What would legalised cannabis look like? Sheilagh Foley recalls her days in San Francisco before and after legalisation of marijuana
I lived in San Francisco, back when Tech was King and ‘pan-demic’ was a type of hipster pastry. The smell of wafting marijuana was as frequent and institutionalised as the ferry to Alcatraz. The city’s chilled out population didn’t mind too much, probably because we were passively high at all times. Peace out, dude! In California at least, the unofficial acceptance of the wicked weed had paved its path to normalization. In our comfortable social circles, people talked here and there of opting for edible marijuana over alcohol to take the edge off a long day, or to give a buzz on a night out. No hangover, less cost/mess/guilt, was the main refrain.
It was well under way in California as a medically endorsed natural anti-emetic for those suffering with nausea from chemo. I recall friends bringing elderly parents with cancer to medical marijuana dispensaries to get some bodacious bonbons, some jammin’ jellies, some crackin’ cookies. Nobody spoke like that. It was all quite matter-of-fact – another product that could help the cancer victim cope.
I think it