Let’s go back when “burning CDs” meant creating a fire music mix and iPods were getting stolen left and right in school. My friends and I were smoking weed that had no sticks and seeds with loud stereo systems in our cars. If you ever got in trouble with authority, your friends would be the first to know, followed by parents. There were little to no texting and driving policies in place because texting wasn’t a great way to communicate in early 2000’s, but the head-unit on the dash grabbed our attention like a new message popping up on smartphones.
I love coupes, and after working my family business for about five years, my dad brought me a VTech Honda Prelude. I saved up money to put an obnoxiously loud sound system in the car, along with tinted windows.
The sound system rattled the mirrors and seats vibrating to the beat and the bass of the music. Nearly every day, I drove around acting as an Uber driver for my weed, before Waze, Google maps, or any other mobile applications to help navigate. Now that marijuana is becoming legal across the United States driving while high is a frequent topic of conversation. And if you aren’t stoned while driving but you have weed on you, one might ask, how much weed can I have without law enforcement messing with me? It depends on the state and if you are part of a medical marijuana program.
In Massachusetts, a state where decriminalized marijuana took place in 2008, medical passed the ballot in 2012 and a recreational market is soon to be implemented in 2018, policy-makers are considering a delivery license. As the laws change, some common themes remain the same.
Without a license, do not get caught with a significant amount of weed, individually packed in smaller units. In other words, being found by the authority with independently wrapped marijuana, such as grams, quarters, halves, and ounces can yield an attempt to distribute charge. Be smart and learn how to eyeball and don’t give police a reason to search your car. Unlike an alcohol breathalyzer test, there is no way to tell “how high” you are, so play it cool!
You might be thinking that weed is harmless and police don’t make a big splash about pot anymore. There are so many other harder drugs that the legal system should pay attention to, which I agree. But with marijuana legalization, comes a new market, business interest, and business profits. I made it out of my teenage years, and 20’s traveling across multiple states without catching a marijuana offense, and I’m proud of it.
When you’re taking risks and statistically targeted by authority, not finding a drug offense is an accomplishment and a passageway to share best practices. My point of view is also one of an MBA graduate with small business and corporate experience; the legal marijuana industry needs firms that operate with transparency and authenticity. Making money is significant, but it’s more important to progress as a society.
In my experience, one of the most progressive ideas relating to marijuana is not regulated by the state or lobbied at the local level. The idea is out of reach for local and state police and is part of the reason why a marijuana offense has never occurred to me. I have to thank my parents, my friend’s and their parents for being homeowners.
Thank you for the warm walls, the garage, and each driveway. Many memorable nights were spent in a car, in a driveway or parked near our parent’s house, enjoying the company of marijuana and the illuminating light of the sound system. Our driveway’s minimized the number of rides we needed to take.
One of my best friends, his mom would even let us smoke in her living room. Her thought process, she’d rather us hang out with her while stoned than hang out with police officers. Passing around a blunt or joint while driving around is fun but stupid, especially if you have more weed on you. There is nothing like playing the passenger as you and your friends maneuver through the world or playing the backseat, parked on a dead-end street.
Innovation is a common term thrown around the business world today. I’ve been influenced by many artists, creators, and business people, outside of the marijuana industry.
Law enforcement and policy-makers try to come up with innovative ways to detect if a driver is under the influence of pot. Methods of identifying if a driver is “under the influence” is a task that should be left alone. Driving while drunk is a far greater task to regulate and enforce.
In the Regan Era, he equipped the U.S. and MEX. Boarder with new methods to detect illegal drugs which failed, wasting time and money. For detecting how much weed one person has consumed, it is the same thought process which will also lead to wasted time and money.
Having a significant amount of pot is illegal and carrying individually bagged quantities, without a license is illegal. But pulling someone over for driving too cautiously sounds like the life of a weed smoker. A cop might have “probable cause” if you were driving around smoking a joint or blunt with the aroma lingering.
So don’t give law enforcement probable cause and play it smart. If drunk drivers are notorious for speeding and swerving, then a driver who has consumed a responsible amount of marijuana within a simple time is on the road, driving slow tighter in their lane than a train on a track.
