Public Address | Cafe | Cracker: The Colorado Experiment

Ian Dalziel

Sun, 04 May 2014 12:24:45 +1200

If the DEA plane could have stayed on the tail, the Cocaine Cowboy plane could have been followed and there airstrip pinpointed and raided before the evidence could be removed

Depends on whether it was Barry Seal landing at Mena Airfield in Arkansas or not...

BenWilson

Sat, 03 May 2014 16:10:01 +1200

I dunno, maybe the faster plane would burn its fuel faster, and therefore need to get to that longer runway sooner?

That's the only thing I could think of. You'd want to have a pretty good idea of how big the fuel tanks on the other plane are.

Chris Waugh

Sat, 03 May 2014 14:52:04 +1200

It’s kind of hard to see that as an advantage, since the faster plane can just circle around. The slower one could land on a shorter runway, though, for whatever that’s worth.

I dunno, maybe the faster plane would burn its fuel faster, and therefore need to get to that…

BenWilson

Sat, 03 May 2014 12:59:09 +1200

said he once out slowed the DEA. His plane could stay in the air at a lower air speed than there’s.

It's kind of hard to see that as an advantage, since the faster plane can just circle around. The slower one could land on a shorter runway, though, for…

Kumara Republic

Sat, 03 May 2014 10:16:40 +1200

That’s a good observation Sue. And that’s the sort of oddness that makes the United States colorful.

Yep. Who said that all the weird stuff only happens in Florida or New Jersey? ;)

Sofie Bribiesca

Fri, 02 May 2014 19:14:35 +1200

Nice to see Obama is looking to release inmates

Steve Barnes

Fri, 02 May 2014 17:03:33 +1200

The Gilman study was rubbish.
Well, at least Ryan M. Smith, Research Assistant Professor
The Ohio State University, thought so. I believe its called peer review.

And, From The Same Article
If you are considering smoking pot—or quitting—here is what you need to know. Smoking marijuana once…

BenWilson

Fri, 02 May 2014 14:52:56 +1200

Indeed. Considering the main thing people typically mention is damage to your brain, since the comeback around the carcinogenous effects is always that a better delivery method would help a lot. Eating or vaporizing, for instance.

I don't find "brain structure changes" to be very compelling evidence of harm. I'm…

Alfie

Fri, 02 May 2014 13:36:07 +1200

Hey Steve... you missed the one very important reference which sums up your argument succinctly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh7l8dx-h8M

Danielle

Fri, 02 May 2014 11:16:12 +1200

So that article, in sum, says: smoking it is bad for your lungs, there are no conclusive studies on regularly ingesting it, and casual use doesn't harm you much? Um... I'm not exactly sure this is a silver bullet, Steve.

Steve Curtis

Fri, 02 May 2014 11:07:23 +1200

Heres something you can consider that may be more relevant than the people who design and operate the roads in Colorado or others concerns about shopfront design.

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2014/05/marijuana_brain_studies_comparing_pot_with_alcohol_and_cigarettes_on_health.1.html

Damian Christie

Thu, 01 May 2014 11:41:33 +1200

So thats the law enforcement angle covered …right

I've got no interest in (and I'm contractually prohibited from) going into further details of who I did and didn't speak to Steve, and I'm well aware of the jurisdiction of CDOT and the State Patrol, as well as everyone else I…

Russell Brown

Thu, 01 May 2014 11:20:44 +1200

So this is how you get the bias in your finished work, talk to the wrong people !

Hey Steve, back off a bit. Whatever your views, you have no basis for accusing Damian of "bias" in his work.

Also, this:

But a new report contends that fourteen years later,…

Russell Brown

Thu, 01 May 2014 11:14:04 +1200

I think you misunderstand – the majority of my jobs have been in retail or cubicles. I know exactly how low-status and pointless they can be, which is why I categorise them as “bullshit”. I’m not insulting the people who hold them: I *am* those people, and I’m kinda awesome.…

Steve Curtis

Thu, 01 May 2014 11:12:55 +1200

. I spoke to a State Trooper, and to the Department of Transportation No rise in crime.

So thats the law enforcement angle covered ...right

Wrong, the Colorado State Patrol only covers protection of State assets and main highway traffic enforcement. The CDOT builds and operates the highways
Local enforcement…

Damian Christie

Thu, 01 May 2014 09:56:51 +1200

Your [sic] welcome. Maybe you could have said more of your itinerary in the main story than this -

Okay Sherlock. Perhaps you missed my oh-so-subtle clues, like...

“No trouble” seems to largely sum up Colorado’s cannabis experiment – a process being watched from within the US and around the…

Danielle

Wed, 30 Apr 2014 23:30:22 +1200

I think you misunderstand – the majority of my jobs have been in retail or cubicles. I know exactly how low-status and pointless they can be, which is why I categorise them as "bullshit". I'm not insulting the people who hold them: I *am* those people, and I'm kinda awesome.…

Ian Dalziel

Wed, 30 Apr 2014 22:12:36 +1200

I genuinely didn’t anticipate that kind of retail environment being allowed under the new law.
I know! I thought it’d be more Moloko Plus Vellocet down the Korova Milk Bar.... regular as Clockwork!

But it reminds me of the ‘surprise’ after Casinos were legalised – the story beforehand was that…

Ian Dalziel

Wed, 30 Apr 2014 22:01:06 +1200

Perhaps related, perhaps not, but I noted two stories today:
one about a man so intoxicated he fell off a bar stool in a pub and hit his head and died.
and
that a Nelson Highs shop was burgled the night Dunne revealed his volte-face:.

I haven't quite worked out…

Rich Lock

Wed, 30 Apr 2014 20:51:10 +1200

what i find amazing about Colorado is that nobody who grows or sells… can open a bank account, because it’s against federal law. So they all have these safes and run on a cash economy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXH6fhueO3I

Sofie Bribiesca

Wed, 30 Apr 2014 19:10:53 +1200

Your welcome. Maybe you could have said more of your itinerary in the main story than this -

O c'mon, Damian can write in what ever fashion he likes. Why you be so demanding?
His version of what is probably the biggest in society now is accurate. And he is…

Russell Brown

Wed, 30 Apr 2014 19:03:29 +1200

Then there is the pundits who just want more ‘wholesome shops’. It screams middle class.

I'm fighting the urge to respond in kind here.

If by "more wholesome", you mean "at least the level of duty of care expected of alcohol outlets", then yeah, I think that. Being legally forbidden…

Steve Curtis

Wed, 30 Apr 2014 18:50:39 +1200

Problems that didn't already exist under prohibition. But thanks for reducing all that to a snide quip.

Your welcome. Maybe you could have said more of your itinerary in the main story than this –
" I of all people would get to go to Colorado for what must be…

Damian Christie

Wed, 30 Apr 2014 18:00:27 +1200

what i find amazing about Colorado is that nobody who grows or sells... can open a bank account

Not so, Sue – I did ask the biggest of the growers about this. Many banks are working on a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy at the moment, but it's still fraught,…

Danielle

Wed, 30 Apr 2014 17:08:11 +1200

I’m sure it will improve your mood no end to learn that it’s been driven-relentlessly through fearmongering by a commercialised agency that you you own as a taxpaying citizen.

Oh, TERRIFIC. Thanks so much for that, Russell. ;)

Sue

Wed, 30 Apr 2014 16:41:27 +1200

what i find amazing about Colorado is that nobody who grows or sells... can open a bank account, because it's against federal law. So they all have these safes and run on a cash economy

Russell Brown

Wed, 30 Apr 2014 16:27:43 +1200

This will be a surprise to precisely no one, but fucking hell I hate capitalism sometimes. This is a thing in New Zealand now? Pissing in a cup so managerial wowsers can make sure they’re seen to be doing something?

I'm sure it will improve your mood no end to…

ange wither

Wed, 30 Apr 2014 15:40:27 +1200

this song seems appropriate here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfNLtUUEiGI

Danielle

Wed, 30 Apr 2014 13:22:00 +1200

Urine testing unfortunately is happening in retail or cubicle jobs

Ian Dalziel

Wed, 30 Apr 2014 08:45:52 +1200

...reducing all that to a snide quip
at least it shows evolution is still occurring
– Ad Hominem Erectus bestrides the earth,
and thrives on the net...

I, for one, look forward to seeing the compiled and reasoned results on the telly some time soon...

Damian Christie

Wed, 30 Apr 2014 08:41:04 +1200

Did you happen to have any discussions with employers or employees around 'Drug testing' in a workplace and if testing has been relaxed or tightened up around this major issue?

Not really – Colorado has at-will employment, so you can fire anyone at any time for any reason anyway.

As…

Damian Christie

Wed, 30 Apr 2014 08:25:40 +1200

But hey, lets just visit some place, enjoy the vibes and then say go for it.

Yeah, that's exactly what I did. I didn't spend hours with the head of the Colorado State Patrol. I didn't spend half a day at the Colorado Department of Transportation. I didn't interview public…

Blake Monkley

Wed, 30 Apr 2014 08:13:41 +1200

Urine testing unfortunately is happening in retail or cubicle jobs and I know of one person who was asked to take a urine test, they took 14 weeks to pass a clean test/before being allowed to return to work,they were tested regularly during suspension(no wages) ,levels were dropping during the…

Danielle

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 22:54:04 +1200

regular saliva testing is a more cost effective way

I can understand restricted drug testing at work when other people's lives might be at risk, but I would definitely not like us to have a society that makes people pee in a cup (or spit on a stick, or whatever)…

BenWilson

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 22:47:39 +1200

Was part of our mistake guaranteeing the chancers who already sold synthetic cannabinoids a continued living?

We never guaranteed that. Thousands of retailers had to stop stocking it. My corner dairy guy was bitter because it was a good earner. It hit him right in the pocket to give all…

BenWilson

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 22:40:26 +1200

Could you even replicate that in New Zealand?

Well, we did actually have a much more wholesome environment when synthetics were sold in dairies, right next to tobacco. But we stopped that. It wasn't even that long ago. I don't recall hordes of stoners hanging around my corner dairy at…

BenWilson

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 22:30:56 +1200

“Gummie bears” could easily be made, say, green and leaf-shaped rather than bear-shaped, so that it’s at least obvious what’s inside.

You mean like those sweets we used to call mint leafs, long before we'd ever even heard of Gummie Bears :-)

Russell Brown

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 21:41:59 +1200

Being of the definitely not smoking persuasion, it’s the other methods stuff that I’m watching. “Gummie bears” could easily be made, say, green and leaf-shaped rather than bear-shaped, so that it’s at least obvious what’s inside. Trying to make them unattractive to children (especially if you call all those under…

Moz

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 21:18:04 +1200

Being of the definitely not smoking persuasion, it's the other methods stuff that I'm watching. "Gummie bears" could easily be made, say, green and leaf-shaped rather than bear-shaped, so that it's at least obvious what's inside. Trying to make them unattractive to children (especially if you call all those under…

william blake

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 19:18:41 +1200

"Perhaps more fun than trying to smoke a mixture of curry powder and golden syrup,"

I knew a guy who tried this and had to be put into a medically induced korma,
(I think he also had a dodgy tika.)

ange wither

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 17:50:04 +1200

I've often wondered about the quality of what gets sold on the street – one of the scandals of our time is what big business will put in food if it can get away with it. Current levels of pesticides on pot could be grim, especially given the factors of…

David Hood

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 17:48:13 +1200

I read a month or so back that the tax take was coming in well below early optimistic projections of popularity (about half in fact for the first couple of months). It will probably make the 40 million for school buildings, but it may not get that much more.

Blake Monkley

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 17:19:25 +1200

Thanks for the post. Did you happen to have any discussions with employers or employees around 'Drug testing' in a workplace and if testing has been relaxed or tightened up around this major issue?
I certainly wouldn't want to work with people who are impaired at work nor do I…

Ian Dalziel

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 16:30:47 +1200

We have been there all ready with the pokies funding ...
...and there's always these types in the Pokie racket...
A well known pokies operator was set to make a small fortune from a new trust until his estranged wife leaked a series of emails to Internal Affairs, which blocked…

BenWilson

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 16:15:47 +1200

Well one advantage to the glacial pace at which the American system moves is that it probably will be allowed to.

linger

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 16:07:14 +1200

Time will tell.
If it's allowed to, without being jostled by the jerking of knees.

BenWilson

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 16:00:24 +1200

A big mistake, to further decriminalise pot

I guess we're now in a position to find out if that is true, in Colorado, rather than a guess. You got your prediction. I got mine. Which is that Colorado won't change much at all. But millions of people in Colorado can…

Sofie Bribiesca

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 13:40:00 +1200

Hey Damian, Hi(gh :). What was the strain of pot that you were standing amongst. The leaves look fascinating or am I seeing things and was it just a drying room?
I think the States are getting it right and the way to get the likes of Soccer Moms on…

Steve Curtis

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 13:01:35 +1200

This is the sort of febrile reasoning used in Colorado

"According to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, the organization responsible for much of the campaigning in support of Amendment 64, cannabis use by teens is likely to go down because commercial access would be limited to persons 21 and older."

I…

Steve Curtis

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 12:48:08 +1200

A big mistake, to further decriminalise pot.

But hey, lets just visit some place, enjoy the vibes and then say go for it.

Anyone would agree Tobacco has ruined the health and lives of millions of kiwis. That was a mistake based on lack of knowledge ( and wilful obstruction…

81stcolumn

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 12:39:26 +1200

or 50% oregano thanks to the local skinheads we’d buy from

Perhaps more fun than trying to smoke a mixture of curry powder and golden syrup, as was once the case for a bunch of hash fiends of my acquaintance.

BenWilson

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 12:09:51 +1200

Good post Damian. Exciting times in the US. Crazy times here.

Russell Brown

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 12:06:57 +1200

Thanks Damian. It's great to have some first-person reporting.

Robyn Gallagher

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 11:30:04 +1200

For me, the highlight of this quality post was discovering from the photo that there's a strain of pot called Cat Piss Romulan.

Public Address

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 11:30:03 +1200

Discussion from blog post.