only in this location. My mind saw a bunch of gallon jars on a wall, like a large spice rack and packaging taking place before the very eyes of the customers, but that must seem too messy for regulators.
Everyone was exceedingly friendly and the entire facility seemed clean and tidy. There was plenty of parking and although we arrived at night, the area was bright enough to feel welcoming and well thought out. It was slightly unnerving being addressed by name, but it also felt uniquely kind and safe. It was hard to tell if this was by design or simply a side benefit of having such a highly regulated space. It definitely felt like an adult candy store and the variety of flavors and types of smoke were astonishing. My guess is that there were at least thirty different strains. We sampled four or five types and they were each distinctly different and all had interesting flavor profiles. Ultimately, they all had the effect of putting me in an enjoyable head space as well. Perhaps the next time I get up that way, I will bring some money and purchase a chunk of what they have on offer.
Our legislators and those who fund their campaigns, also seem to be immune from salient facts about legal weed, not just retreating into ancient propaganda, they also flee from demonstrated facts playing out in the here and now. Colorado, which has had legal weed for the longest has not only witnessed the lowest rate of self-reported pot use amongst High School Seniors since they began keeping records in 1970. Add to this, the lowest teen pregnancy rate in the U.S. and the lowest rates of opioid addiction and IV drug use and you can see some startling trends toward strengthening the social fabric. I didn't see any of these sorts of effects in the U.P. of Michigan, but perhaps it will take a bit of time.
The facility was a tiny building with a waiting room for about a dozen people and a small counter as well as displays of merchandising items and their non-weed sales displays. They allowed people to not have to wait in line by taking online orders to be picked up when you stop in. The reason there is a waiting room is that access to the room with weed in it is highly controlled. Individuals are only allowed in the room that has pot in it in small groups. It reminded my a bit of a clinic or dentist's office in that there was a definite reception vibe going on in the waiting room and it was very different than any sort of pot sales place I have ever been before in that there were no scales or packaging facilities of any kind. Everything seemed to be pre-packaged and prepared elsewhere for sale only in this location. My mind saw a bunch of gallon jars on a wall, like a large spice rack and packaging taking place before the very eyes of the customers, but that must seem too messy for regulators.
Everyone was exceedingly friendly and the entire facility seemed clean and tidy. There was plenty of parking and although we arrived at night, the area was bright enough to feel welcoming and well thought out. It was slightly unnerving being addressed by name, but it also felt uniquely kind and safe. It was hard to tell if this was by design or simply a side benefit of having such a highly regulated space. It definitely felt like an adult candy store and the variety of flavors and types of smoke were astonishing. My guess is that there were at least thirty different strains. We sampled four or five types and they were each distinctly different and all had interesting flavor profiles. Ultimately, they all had the effect of putting me in an enjoyable head space as well. Perhaps the next time I get up that way, I will bring some money and purchase a chunk of what they have on offer.
