I was thinking.., Drinking in public v. smoking weed in Mass. Options

[mhaverty]

I went to one of my friends park league games Monday night. I brought my dog and a 6 pack. The RI thread made me realize I could get arrested for drinking in public but the dude next to me who fired up a joint would only get a ticket. Chances are I wouldn't unless a real dickhead busted me but I think that is pretty funny that it could play out that way. If I was the dood firing up the joint I would be pissed about the fine but get a good chuckle at the guy getting stuffed in the crusier while I was freshly baked.

[Mike Qube]

Is the pot law here just for possession or is it different if you are actually consuming it? Everything that I've seen has said possession, but I haven't heard anything about what happens if you are actually smoking it.

[mfk]

Is the pot law here just for possession or is it different if you are actually consuming it? Everything that I've seen has said possession, but I haven't heard anything about what happens if you are actually smoking it.

tickets. My gf took me on a trip down memory lane a few weeks ago with a couple of phish tickets for my birthday (yeah yeah, i know...). In Fenway, they were handing out citations like club fliers. At Great Woods, the couple in the car parked behind us in the lot were packing bowls in their car when bike cops surrounded them, knocked on their windows and then searched their car. They just took their weed and gave them a ticket and a friendly "have a nice day". A couple years ago, they would've both found themselves handcuffed to a golf cart looking at a court date.

[sixpinelbow]

my town approved a bylaw similar to public consumption of alcohol at town meeting where it became an arrestable offense to be caught consuming weed in public in addition to the ticket for possession.

[TEX]

I said this recently to a big public weed smoker.

Just like drinking in public, smoking weed in public is pretty much the same stipulations.

I'm going to try and be as discreet as possible.

I have smoked and drank in public on occasion, and always try and not be too obvious about it.

[mfk]

my town approved a bylaw similar to public consumption of alcohol at town meeting where it became an arrestable offense to be caught consuming weed in public in addition to the ticket for possession.

wow, your town is run by douchebags, huh?

[sixpinelbow]

wow, your town is run by douchebags, huh?

why? i don't want people huffing joints in front of my kid at the park either. I love weed as much as the next guy, but voted for it in a heartbeat.

[DanPM]

why? i don't want people huffing joints in front of my kid at the park either. I love weed as much as the next guy, but voted for it in a heartbeat.

wait till Mike C comes in this thread

[sixpinelbow]

wait till Mike C comes in this thread

yeah no shit

listen, smoke all the weed you want at home - then go for a walk. Or at least do it in the woods where nobody is around like a normal person. This whole "I should be able to walk down the street smoking weed" thing is ridiculous. It's still illegal, folks.

[Shakyfoot]

I think the laws regarding public smoking will probably be treated like jay walking. If you use a little sense then you'll never have a problem. If you're firing up in front of kids or doing something equally stupid then someone should call the law on you.

But where it gets interesting is in the dui application of these new laws. Let's imagine the following: You'r driving down the street,get pulled over for, let's say making a right on red where it's not allowed. Then for whatever reason the cop figures he might like to search the car. Then lo and behold he finds a roach in the ash tray. Now does he administer a field sobriety test? And if so how does that work? Certainly asking you to walk a line is a waste of time. When I built houses we used to smoke two joints then get up and walk on top of 3 1/2 inch walls 80 feet in the air. A piss test? "Excuse me sir will you whip it out and fill this (let's say you're at the corner of Newbury and Exeter) Or better yet, "excuse me Ma'am will you fill this up..." I doubt cops will love the idea being forced to carry cups of urine around with them. Like that job is not hard enough already. Maybe they ask you to talk about your favorite band or movie and if you go on for more than 60 seconds. they know. you're smallllll.....

[Thunder Horse]

yeah no shit

listen, smoke all the weed you want at home - then go for a walk. Or at least do it in the woods where nobody is around like a normal person. This whole "I should be able to walk down the street smoking weed" thing is ridiculous. It's still illegal, folks.

i agree

don't be a hippie dickhead and smoke it in public

[Danny Vermin]

yeah no shit

listen, smoke all the weed you want at home - then go for a walk. Or at least do it in the woods where nobody is around like a normal person. This whole "I should be able to walk down the street smoking weed" thing is ridiculous. It's still illegal, folks.

This is about as clear cut as the Letterman joke thing. If you don't get this, you're a complete idiot.

[JodyThePig]

I don't give a shit about exposing your kids to weed by smoking it in front of them, but I conceal it nonetheless because I don't want 'em mooching off me.

[Maximum Tor]

I see a lot of kids out on the street that could stand being mellower.


But yeah smoking in front of a bunch of kids is a dick move and I don't do that with weed or cigarettes (although I really don't ever smoke those anymore unless its at night and i'm at a bar)

[JodyThePig]

Hey, since this is about drinking in public vs. smoking weed in public, do those disinclined to let their kids be exposed to weed also try to shield them from people who drink in public?

And if not, is your reason chiefly that:

Alcohol is so deeply embedded and visually present in our culture that trying to keep it hush-hush is a losing proposition?

Alcohol and weed are categorically different for reasons of 1). lawfulness or 2). actual effects?

I'm curious about how long it would take weed, even if fully decriminalized, to become similar (i.e., no better, no worse) in the public mind to booze.

[Maximum Tor]

I'm curious about how long it would take weed, even if fully decriminalized, to become similar (i.e., no better, no worse) in the public mind to booze.

When beloved comedians, Scandinavian bikini teams and bull terriers endorse certain brands of weed.

[JodyThePig]

When beloved comedians, Scandinavian bikini teams and bull terriers endorse certain brands of weed.

And then I'll have to start hating it in order to maintain ideological consistency.

That'll be an ugly day for our fair city's snack provisioners.

[mfk]

why? i don't want people huffing joints in front of my kid at the park either. I love weed as much as the next guy, but voted for it in a heartbeat.

well you're making the assumption that all public consumption of weed would be done in a park in front of kids.
I was referring to the douchebags who passed a bylaw against the express will of the people who wanted it decriminialized.

[TEX]

Weed and booze were treated the same in my household.

If anything booze was considered worse.

My parents didn't encourage me to smoke weed, but I do believe if they were given the option of me getting shitfaced or smoking a joint as a teenager, I think they'd consider the joint smoking a lesser offense.

[jf5]

I believe that a cop can arrest you for public intoxication if you are seen smoking weed in public. Or an OUI if driving, etc...

[DanPM]

Hey, since this is about drinking in public vs. smoking weed in public, do those disinclined to let their kids be exposed to weed also try to shield them from people who drink in public?

My daughter plays hopscotch with dude drinking Thunderbird on our front stoop.

[sixpinelbow]

I don't want my kid around a bunch of buzzed frat boys who sooner or later will be looking for a fight at the park either.

It's not a hush hush thing at all. I'd love it if it was ok to bone a hot chick on the seesaw all day, but I'm pretty glad that's illegal too because I can't gaurantee that will be a hot chick getting railed in public every time.

[TEX]

My daughter plays hopscotch with dude drinking Thunderbird on our front stoop.

You mean you, right?

[mfk]

Weed and booze were treated the same in my household.

If anything booze was considered worse.

My parents didn't encourage me to smoke weed, but I do believe if they were given the option of me getting shitfaced or smoking a joint as a teenager, I think they'd consider the joint smoking a lesser offense.

HA!
that reminds me of the summer after my senior year of high school where my mom found my 'stash drawer'. Came home from work to find my bowl, bag of weed, lighter, pack of cigarettes, visine, gum, etc all spread out on the kitchen table and my furious mom staring at me.

First words out of her mouth were "you're smoking.... CIGARETTES!?!?!"

[sixpinelbow]

well you're making the assumption that all public consumption of weed would be done in a park in front of kids.
I was referring to the douchebags who passed a bylaw against the express will of the people who wanted it decriminialized.

It's still decriminalized, muchambo. The decriminalization was written and passed with possession, not use, as the focus of the law. I'm fine with someone walking down the street with a bag of weed in their pocket. Hell, I've been that guy a million times. I'm not cool with that same person firing up a three foot bong on the corner, just as much as I am not cool with a bunch of drunks hanging out taking swigs from the same plastic handle of vodka.