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Smoking in the Boardroom
"In my social circle, lots of people smoke pot," said the 40-something communications executive who asked that his name not be used because he's afraid of losing his job. "They are all professionals. Most have children. If we have a dinner party, a few of us will go outside and have a toke." . . . are in the company of doctors, lawyers, stock brokers and even members of law enforcement who furtively get high in their garages and on their decks, all the while terrified they'll be found out by their neighbors, employers and children. They are America's most secretive potheads – a vast underground of otherwise upstanding citizens secretly subverting the nation's drug laws. . . . They believe smoking weed is about as serious as fudging on your taxes, on the level of claiming the computer you bought for your kid was a business expense. . . . "To me, casual marijuana use is really no different than the casual drinking of hard alcohol," said the communications exec. "As long as you're doing it responsibly, at times when you're not caring for your children or driving, it's really no big deal – other than that it's illegal." . . . 15 percent of couples with children admitted to smoking marijuana in the last year . . . In 2000, there were 1,579,566 drug arrests nationwide, according to FBI statistics. Nearly half – 734,497 – were for marijuana. Of those, 646,042 people were arrested for possession. . . . "The police department doesn't go around snooping in people's houses to see if they're smoking a joint at the kitchen table," said Groza, the San Diego police sergeant. . . . One former parole agent said he spends as much on marijuana as a car payment on a Beemer: $400 a month. He lights up most mornings with his cup of coffee. He and his wife frequently host parties attended by prominent members of San Diego government and business. The former parole agent supplies the pot. Whoever wants it simply smokes it discreetly in the back yard, out of respect for those who don't. . . . "It doesn't affect me as a husband or a father. It certainly doesn't affect my job," he said. "It's just a way to relax and kick back for the night."

posted by LoZo 3:40 PM