Thursday, January 28, 2010

Would you tell the truth?


In an effort to ease the pain on our shrinking bank account as we prepare to drop a bundle of cash repairing our backyard's sinking pool and deck, I came up with a money-making idea that I'm pretty fired up about.

California was the first state in the nation to legalize medical marijuana. Some people think it should all be legalized which means the demand for pot could go through the roof.


The debate over this issue is smokin' hot, as you might imagine, and it's constantly being reported on in the local news.


I found out that just before the Los Angeles City Council voted this week on its new medical marijuana ordinance, members were asked, one by one....


"Have you ever smoked pot?"


-Two could not be reached for comment. How convenient.


-Two would not answer. Wimps.


-The two ex-cops "Just Said No".


-Three others said they had never smoked pot, one of which was the daughter of a former LA mayor who feared if she did, she would embarrass her dad.


-Two others said they had indeed smoked marijuana but offered stories of explanation-- College, girls and parties were involved.



-Speaking of parties, this guy (above) would only say that he went to college in 1969. Wink-wink.


-And the Council President gave a firm "yes" but was none to happy about having been asked. Poor baby.


But what I found so interesting was that this guy (below), said he "had" smoked pot in the past, but refused to answer if he "still" smoked it today. And that got me thinking....



With medical marijuana being such a hot commodity, and since I have a green thumb, why not pull out my rose bushes and plant some pot in our backyard!


It's estimated that Los Angeles has nearly 1,000 legal medical marijuana pharmacies! And even if they limit the number of pharmacies, the demand for marijuana is still apparently, high-- no pun intended.


Somebody has to grow their pot, why not me?


From what I've read on the Internet (and yes, I take that with a grain of salt), I potentially could legally grow as many as 99 marijuana plants on our property and I wouldn't have to fill in the pool with dirt to do it. And since the backyard is going to be all torn up from the repair job anyway, when it's time to replant, I could grow some wacky terbacky and replenish our bank account!


Think about it, how hard could it be to plant some seeds, water regularly, harvest our crops (hopefully multiple times per year) and pull in some new found greenbacks for our gardening efforts?


Yes, I realize money doesn't grow on trees, but it might, in this case, grow in the grass and perhaps be a simple way to help pay for the repair job.


Of course I still have research the legalities involved, and then I have to get the nerve up to run this brainstorm past Beloved Husband. After all, he is very fond of our backyard. Ninety-nine marijuana plants would pretty much take up the whole space, and it could crimp his bar-b-queing-- Gawd forbid a spark caused our crops to go up in smoke.


Growing marijuana could solve a lot of problems. Beloved and I have talked numerous times about how much I dislike being retired. This could be the perfect solution-- A home based business, utilizing a hobby I enjoy, that's potentially very profitable! And it is only 99 plants.


If someone asked you if you ever smoked pot, would you "go on the record" and tell the truth?

Welcome to The Fifty Factor - Joanna

Top Photo Credit: © Lasse Kristensen - Fotolia.com

78 comments:

  1. LOL - I am sooo imagining a bbq in the garden, a misplaced piece of coal and some very stoned guests!!

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  2. i say go for it! then you could blog about it. can you say best seller? :)

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  3. A superb idea. I guess the problem would be all the paperwork and licenses (anyone over 25 would almost certainly be too old to get through all that during a single lifetime) and you'd probably have to enclose your whole yard with such high walls and stong security the weed wouldn't grow.

    Still - it is a thought...

    ...and then there's the taxes!

    PS: Interesting that the only people who don't think there is humour in this are the "authorities"

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  4. Too funny...it's just gardening after all.Only once and I didn't inhale!Happy Friday see ya Sunday!

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  5. Ha! That would be hilarious!!

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  6. Excellent!! A cash producing crop right in your own backyard! LOL!! I have tried it...never found it appealing!! LOL!!
    Hugs
    SueAnn

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  7. Somebody does have to grow it though...I wonder how a grower would qualify and how the authorities would keep track of every, uh, leaf....

    I know you're kidding, but a girl's gotta make a buck and you do have a green thumb....

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  8. Yes, I would, and have gone on the record, on my blog that is, and said what drugs I've tried in my lifetime. It's in my Sept. 09 archive of posts; you may have even read it, Joanna.
    I don't find it a big deal what people have done re; past use of narcotics because it is more widespread than some would care to admit. And I'm not being blase saying this as I'm aware many lives have been destroyed through drugs and alcohol. What matters is not so much what people have done, particularly if it has not harmed anyone else, but what they have learned from it. I'm not an advocate of drug use or experimentation, either, can I make that clear, please.
    As for you growing some herbs in your backyard, JJ, too funny. You'll have to get a few nasty dogs and some high-wire razored fencing to keep out potential thieves once word gets around town. You could start your own bloggers platform and call it potblogs.com (LOL).

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  9. i was in a house once that got raided...scary stuff. i was clueless at the time...

    there may be an answer in there somewhere for you. smiles.

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  10. My daughter came home from school yesterday where they are doing the DARE program. She was full of statistical information about the dangers of marijuana. But they didn't mention the munchies.

    I tried it, it didn't do anything for me, I gave it up. I can get more high eating a good piece of pie.

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  11. You crack me up sister! These Ozarks hills and hollers are full of (illegal) marijuana and meth labs. If you need some growin' expertise I'm sure my neighbors could help, my county has earned the title of Booger County, rightfully so.

    I laughed out loud through every word of this post! Heeeheeehe!

    Have a great fun~filled day!!

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  12. I'm with Lisa; tried it once--much prefer a chocolate high!

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  13. I have smoked pot and both of my adult children know that. I'd be a bit uncomfortable mentioning it in a public forum but less so if I lived in California!
    I thought you were quasi-serious and I'd say go for it! Why not. You might want to watch the series Weeds first!

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  14. Too funny! And yes, an accidental cook out bonfire would be hilarious!

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  15. I have no problem telling the truth on that question because the answer is a big NO. I've never tried it, never had any desire to try it. I've never been drunk either. I suppose some would say I lead a dull life. Maybe, but at least I've nothing to hide.

    As for growing that in your yard, I hope the pool repairmen don't try harvesting your crop for you and thus do the repairs while stoned, otherwise, you could be in this mess all over again in the near future. ;)

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  16. This post cracked me up! What a great idea to be a medical marijuana grower (or would you call yourself a farmer?). I'm sure you would make lots of new friends really quickly!

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  17. Very creative thinking, Joanna. It might work here in Colorado, also, since there are now more medical marijuana clinics than Starbucks in the state.

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  18. I plead the 5th as I hope to have a political career at some point,..

    but if I ever did, that would have shown Taht this sass is allleric to ALL weeds and grasses,... and if I did I might have ended up at the docs office to explain the "sickness" i got from being around such weeds or grasses,..

    just sayin'

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  19. CH said, "yet another reason to move to California".

    I was the only one in high school, at the bus stop, standing off to the side with my joint waiting for the bus. The others were all a bunch of p*ssy closet smokers. I stopped smoking weed in my mid twenties because I no longer enjoyed it. It made me tired, unfocused, and broke. Enough was enough, I switched over to mixed cocktails and joined the corporate world. After years of mistakes (and personal shame as only alcohol can produce)I sobered up. I'm a firm believer in balance. A drink or a puff is o.k. once in a blue moon. It's good for the soul. If your contribution is farming weed, I say GO FOR IT!

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  20. I'm smiling at the thought... I think you should go for the new crop! :-)

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  21. Perfect idea for the pool!! And if anyone decided to go for a dip, they'd have all the excuse they needed; higher than a kite!

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  22. LOL, advertising for clients might be fun...might want to check with the local housing association first. :)

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  23. Your house would either be the most popular one in the neighborhood or a pariah. You could always fix that by burning a couple plants and using fans to blow toward the cranky neighbors houses.

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  24. Do you watch Weeds?

    This had me laughing.

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  25. Teenaged me tried it a few times, just because my friends seemed to think it was all that, but it never did anything for me. On the other hand, gin and I had a ten year love affair. It ended badly, but I still think of her, once in a while, from a distance.

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  26. Do it, i dare you!

    It is not entirely an easy plant to grow...but it sure smells pretty!

    LOL I am Canadian...i think we know where we stand on this issue...LOL

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  27. Do it, i dare you!

    It is not entirely an easy plant to grow...but it sure smells pretty!

    LOL I am Canadian...i think we know where we stand on this issue...LOL

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  28. I'm just imagining all the squirming that went on when those City Council members were asked the question! :)

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  29. I love when the great ideas come to us - too bad the cons seem to outweigh the pros.

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  30. Oooh...but think of the profits!!!
    I honestly can say NO I never smoked it, but did get a contact buzz once at a party while in college. I've always been leery of drugs--alcohol you can control to a degree, but drugs are so iffy--the effects vary depending on the quality, etc. and I don't like not feeling in control, hence never trying any.

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  31. Too funny. Plant it right near the barbecue? Puts a whole new meaning on pot luck dinners. ;)

    Sure I have.. and do.

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  32. I work with some kids who will sell it for you.

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  33. Yes, but not since my twenties - many moons ago! Now I prefer Patron!! Although for the life of me I cannot figure out why one is lgal and one is not! I firmly believe what I do in my own home as an adult is my own business! However, when I choose to leave my home, that is a whole other kettle of fish!!!! Go for it!!!

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  34. This reminds me of the English movie "Saving Grace". You should watch it, it was a hoot!

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  35. We had a neighbor when I was a kid who was very, very proud of his new Hibiscus bush. Well, Mom has a degree in horticulture with a minor in botany and she was all "that is SO not a hibiscus." but she never did call the police because this guy was a deacon of the local Baptist church.
    And, if you ever asked me if I'd smoked pot, I'd answer truthfully.

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  36. It's easy for me to tell the truth because the truth is No! Never done a drug in my life. These days, though, if I tell people that they usually look at me pretty skeptically. Still, it's true! ;)

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  37. Joanna what will you think of next? Lol.

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  38. I'd answer no, because that's the truth. Never tried any of that stuff. I'm crazy enough as it is! :)

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  39. you wrote -
    "...utilizing a hobby I enjoy..."
    which hobby are you referring to?

    I learned that my grandmother who coming from eastern Europe knew her herbs, had "weeds" in her garden that other people were more than willing to remove for her.

    Since I'm no politician I would not have a problem with that question.

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  40. Genius!

    I once caught my son watering his marijuana plant under a high intensity lamp in the attic. If I'd have just left him alone, we could be rolling in it by now.

    I've never been a very forward thinker.

    You on the other hand, are brilliant.

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  41. Sure, why not? When my kids asked me if I ever smoked, I told them 'yes'.
    what's the pt. in lying? if i did lie then it would make me look like i felt it was bad thing to smoke it...

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  42. Ha! Lisleman-- My hobby is gardening, not smoking pot!
    :-)))))

    jj

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  43. Hi Joanna,
    I believe in legalizing marijuana. Not just for medicinal purposes, but because alot of dirty money is made that could become clean money.
    Thank you for dropping by my site.
    xox
    Constance

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  44. Okay, here's the deal. There is a new trade school that has opened up in Oakland, CA. Unfortunately you have to be on a waiting list and the next available opening isn't until May. I hear you can make $50,000 per year as a bud tender and $100,000 if you're an owner, manager. Not half bad just for utilizing wasted space in your backyard. I plead the 5th on the, 'have you smoked question' but, seriously, don't they say that everyone in California smokes pot? Funny, funny post!

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  45. I thought it was okay to plant in yur backyard. Inhale, I mean breathe, kidding but now I know why you don't like winters. lol. Seriously for all the debates, and the lies that come back on politicians...maybe if they smoked some they would quit lying. I am pro for medicinal cases where it would ease the pain.. Of course I think there would be those that abuse the system. So maybe I would just stick to bar- b- quing. Have a wonderful weekend. Loved your post.

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  46. I like the lying daughter of the former mayor.

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  47. It's been awhile, but as a youngster I did smoke pot a few times. I never got what the big deal was, it made me feel lazy and hungry; not 2 attractive traits when you're trying to be a superb jr college floozy ;)

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  48. Just think...if the crops went up in smoke....you would have one "happy" neighborhood!

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  49. All I know is that it's hard to grow in a closet! I tried it once, like 100 years ago.
    It would probably do great in your back yard!
    ;)
    Hugs!!

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  50. First, it's not cheap. There is a whole culture of pot, which includes buying plants, clones I think, that can be very expensive. The irrigation is expensive as well, or can be. And then there's fertilizer, heavy watering, protecting the plants from outside influence, etc. I don't grow pot, but I've spoken to LOTS of people who do. It's very common. I don't know what the laws are down there, but up here, one prescription gets you six full-grown plants and six immature plants at any given time. More than that and you need other people's prescriptions. And as far as selling it, it's only legal to sell it to one of the co-ops, although I know for a fact that many sell outside the rickety California system that has been set up.

    Your real risk is that the laws will change and not be in your favor. Our city just passed an ordinance that says all growers must register or be operating outside the law. I have a feeling most won't. The indoor growers usually have electricity bills 2 or 3 times normal, so they sort of stick out. And there's the smell of course.

    What I see is a over supply of pot over the next year or two and prices dropping dramatically. With so many growing it in "their back yard" it's inevitable that the market will be flooded.

    Anyway, that's all I know. Good luck. They're pretty plants, I think. :)

    Cheers,

    SLC

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  51. You are so funny. The commenters are so funny. I think there is easier money to make here.

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  52. Yes, I've inhaled! But it's been many, many years. (I wonder what medical marijuana would do for the chronic pain I have from a knee injury?) I think growing marijuana would be the perfect solution for your back yard woes... it would give you a hobby, plus bring in enough income to fix the sinkhole.

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  53. You may have found your "pot" of gold!

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  54. Where have you been since last May? All this time I could have been getting my meds from you!!!

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  55. Actually, not such a bad idea... you could even open a little cafe where people who have permission to smoke pot could go! I gather that it really helps people with certain conditions.

    I don't see what the big fuss is about myself... Alcohol is a much worse drug with many more awful consequences.

    I tried to smoke pot as a student, but as I hate smoking, I was the student who only tried it once or twice and who embarrassed herself by choking in the corner!

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  56. Okay first of all, looks like you may have found a way to fund that sinking pool you have.

    Now about smoking pot, I have always been curious about the who ha about it. . . and yet, I have never tried it. . . hummmmm. . . so tell me, what have i missed?

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  57. And, why isn't it legal? Has anyone ever been dx'd with Cancer by smoking pot? Drinking kills your liver and kidneys. So, the question arrises, are we afraid it can't be taxed due to the many people who could have it raised in their homes. . . and tax dollars would be lost?

    I know, I'm a pastor, but seriously, I have never seen this as a gateway drug. It just seems political that it hasn't been deemed legal. that's all.

    And . . . I have never tried it myself. . . too afraid.

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  58. Somehow I can't see you growing pot!
    But it is a pretty plant, and a lovely shade of green!
    And yes, I have smoked it... about 3 times in my 30's... it was hysterical! but not something I would do again.

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  59. Of course, where I live you wouldn't get a great deal of business because growing your own is legal - two plants per household max! It's rarely a problem.

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  60. Well, I have grown some pot from seed - between my Dad's tomato plants. He took care of the watering and fertilizing (with Maracle-Gro), and when Summer was over I harvested six six-foot tall plants. It was 1983. And it was good.

    And no, I did not sell, nor make a profit from it in any way. Strictly for personal use.

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  61. So next year your posts will be very random and spacey lol

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  62. My answer would be, "I can not answer on the grounds that it might incriminate me."

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  63. I'll admit to trying pot a few times, a few years ago, and I coughed so hard (I have asthma) I didn't enjoy the experience. I was trying to ease some arthritis pain, so I decided to lose weight instead.

    I'm a wimp; it's true! Good luck with your new business!

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  64. Excellent idea!!! I would love to see how it would work on all my aches and pains!!

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  65. You'd definately be the most popular house on the block!

    Although, it would be comical to see a couple of stoned bunnies hopping around the neighborhood.

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  66. You must've been hearing Boo and my conversation today. It was on the exact same thing. I was telling him that we could even have gourmet plants, a few mixed with a fruity fragrance and a few with a zing.

    Hey we could even franchise, right? You could combine your crops with mine and we could split the profits....then bust out in baked goods and then a snack shop because people snack after smoking pot (from what I understand).

    Let me know if Beloved is game. Sounds like a business plan is in order.

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  67. I wouldn't have any problem telling the truth... I mean, c'mon, it would be easier to ask who hasn't tried pot. I was a pretty upright and moral gal in school so I didn't try pot til in my late 20s. And coughed and coughed and coughed. I was never a smoker so I never could inhale the right way! Obviously I decided it just wasn't worth it.

    I'd rather have a chocolate martini anyway! :)

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  68. This post had me cracking up the whole time! Hilarious!

    I personally have never tried pot (no interest, thanks) but I don't really see a problem with it. So many people are so jumpy about it and all of its negative side effects...but is it really any more dangerous than alcohol? And growing some goofy grass is way easier than growing hops and barley... ;)

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  69. Darling what a fabulous idea! In these hard times one has to be creative...'value adding' is very big in agriculture at the mo so I suggest some cookies, muffins etc to sell at the local markets....

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  70. I know you're kidding but you could do it. It's better than working at Wal Mart.

    And I second whoever said that would be a best-seller.

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  71. Was on an open market in derbyshire yesterday and saw a sign advertising skunk for sale. Not sure what to think. Highly illegal here of course.

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  72. Interestingly I watched a documentary about these medical marijuana clinics and the one that was features was on a beach there. You can apparently go to classes and learn how to grow pot to supply the clinics. You get a qualification like a horticulture diploma. Just think another qualification to add to your CV, lol!

    As far as telling the truth - I don't think there is anything to lie about. Strangely, the only time I ever did try it and I was a teenager was because the kid next door grew it in his grandmother's backyard. The really horrible thing is that he told his grandmother it was a school experiemnt and she used to water it and take care of the plants not knowing what they are. That same guy turned out to be a big entrepreneur and success story. It was the only time I tried it and it never did anything for me. If it helps people deal with pain I am all for it but I understand that these clinics also assessed whether someone needed it for medical reasons (shady). Great post and funny!!

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  73. I have never smoked anything, just because I don't care for the taste and the smell. My cousin had cancer, he has since passed away, but he was prescribed it and refused because he did not believe in smoking. Very nice post, enjoyed reading it, that building is so pretty. Thank you for coming by, have a nice week.

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  74. Ha ha - I went to my favourite newspaper (online) to catch up on the latest headlines and saw this -had to come back and give you the link

    http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weed-is-good--hemp-comes-to-the-city-20100201-n8v2.html?autostart=1

    (hope that works). Maybe not a bad idea after all.

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  75. Hehe. Loved the comment "Yes, just kidding." But really, why not? Ok, ok... kidding.

    Me - never tried the stuff. Never smoked a cigarette so why would I try pot? Lol.

    That said.. I'm all for legalizing it!

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