I hate the smell of cannabis in the morning … afternoon, evening | Opinion

By James Terminiello

What do Times Square at 5:30 p.m. on a weekday, Main Street in Beacon, New York at midday, and the Mount Laurel Exit on I-295 at 8:00 p.m. on a Saturday have in common? In each location, I found it necessary to wade through a pungent haze of marijuana smoke to get where I needed to go.

In the case of Times Square, the haze penetrated an area reserved for actors in costumes of film and cartoon characters intended to attract tourists and their children. Bravo, Mayor de Blasio!

In Beacon, south of Poughkeepsie, I passed shop after shop promoting sustainability, all green and a healthy lifestyle – which I thought was fabulously ironic given the stinging in my lungs. On 295, the hasty haze poured from a car directly in front of me with an improbable license plate that said it was born in Hawaii. Maybe the driver was floating here. He definitely had the fuel.

It is clear that the liberalization of cannabis laws has resulted in a somewhat laissez-faire attitude among the public. It’s also clear that the predicted return to the Roaring 20s appears to be in a foggy, deranged fashion. In 1918, the nation suffered a far worse pandemic than the current one, but was reasonably happy with the outcome of World War I and faced a Quixot economic boom. Skirts got shorter, supplies increased and the liquor kept under the counter until you passed the old sign mentioning your relationship with “Joe”.

Well, here we are again. The pandemic appears to be on the decline. The economy is opening up again and stocks are looking fit and perky. Real estate prices are rising forever. Calls for help are everywhere. And in Washington, the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue mans a money cannon that he fires at every problem we face, and even some of his own creations. In short, the roar is on!

And while we plunge into a summer catching up where many seem to believe they have to somehow make up for the lost fun of a COVID-19 infused 2020, it seems we all have to face the haze to come. If my early experiences in three very different places are any clue, then the rules have been distorted, law enforcement is backing out, and “weeds” is the word.

The problem is, I can’t stand the smell.

Remember that in just a few decades, cigarette smoking has gone from being cool and sexy to practically hideous. It seems to be banned everywhere except in small sections of casinos and the smaller brothels (so I was told). There is an almost Victorian disdain for anyone indulging in tobacco products. In all honesty, I agree, having seen the hideous and carcinogenic effects of smoking, and I would be delighted if the practice vanished into a touch of nonexistence. Of course it won’t. It’s too addicting.

But at the same time, you can follow the downward trajectory of cigarette smoking and see it intersect with the steeply upward trajectory of marijuana smoking. We are currently on the honeymoon of the cannabis age. It seems that weed can’t go wrong. Proponents believe it has medical benefits in myriad ways – from helping with glaucoma to reducing the effects of dementia. Many believe that it is neither addictive nor a gateway drug. (Ahem!) Oh, and commercial sales are expected to add $ 92 billion to the U.S. economy in 2021. That is not to be despised. In contrast to the clouds of smoke that I regularly traverse.

There is friction. It is clear that too many people want full legalization to be undone. (And it’s about the high, so please don’t hide behind the haze of medicinal uses). It is also clear that there is real money to be made and we are a capitalist society. For me, and I think for many, marijuana is becoming a quality of life issue. I don’t care what kind of noxious fumes you put in your lungs, I just don’t want to involuntarily share them.

States, cities and municipalities should be better prepared. Marijuana haze hits your main streets, parks, malls, and shopping areas. It could mean paradise for some. But to me and more people than you might expect, we don’t like the smell.

James Terminiello, author of Caligula’s Kitchen comic book series about ancient Rome, writes from Mount Laurel.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe to NJ.com today.

Send a letter to the editor of the South Jersey Times at sjletters@njadvancemedia.com

Bookmark to NJ.com/meaning. Follow @NJ_Opinion on Twitter and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.

Would you like to learn more about the cannabis industry? Subscribe to NJ Cannabis Insider.