I got fucked so hard over marijuana in California I'm still fucked and I don't know what to do about it. Of course the state pays the teacher's salary and the state believes marijuana is a DRUG.
It's 2012 but government is only progressed to about 1958.
Marijuana wasn't my subject. I taught English. Marijuana wasn't part of the curriculum in any way.
I walked into a dispensary about 20 miles away from home, and it was busy so I just kicked back against the wall and read the menu.
Then I heard "Mrs. S, What are YOU doing here?"
It was two of my first period seniors.
I guess in under 48 hours I was the drug teacher. I had students try to buy from me, I had some kids saying they went in my classroom and smoked with me during lunch. That's the tip of the iceberg.
The students immediately started showing up to class more, having more in depth class discussions, took more interest in what I wanted them to learn and why.
Marijuana gave me so much clout with the students it was ridiculous.
It wasn't only the students who were talking about seeing me in the dispensary. The other teachers, especially teachers very involved with their religion, were outraged.
I was outta there. And got my teaching credential suspended for a month.
I will most likely never be able to teach again. None of the teachers stayed friends with me.
But I've got, what, 200 facebook friends, almost all former students. They came looking for me. First it was only a few and more and more of my former English students wanted to add me. Not just to their facebooks, to their lives. I've gone to baby showers and weddings and college graduations and birthday parties...
I wasn't selling drugs ever or smoking in my classroom ever. Also, I wasn't fucking students. (Yea I like young men and I used to fuck them. But I didn't do any sex stuff with my students. Jail can stay over THERE and I will stay here in my house, thanks.)
Now my former students are my friends. They still all call me Ms S though, which is really funny to me. We carpool to the big dispensaries in L.A., we go out for hikes, we sit around and get high. They have enriched my life and given me a world of love to fall into whenever I'm feeling down.
I don't have a job yet. I found out that the teachers I was using for references were letting anyone who called for a reference know that I was drug addict. I didn't get enough proof of it to get a laywer, because they arent' supposed to do that.
If you live in Cali and your using your medical card legally and not letting your medication interfere with your job or your driving, you can still have very, VERY big problems. Bankruptcy, nervous breakdown, verbal derision, local avoidance... not to mention the fact that all the districts in this area are in bed together. Principle A is married to Principle B the next high school over... stuff like that.
Take this as a warning. In one of MANY small towns in Calif, there are lots of people who think it's 1955. I don't understand it, I was surprised by it, and needless to say, I hate it.
SO... well, fuck 'em, I guess. I'm waiting for something good to come my way.