How to meet when pot seems to have a bad rap in PA

[Sandragrew3crops]

I am new here. I really want to meet some people who smoke out. The problem is that people here are really guarded. So many people are afriad of cops. There's also a lot more people around here that seem to look down on pot than I'm used to where I'm from. I heard on the radio a public service announcement that drew parallels between pot use and listening to indie music and being a clone. There is so much negative local media about pot here in Philly it's like being a decade in the past or in 1984 the novel. No wonder people are in fear of pot smokers and no wonder supplies dry up.

I am going to try to make it to the NORML meeting on Thursday. In California the med-pot issue made things different for me personally. Once medical marijuana passed and senior citizens were quoted as saying how they approved of medicinal marijuana use and wanted their grown sons and daughters out of jail, even my mom was able to understand my own use of marijuana. I was able to "come out" to my family as a smoker. I was able to visit clinics in my area and get my medicine in many forms. Life was different than it is here. The stigma of "stoner" and "dealer" went away on a large scale. It's not perfect. Med-pot clinics get shut down. It's harder to find clones than it used to be. But the public awareness and acceptance is a benefit that doesn't seem to be slipping.

Even among people that do smoke there's a lot of paranoia and misconceptions about who smokes and who doesn't. I hope that pot and the people that smoke it will one day be acceptable here in PA.

So how do you decide to meet people that smoke pot in this tense environment? How have you been coping with the climate of unacceptance here in Philly? Does anyone know where people that don't look down on us can be found?

[ninfan77]

Only people that i know that dont look down on pot smoking, is other pot smokers. Family, friends, co workers (again ppl that refuse to toke) all believe its for "losers". Nobody in my family knows i smoke.

As far as "climates" of acceptance, i live in a small town, so people would know who i am etc.. and again view it negatively. Until the illegality of weed is changed in PA, i dont think we'd ever be viewed other than the stereotypical stoner. Plus they always have the comeback "well, it is illegal so i wont do it", that mentality causes many ppl to just buy into the stereotypes.

[PhillyNORML_dOc]

Sandra, basically the reform movement here is taking a long time to wake up and lots of people are afraid of undercover agents etc... It's always a concern. I know a few people in the movement out in Cali. and from what I hear you are experiencing what one of them called the bubble effect. In Cali. people seem to think its fine there it should be fine elsewhere but its only existing in small bubbles around the country, and they aren't too worried about what other people are going thru. Given, this is definitely not everyones viewpoint.
In my experience Philly has a lot of tolerance when it comes to Cannabis use, but not so much for growing etc. I rarely hear of people getting busted for use out in the streets but I often smell it while walking around center city.

People have to realize that coming to one of the local NORML meetings or events is not an advertisement that you are a pot smoker, even if you are. Many of our activists do not smoke or used to smoke but it is never assumed when you show up for these things that you partake. So its always safe to come out and meet a group of people who at least feel your pain and want to actually stand up and do something to change it instead of sitting around and complaining like a lot of people do. If you want to socialize with like minded people they are around you just gotta reach out. Hope to see you tonight at the meeting and if not thats fine too, try to come out to an event...introduce yourself and stay around a while. You'll find that people are very accepting around here.
Stay up
-dOc

[VaporDaddy]

Thank goodness for great groups like NORML
I understand completely what Sandragrew3crops is saying. I am a 30 year old responsible user who doesn't fit the stereotypical stoner image, so not only are the not users off limits to confess my love of a plant but I don't really get accepted by those who do smoke because I don't look like I do. I've even resorted to wearing a 420 hat at work to try to get to meet people with the same interest.

I tried to get in contact with NORMLCanada but It doesn't seem to be very well attendedas I couldn't even get an e-mail returned. I called NORML to ask about them, but they didn't know anything and suggested I start my own chapter. I don't know if I'm ready for that though.

peace

[Gatekeeper777]

first i would like to say Welcome to PA.
secondly WE ARE WATCHING YOU!
roflmao.

hey this is a NAZI state. welcome to 1804 .
we are not even a state actually.......We are a comonwealth. er should i say communist wealth?

[thegambler]

Philly is a dream considering what goes on just across the river in Southern N.J.

[lovejoy68]

Hey there, I live in Reading so I feel your pain. I can only imagine it's much more accepted in Philly than it is here. As I've gotten older most of my smoking buddies have fallen away, and it's next thing to impossible to meet new ones anymore. Like Vapor Daddy I don't look like the "typical smoker" (whatever that is) so it's hard for me. It's especially difficult to meet people in my age group.

Don't give up though. When you meet new people, maybe you can casually bring marijuana up in the conversation, just to get a sense how they feel about it. The smokers are out there--you just have to "weed them out" so to speak. Good luck!