When I was in college at UMass (decades ago), an ounce (28 gm) was about $30; a 'dime bag' was $10 and weighed 1/4 ounce. Most people bought a dime bag for a party, which would handle a half-dozen smokers for a night.
Joint size is quite variable, but as marijuana is much stronger now than it was a couple decades ago (selective breeding), people tend to roll really, really thin ones. My guess is that you'd get a good 20 joints out of a dime bag now. (It was possible for a good roller to do so when I was in college.)
If you're a chronic smoker, you can go through 6-8 joints a day. That would pretty much make you a stoner, but it's possible. So a dime would last you about 3 days, and an ounce, about 2 weeks. However, if you just have a smoke or two at night, plus an occasional party with friends, an ounce would easily last you a month, probably longer.
I think the lawmakers chose "ounce" because most dealers carry more than that, whereas most users carry that much, or less. (Dealers usually have at least a pound on hand. Think of it as a hay bale.) They say "about," because they don't expect cops to carry postal scales. However, many users nowadays have switched to hashish, because it transports better (more dense), and smokes better (smoother). Note that possessing hash is still a criminal offense.
It's too bad marijuana is so stigmatized, as it has quite a number of medicinal uses, as a pain reliever, muscle relaxant, and anti-nausea medication. It's not much worse than alcohol or cigarettes, and the by-product (hemp) has a number of commercial uses.
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I'm Voting Yes
Date: 2008-10-31 06:21 pm (UTC)Joint size is quite variable, but as marijuana is much stronger now than it was a couple decades ago (selective breeding), people tend to roll really, really thin ones. My guess is that you'd get a good 20 joints out of a dime bag now. (It was possible for a good roller to do so when I was in college.)
If you're a chronic smoker, you can go through 6-8 joints a day. That would pretty much make you a stoner, but it's possible. So a dime would last you about 3 days, and an ounce, about 2 weeks. However, if you just have a smoke or two at night, plus an occasional party with friends, an ounce would easily last you a month, probably longer.
I think the lawmakers chose "ounce" because most dealers carry more than that, whereas most users carry that much, or less. (Dealers usually have at least a pound on hand. Think of it as a hay bale.) They say "about," because they don't expect cops to carry postal scales. However, many users nowadays have switched to hashish, because it transports better (more dense), and smokes better (smoother). Note that possessing hash is still a criminal offense.
It's too bad marijuana is so stigmatized, as it has quite a number of medicinal uses, as a pain reliever, muscle relaxant, and anti-nausea medication. It's not much worse than alcohol or cigarettes, and the by-product (hemp) has a number of commercial uses.