Smoking Venues

[two fingers]

Sorry, but I have to refute that ridiculously broad and inaccurate representation of the medical profession. Are there doctors who don’t pay attention to developments in their field? Sure there are. Does this represent most doctors? Absolutely not.

I’ve been in medical practice for over 30 years in a variety of settings, primarily private practice, but also for a few years directing a sports medicine fellowship at a major teaching hospital. The ongoing educational requirements of physicians to remain licensed anywhere in the US include continuing medical education, which exposes every licensed physician to medical information published after they graduated from medical school. And most of us use frequently updated sources for ongoing information additions we evaluate and treat, which are more readily available now than at any time in the history of medicine. And training physicians to access that information is important part of medical education these days.

It’s fine to have biases against traditionally trained allopathic physicians; you do you. But please don’t make inaccurate and disparaging representations of the majority of working physicians, who understand that science is a dynamic, changing, field, and strive to keep up with pertinent developments.

I'll simply add one phrase to my assertion. "IN MY AREA AND IN MY EXPERIENCE", most doctors I talk with have no use for any information put forth since the day they took their oaths.

Try discussing with a doctor in my area how using germ-killing mouthwash can actually lead to MORE heart disease. (Mouth biome, good bacteria, yada yada)

Try discussing with a doctor in my area how getting almost a gram of protien per lean pound of body mass per day along with resistance training is the best way to retain strength AND enjoy cognitive benefits.

Try discussing with a doctor in my area how creatine is NOT a "performance-enhancing drug" and can offer cognitive benefits as well as physical. (It's starting to show up in more and more cognitive studies and supplements for the elderly.)

IN MY AREA, doctors poo poo virtually anything that wasn't spoon fed to them in med school as "junk science".

My grandmother had dementia in her late 80s and early 90s. She died not recognizing her own family. My mother is on a much faster track. Her short-term memory is gone in her mid 70s. I recently got escorted out of her doctor's office after being tols he had no use for the "cute little articles on the internet". He is the only person my mother will listen to. And he thinks a couple of pills will "keep her with us a little longer". He wants to discuss NOTHING about diet, exercise, supplements, sleep quality, and/or lifestyle. All of that stuff is "gibberish when it comes to dementia" (his words).

This doc is about 30 years old. He didn't graduate med school in 1974.

I finally went the functional route when MY doctor (a young doc as well) wanted to hear NOTHING of letting me try lifestyle/diet/exercise changes to control my blood pressure when I was 48. She wrote me a script and said it was genetics and drugs were the only way. At that time I weighed 185 to 190 and was (her term) "slightly overweight" at 6'1". These days, at 51, I weigh 215. Those gains were muscle. I eat more red meat and eggs than you can imagine. My numbers are all fantastic. Nobody accuses me of being "overweight". All of the federal guidelines suggest my weight and diet would make me "unhealthy". But I'm far from it. I bench well over 200 pounds. I'm on track to squat 350 by Christmas. I go to cookouts and play sports with the youngsters while my peers sit in chairs and talk about back pain and taxes.

You'll pardon me if, IN MY AREA, I have no use for modern Western medicine. Color me unimpressed.

Do I know everything? Of course not. The difference is that I ADMIT I don't know everything and continue to research with an open mind. And with new information (backed up by studies NOT funded by Hershey or Green Giant) I make adjustments. Most docs in my area have it all figured out. If you don't believe me, ask them.

I'm sure you are good at what you do. But the majority of Healthcare professionals I come in contact with (and I also work in over 70 clinics in my region) are pill pushers who treat symptoms and have ZERO desire to get after root causes and lifestyle/diet. There's no money in it.

 

[OkayistBassist]

I used to smoke cigarettes. I quit over a decade ago. Now, it’s the occasional tobacco pipe usually accompanied by a glass (or three) of whiskey.

My first amp had the (in)famous rat fur covering. So, not only did my clothes absorb the smoke, my amplifier did too. Blah.

Now that I think about it, there are very few gigs I’ll turn down. Freebies (unless it’s a charity type thing I want to donate my time to) or any gig that’s IEM / ampless / dead stage.

 

[Pocket Dave]

I can fully-understand making an "avoidance choice" to help keep an addiction at bay: cigarettes, alcohol, any addictive substance: I get that. But because your gear might "smell" ? Not so much. It's a smelly business: The loading-docks in the bowels of most resort hotels come to mind.

I also agree with @two fingers in that Obesity, not second-hand smoke is a FAR greater, almost omnipresent threat in the USA and a better candidate if we want a serious and costly health problem freak out about.

This thread just seems like farmers going on a Tractor-Forum to complain about mud.

Huh? Not much mud here in DFW, or in other U.S. cities based on the responses here.

Regarding Obesity, true that, but a false equivalency on this topic, in the same class as texting while driving, not wearing seatbelts and opioid addiction.

 

[DrThumpenstein]

I'll simply add one phrase to my assertion. "IN MY AREA AND IN MY EXPERIENCE", most doctors I talk with have no use for any information put forth since the day they took their oaths.

Try discussing with a doctor in my area how using germ-killing mouthwash can actually lead to MORE heart disease. (Mouth biome, good bacteria, yada yada)

Try discussing with a doctor in my area how getting almost a gram of protien per lean pound of body mass per day along with resistance training is the best way to retain strength AND enjoy cognitive benefits.

Try discussing with a doctor in my area how creatine is NOT a "performance-enhancing drug" and can offer cognitive benefits as well as physical. (It's starting to show up in more and more cognitive studies and supplements for the elderly.)

IN MY AREA, doctors poo poo virtually anything that wasn't spoon fed to them in med school as "junk science".

My grandmother had dementia in her late 80s and early 90s. She died not recognizing her own family. My mother is on a much faster track. Her short-term memory is gone in her mid 70s. I recently got escorted out of her doctor's office after being tols he had no use for the "cute little articles on the internet". He is the only person my mother will listen to. And he thinks a couple of pills will "keep her with us a little longer". He wants to discuss NOTHING about diet, exercise, supplements, sleep quality, and/or lifestyle. All of that stuff is "gibberish when it comes to dementia" (his words).

This doc is about 30 years old. He didn't graduate med school in 1974.

I finally went the functional route when MY doctor (a young doc as well) wanted to hear NOTHING of letting me try lifestyle/diet/exercise changes to control my blood pressure when I was 48. She wrote me a script and said it was genetics and drugs were the only way. At that time I weighed 185 to 190 and was (her term) "slightly overweight" at 6'1". These days, at 51, I weigh 215. Those gains were muscle. I eat more red meat and eggs than you can imagine. My numbers are all fantastic. Nobody accuses me of being "overweight". All of the federal guidelines suggest my weight and diet would make me "unhealthy". But I'm far from it. I bench well over 200 pounds. I'm on track to squat 350 by Christmas. I go to cookouts and play sports with the youngsters while my peers sit in chairs and talk about back pain and taxes.

You'll pardon me if, IN MY AREA, I have no use for modern Western medicine. Color me unimpressed.

Do I know everything? Of course not. The difference is that I ADMIT I don't know everything and continue to research with an open mind. And with new information (backed up by studies NOT funded by Hershey or Green Giant) I make adjustments. Most docs in my area have it all figured out. If you don't believe me, ask them.

I'm sure you are good at what you do. But the majority of Healthcare professionals I come in contact with (and I also work in over 70 clinics in my region) are pill pushers who treat symptoms and have ZERO desire to get after root causes and lifestyle/diet. There's no money in it.

Twofer, I am truly sorry to hear about your mother’s diagnosis.

I’m also sorry to hear that you were treated disrespectfully by her doctor. I was merely objecting to such a disparaging blanket thrown on a profession that is better certified, educated, and regulated than ever. Is every doctor perfect, or any? Of course not. They’re still graduating only humans from medical school. But all in all, western allopathic medicine has never been on a more research-supported, evidence-based foundation in the history of our profession. And currently, many payors are basing reimbursements on meeting evidence-based guidelines. I’m afraid we’re just going to have to agree to disagree on this one. Peace, brother.

The OP, I apologize once again for the derail, and I promise I won’t do it again.

 

[TroyK]

I'll simply add one phrase to my assertion. "IN MY AREA AND IN MY EXPERIENCE", most doctors I talk with have no use for any information put forth since the day they took their oaths.

Try discussing with a doctor in my area how using germ-killing mouthwash can actually lead to MORE heart disease. (Mouth biome, good bacteria, yada yada)

Try discussing with a doctor in my area how getting almost a gram of protien per lean pound of body mass per day along with resistance training is the best way to retain strength AND enjoy cognitive benefits.

Try discussing with a doctor in my area how creatine is NOT a "performance-enhancing drug" and can offer cognitive benefits as well as physical. (It's starting to show up in more and more cognitive studies and supplements for the elderly.)

IN MY AREA, doctors poo poo virtually anything that wasn't spoon fed to them in med school as "junk science".

My grandmother had dementia in her late 80s and early 90s. She died not recognizing her own family. My mother is on a much faster track. Her short-term memory is gone in her mid 70s. I recently got escorted out of her doctor's office after being tols he had no use for the "cute little articles on the internet". He is the only person my mother will listen to. And he thinks a couple of pills will "keep her with us a little longer". He wants to discuss NOTHING about diet, exercise, supplements, sleep quality, and/or lifestyle. All of that stuff is "gibberish when it comes to dementia" (his words).

This doc is about 30 years old. He didn't graduate med school in 1974.

I finally went the functional route when MY doctor (a young doc as well) wanted to hear NOTHING of letting me try lifestyle/diet/exercise changes to control my blood pressure when I was 48. She wrote me a script and said it was genetics and drugs were the only way. At that time I weighed 185 to 190 and was (her term) "slightly overweight" at 6'1". These days, at 51, I weigh 215. Those gains were muscle. I eat more red meat and eggs than you can imagine. My numbers are all fantastic. Nobody accuses me of being "overweight". All of the federal guidelines suggest my weight and diet would make me "unhealthy". But I'm far from it. I bench well over 200 pounds. I'm on track to squat 350 by Christmas. I go to cookouts and play sports with the youngsters while my peers sit in chairs and talk about back pain and taxes.

You'll pardon me if, IN MY AREA, I have no use for modern Western medicine. Color me unimpressed.

Do I know everything? Of course not. The difference is that I ADMIT I don't know everything and continue to research with an open mind. And with new information (backed up by studies NOT funded by Hershey or Green Giant) I make adjustments. Most docs in my area have it all figured out. If you don't believe me, ask them.

I'm sure you are good at what you do. But the majority of Healthcare professionals I come in contact with (and I also work in over 70 clinics in my region) are pill pushers who treat symptoms and have ZERO desire to get after root causes and lifestyle/diet. There's no money in it.

That's not ignorance.

M.D.s in the US advise on and adhear to clinical trials and peer reviewed studies that follow scientific method. True that most won't give advice or informed opinions on anything else.

Researchers lead new areas and fields of medicine. Practitioners follow. That's their job and their licenses encourage/require them to do so.

That's not to say that there isn't validity outside of that scope, but a Subaru mechanic who can't or won't engage in a debate on phono stages in an age of vinyl resurgence isn't being lazy or ignorant.

Besides this thread is about musicians playing in environments with second hand smoke, not nutrition.

 

[john_g]

In PA, it seems like the closer you get to a bigger city the more likely it is to be completely no smoking. Like I said, Here there are private clubs that allow it and unfortunately alot of them are the best gigs for us. But its not EVERY gig, we play plenty of non smoking places too.

And, I Dont want to veer too far into what people want to have the right to do, but, alot of rules are in place because there are far too many idiots that then make it miserable for the rest of us.

 

[LBS-bass]

The Ohio ban of 2006 was a state referendum that was passed by a very strong majority. Anyone spouting the opposite is full of it.

Lower than I recall. I imagine that, regionally, this can change by a lot. Where (and when) I grew up, many people smoked, but that was a long time ago, before most bans kicked in. Even then, I had the sense that it was a demographic oddity and that most people didn't, but the people I grew up with did.

So I can see how someone who lives in an area where smoking is prevalent might assume it's that way everywhere, but I don't think it is.

 

[LBS-bass]

There is a sizeable fraction of smokers who believe that non-smokers who complain about smell, headaches, burning nasal and throat passages, feeling queasy, etc. when subjected to cigarette smoke, are just "being mean" or "want to control us". My mother was exactly that way, so I know the phenomenon well. She died of lung cancer caused by smoking.

Frankly I have less than no sympathy for the whining of smokers. Just like I don't have the right to back my car up and pipe its exhaust into your house, you don't have the right to subject me to your emissions. Want to smoke? Go out in a field somewhere and have at it. Don't blow that s&&t at me.

Nicotine is a powerful addiction; I know this because it took me years to really tackle it. Addicts are known for their tendency to use denial tactics in order to support their continued use of whatever they are addicted to. Smokers are no different, the only difference really is that nicotine isn't illegal and many other addictive substances are. But I remember getting awfully testy when people tried to tell me I needed to quit or that my behavior was bothersome to them as a smoker. Just comes with the territory.

 

[Confunk]

I remember visiting my Sister in Chicago (Go Bears) years back. I lived In SoCal at the time.
We went out to dinner at a real nice place, and I almost fell over when a party at the table next to us lit up.
It really effected my pleasure in dining
That was before Cook County went smokeless, and California had been into it for quite some time already.
How quickly we forget.

 

[Patrice B]

Nothing to add about gigging in smokey environment… as I don’t and probably won’t ever gig.

However, amazed by the numbers here in Canada: male smokers, 23%. Female, 12%. Total smokers, 17%!

It’s a hard habit to fight let me tell you, now ex-smoker for only 4 months and a half. Still applying the nicotine patches everyday but it’ll end in two weeks… I fear this moment but my will to quit will win!

 

[LBS-bass]

Researchers lead new areas and fields of medicine. Practitioners follow. That's their job and their licenses encourage/require them to do so.

As someone whose career was based in medical research and who worked closely with physician-researchers at a medical journal and a university research department, I want to point out something that was shared with me by one of the MDs I worked for.

When evidence is published, it's often not quickly accepted into clinical practice. Doctors tend to be a conservative bunch when it comes to accepting new guidelines and will wait until there's additional evidence or they see results replicated in another journal, etc. What I was told is that it takes about a decade for new evidence to result in broad changes to clinical practices. Add in the complication that payors (here in the US) might not approve treatments that aren't conventional or are too new to be included in whatever guidelines they're using, and you end up with a lot of doctors who are going to have a hard time pushing through treatments that might be evidence-based but might not be reimbursable, even if they'd like to prescribe them.

Anecdotally this has happened to me when I asked my doctor about an off-label use for a drug I take to keep certain autoimmune symptoms at bay. I had been acquiring this drug from an overseas pharmacy because I couldn't get it here and I wanted to see if my physician could help. She said that her hands were tied, the only way she could prescribe that drug (Low Dose Naltrexone; usually used for addiction treatment in much larger doses) would be to send me to an addiction clinic and that was not my need - that would also flag me as an addict of some sort, which would cause major problems for me, so I wouldn't have explored that route had she been able to offer it. I've now got it through a telehealth source and I pay out-of-pocket for it, which is fine.

Information on this use of the drug is so low among physicians that many patients report being grossly misunderstood; because it's an addiction treatment some physicians even accuse patients of drug-seeking, even though it is not a drug that has potential for abuse. It BLOCKS opioid receptors, thereby denying patients the feelings associated with drug use.

The only studies for this use are small, and most of the additional evidence for its efficacy comes from case studies, so there's a lot needed before this will become a mainstream, accepted treatment for the sorts of problems I have. But it's been a game-changer for me. Perhaps it'll be widely prescribed ten years from now, but at my age I don't have the luxury of waiting until these things catch up.

So I really see both sides of this issue.

 

[Confunk]

Might be harder to quit cigs than "H' (availability for one).
I quit using a method from the Schick Center long back. They used "aversion therapy" a series of steps designed to kick the habit, a very interesting psychological and medical approach. There were (5) sessions.
They charged $500 and guaranteed you'd quit or money back.
I said: "Bring it suckers!" but it worked. Haven't even thought about smoking and never struggled with the withdrawal or urges that I understand come with patches, gums, etc.
How much is a pack these days anyway? I shudder to think.

 

[gln1955]

Please don't encourage the hoarders!

Nicotine is a powerful addiction; I know this because it took me years to really tackle it. Addicts are known for their tendency to use denial tactics in order to support their continued use of whatever they are addicted to. Smokers are no different, the only difference really is that nicotine isn't illegal and many other addictive substances are. But I remember getting awfully testy when people tried to tell me I needed to quit or that my behavior was bothersome to them as a smoker. Just comes with the territory.

I'm in touch with different demographics here. I work in higher ed and health care where smokers are rarer by the day and live and gig in a rural area with a very different perspective on lots of things. In general, the number of smokers has decreased greatly since I was a kid. I still see older folks who have smoked all their lives as well as quite a few young high-school aged kids smoking to express their ascension into adulthood, just like they always have. Those a bit older than that seem to be more heavily into vaping.

Most smokers I know are no longer in denial about their addiction and how bad it is for them. They just can't quit for good. They also aren't aren't wanting to inflict their addiction on others, so the ban isn't a big deal even in the most conservative of places here.

 

[two fingers]

Twofer, I am truly sorry to hear about your mother’s diagnosis.

I’m also sorry to hear that you were treated disrespectfully by her doctor. I was merely objecting to such a disparaging blanket thrown on a profession that is better certified, educated, and regulated than ever. Is every doctor perfect, or any? Of course not. They’re still graduating only humans from medical school. But all in all, western allopathic medicine has never been on a more research-supported, evidence-based foundation in the history of our profession. And currently, many payors are basing reimbursements on meeting evidence-based guidelines. I’m afraid we’re just going to have to agree to disagree on this one. Peace, brother.

The OP, I apologize once again for the derail, and I promise I won’t do it again.

That's not ignorance.

M.D.s in the US advise on and adhear to clinical trials and peer reviewed studies that follow scientific method. True that most won't give advice or informed opinions on anything else.

Researchers lead new areas and fields of medicine. Practitioners follow. That's their job and their licenses encourage/require them to do so.

That's not to say that there isn't validity outside of that scope, but a Subaru mechanic who can't or won't engage in a debate on phono stages in an age of vinyl resurgence isn't being lazy or ignorant.

Besides this thread is about musicians playing in environments with second hand smoke, not nutrition.

Fair enough. And I'm not angry at either of you.

Never mind that I can't even imagine having to deal with patient after patient who would be unwilling take any lifestyle/diet advice to begin with. I've seen/heard that more than I care to admit as well.

Which leads me back to the subject at hand. Banning smoking indoors was a great idea from the standpoint of protecting employees. The general public, however, is on its own. Modern Western medicine can't do it all. Other forces shouldn't because of the ever-present unintended consequences.

The information is out there. If we choose not to use it, it's our own fault. And a huge chunk of the MISinformation out there comes from sources many trust. That's the toughest part.

 

[lermgalieu]

And a huge chunk of the MISinformation out there comes from sources many trust.

Note: @two fingers this response is not directed at you except for part of the first para.

Trust is about you, not them. Well....another huge chunk these days comes from ill-informed "spiritualists," bots, and shadily-funded political groups operating through proxies. Everyone thinks they can go out and understand complex medical issues these days by searching on the internet, yet at the same time our internet literacy is approaching ZERO in many cases. So many people don't know how to do basic fact checking, or are just operating on confirmation bias.

In my experience, medical doctors know PLENTY in their own realm. It is up to us to be smart enough to balance their knowledge and recommendations with other approaches, like eastern medicine. That's what I do. It's not because I don't "trust" doctors; it's because I understand their mission, which certainly IS NOT and NEVER HAS BEEN root cause analysis. But if my stomach lining ruptured or I broke my leg, you bet I'm going to a doctor.

Sure (to another person's point), there are a lot of things the government might advocate or "protect" which are ill-advised, wrong or stem from special interests. On the flip side, why do you think tobacco was able to have it's way for so many year in the face of clear science? Same thing. Special interests. It's up to you if you trust the government, and if you do, that's YOUR problem.

Gather your own information, fact check, give out limited trust within the scope of an expert's area and mission, and balance your health with other approaches.

But something's being lost in this discussion, although some are mentioning it and getting buried in posts about clinical trials (and I know plenty on that subject but won't bite), nutrition and various other things. And that's that "freedom" or whatever you want to call it IS and ALWAYS HAS BEEN a relative concept. Both conceptually and in our constitution. It is balanced against other people's freedoms. And it is a GOOD THING that smoking is not allowed in venues. And smoking is TERRIBLE for your health, and secondhand smoke infringes on others' "freedom." If you were able to control your blood pressure with diet and exercise, great, but smoking is bad (mmmmk?). Doesn't mean it should be illegal, but it should be illegal in places where others have to be or have a right to be and won't be able to avoid your filthy exhalations.

 

[5StringBlues]

 

[Pocket Dave]

OP here.

Wow. 11 pages in 1 day.

Not bad for a topic by a TB relative-newb. I oughta sell tickets.

Based on your responses, I'd say the tide on popularity of smoking at indoor public places has shifted dramatically in the last 10-20 years, at least in urban areas in the U.S., Canada and some northern European countries.

So much so that for those of us who live in these areas, the majority who've replied have made the choice not to play in the few remaining smoking venues around us.

Also interesting: Based on our relatively small sample size, physical reactions to second hand smoke, such as burning sensation in sinuses and sinus headaches, amongst former smokers like myself are reported more often than by those who never smoked.

And to be clear to those who've made recommendations to my OP, I turned in my resignation to the BL yesterday as I mentioned I would, and will play there once more next week to give him time to work in my replacement.

I'll continue to pickup a (very) small percentage of jobs in smoking venues, though I'll not accept any smoking venue repeat/residency gigs.

Thanks to all for your responses.

 

[two fingers]

Note: @two fingers this response is not directed at you except for part of the first para.

Trust is about you, not them. Well....another huge chunk these days comes from ill-informed "spiritualists," bots, and shadily-funded political groups operating through proxies. Everyone thinks they can go out and understand complex medical issues these days by searching on the internet, yet at the same time our internet literacy is approaching ZERO in many cases. So many people don't know how to do basic fact checking, or are just operating on confirmation bias.

In my experience, medical doctors know PLENTY in their own realm. It is up to us to be smart enough to balance their knowledge and recommendations with other approaches, like eastern medicine. That's what I do. It's not because I don't "trust" doctors; it's because I understand their mission, which certainly IS NOT and NEVER HAS BEEN root cause analysis. But if my stomach lining ruptured or I broke my leg, you bet I'm going to a doctor.

Sure (to another person's point), there are a lot of things the government might advocate or "protect" which are ill-advised, wrong or stem from special interests. On the flip side, why do you think tobacco was able to have it's way for so many year in the face of clear science? Same thing. Special interests. It's up to you if you trust the government, and if you do, that's YOUR problem.

Gather your own information, fact check, give out limited trust within the scope of an expert's area and mission, and balance your health with other approaches.

But something's being lost in this discussion, although some are mentioning it and getting buried in posts about clinical trials (and I know plenty on that subject but won't bite), nutrition and various other things. And that's that "freedom" or whatever you want to call it IS and ALWAYS HAS BEEN a relative concept. Both conceptually and in our constitution. It is balanced against other people's freedoms. And it is a GOOD THING that smoking is not allowed in venues. And smoking is TERRIBLE for your health, and secondhand smoke infringes on others' "freedom." If you were able to control your blood pressure with diet and exercise, great, but smoking is bad (mmmmk?). Doesn't mean it should be illegal, but it should be illegal in places where others have to be or have a right to be and won't be able to avoid your filthy exhalations.

I'm not totally disagreeing with you. We disagree around the edges. And I'm sure we could have a civil conversation about it. But there is no way to avoid politics in such discussions. We'll just have to leave it for now. Your post is thoughtful, as we're the posts of several others. But I think we're dancing on the line already (if not crossing it slightly). And I really respect the policies of this forum with regard to politics. There's simply no way we can go any further down this path without breaking the rules. Cheers.

 

[LordRyan]

I don't smoke. When other kids would get ahold of some cigarettes and we would go out behind the chicken house I didn't know you were supposed to inhale so I just puffed on them. Many of my friends who inhaled became regular smokers at a young age. So I have been around smokers for a long time.

I started playing nightclubs when I was underage. We were allowed to be in the lounge area only while on stage and had to be in the restaurant or kitchen area during break. The clubs were filled with smokers and a few bandmates smoked so I had hours of exposure 5-6 days week. I got so used to being around cigarette smokers everywhere I went I never gave it much thought. Then after the New Jersey smoking ban in 2006 I became sensitive to cigarette smoke and can no longer tolerate being around it.

New Jersey legalized Marijuana nearly two years ago. It took over a year for dispensaries to open. The Cannabis law here is the most restrictive in the nation. Pretty much the only place you can legally smoke pot is in a house either alone or with friends. You cannot smoke outside of your house if somebody can see you. If you rent a place the landlord can forbid weed smoking. If you have some in your car it has to be sealed or if not sealed has to be in the trunk and I don't have trunk in my car. New Jersey does not allow you to grow Marijuana. Other states allow you grow two plants. Under these terms I avoid purchasing state sanctioned weed. I will buy from an independent dealer when I can. I have friend in New Mexico where they recently legalized Marijuana and they had dispensaries open the next day. My friend works for a relative who is a licensed grower and sends me samples of their product as as well samples from NM dispensaries.

 

[LordRyan]

I don't smoke tobacco. When other kids would get ahold of some cigarettes and we would go out behind the chicken house I didn't know you were supposed to inhale so I just puffed on them. Many of my friends who inhaled became regular smokers at a young age and later on I had a couple of girlfriends who smoked so I have been around smokers for a long time.

I started playing nightclubs when I was underage. We were allowed to be in the lounge area only while on stage and had to be in the restaurant or kitchen area during break. The clubs were filled with smokers and a few bandmates smoked so I had hours of exposure 5-6 days week. I got so used to being around cigarette smokers everywhere I went I never gave it much thought. Then after the New Jersey smoking ban in 2006 I became sensitive to cigarette smoke and now avoid being around it.

New Jersey legalized Marijuana nearly two years ago. It took over a year for dispensaries to open. The Cannabis law here is the most restrictive in the nation. Pretty much the only place you can legally smoke pot is in a house either alone or with friends. You cannot smoke outside of your house if somebody can see you. If you rent a place the landlord can forbid weed smoking. If you have some in your car it has to be sealed or if not sealed has to be in the trunk and I don't have trunk in my car. New Jersey does not allow you to grow Marijuana. Other states allow you grow two plants. It is illegal to transport Marijuana across state lines even if is legal in both states. Under these terms I avoid purchasing state sanctioned weed. I will buy from an independent dealer when I can. I have a friend in New Mexico where they recently legalized Marijuana and they had dispensaries open the next day. My friend works for a relative who is a licensed grower and sends me samples of their product as as well samples from NM dispensaries.