• 🇳🇿 🇲🇲 🇯🇵 🇨🇳 🇦🇺 🇦🇶 🇮🇳
    Australian & Asian
    Drug Discussion


    Welcome Guest!
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules
  • AADD Moderators: swilow | Vagabond696

Teach a Yank a thing or two...

TheLoveBandit

Indefinite break from BL - contact other admin
Joined
Feb 22, 2000
Messages
38,988
So, I'll admit I'm American. But I'm open minded and try not to be arrogant about it, so please don't hate me too much. Given that the Americans are heading towards their annual Thanksgiving holidays, it got me to wondering what other areas of the world do for annual holidays or traditions.

Are there certain national holidays (official or otherwise) that are celebrated, noted, or at least enjoyed a bit more for the natives? I know this forum covers multiple countries, so I'm open to any and all things you lot can teach me about your calendar and events of note which either you are proud of, or which you at least wish those damn Americans weren't so quick to ignore.

Seriously, this forum serves a region of our members, and I'd like to better understand those members and what's important to them. Maybe we can work in some site wide recognition when appropriate? I'm game for it...are you?
 
Well this thread is just humming along.


Let me try a different question. Without stating where YOU live, what would you tell a tourist like myself about Australia, New Zealand, or the other areas this forum serves? Good cities, food, things to see, things to avoid. What do you like, or dislike about your area, your country, whatever you'd be willing to share.
 
Well this thread is just humming along.

=D

I went to Italy once, and there was a "secret bakery" that sold goods at 2AM fresh out of the oven before sales the next day. My sister studied abroad there and showed us.. I was like, first of all, how the hell did you remember where to go, and second, did you really just knock on that strange garaged door and hand some sketchy dude a 5 dollar bill for 2 fresh cookies and a croissant?

It was pretty cool, but maybe not so much something to celebrate.

Any better ideas?

I hear Canada has good hockey, for example.

Maybe something in between the two in terms of obviousness could be shared.
 
1.stay in backpackers hostels
2.pick fruit (get cashed up)
3.go to Nimbin,score a pound
4.travel the entire East coast from Melbourne
 
I used to always manage to be more hungover than I’ve ever been on Christmas Day.

When JJJ do their hottest 100. Which I think falls on Australia Day. A lot of people make a party of it...
 
Ok, I'll admit, there are some great sets I've downloaded over the years from JJJ but without any concept of that being a national radio station, a local/regional promotional group, or what it might be.

I get the fact that on maps, the population is spread around the coastline for the most part, and that the distances can get pretty big travelling the coast from one side to the other. Does it have a small world feel, or does it feel immense to the point of 'I will likely never travel to city_X because it's too far and not worth it'?

How much of a national identity do citizens have, and how does that compare to a local (city? region?) self-identity and us-them thinking? Or does it mostly come down to individualism?
 
I'll admit, one image that always comes to mind for me this time of the year is the American 1964 tv program for Rudolph that was all stop-motion. There were a lot of stop-motions back in the 60's and 70's.


MV5BMTI5MTQzODIwNF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDYzNDMwMw@@._V1_.jpg


MV5BMTM1MzM1MzgxM15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNzY5NDI2OA@@._V1_.jpg



I'm curious - what programs, characters, images come to mind for you around this time of year?
 
You’d want to plan trips if traveling betweeen cities. Or jump on a plane.

Were very spread out. But I don’t feel like it’s a small country, quite the opposite actually.

Im past 30 and I’ve only been to 3 different states. The one I live in, I go to New South Wales quite a bit because it’s close, and I’ve been to Queensland once.

As as much as I’d love to be, I’m not much the traveling type. Well....never really had decent opportunity to.

Christmas here reminds me of cherrys, heat, and used to involve a lot of alcohol. Now it tends to remind me of Papaver-somniferum...... damm, my mouth feels like I’ve been eating warhead lollies.....
 
Last edited:
Something a yank could teach an Aussie.

Ive been meaning to find this out, just out of curiosity.

What happened to cannabis prices in the states of the U.S. where it’s been legalised for recreational use? Is there still a black market for it? Is it more pricey buying from legal vendors/shops/coffee caf?s, or whatever sources y’all call them?
 
You’d want to plan trips if traveling betweeen cities. Or jump on a plane.

Were very spread out. But I don’t feel like it’s a small country, quite the opposite actually.

Im past 30 and I’ve only been to 3 different states. The one I live in, I go to New South Wales quite a bit because it’s close, and I’ve been to Queensland once.

As as much as I’d love to be, I’m not much the traveling type. Well....never really had decent opportunity to.

Christmas here reminds me of cherrys, heat, and used to involve a lot of alcohol. Now it tends to remind me of Papaver-somniferum...... damm, my mouth feels like I’ve been eating warhead lollies.....

Likely depends upon one's personality mostly. For a lot of us (at least in my generation, I think the mindset is changing for younger folks), unless you lived in a major city with a lot to do and reliable public transport (subways, buses, etc) most of us looked forward to age 16 and the chance to own a car = individual freedom. With that, some of us explored our town..and for me in particular, it extended to exploring my state a LOT (in Florida where I could drive 4-6h any direction and still be in-state). And, being comfortable and interested in exploring other states nearby (4h+ drive each way - starts to reach flying distance, but too expensive and you miss 'the journey'). Later in life, travel was in part by job requirements, and in a large part personal interest to see places and experience new things. Though, I know not all are like that. There are some my age who never traveled more than 20mi from their home during their entire life, they live within 5min of their parents and such.

Younger generations are different. Less outdoor inclined unless it is for a specific activity and even then it is to get somewhere to do something...not so much for exploration or enjoying the journey. A lot of kids reach driving age and don't care - won't get a license, depend on parents to continue to drive them places, or friends to do so when the parents say no.

Is there the sense of freedom for Australians that is tied to car ownership, or at least having a license? Or are most fairly content with their nearby surroundings, and a car is just more expense or a means to get to school/work?

It's always a mind flip to consider your Christmas is in the middle of summer. It's just weird, man. Weird. So, aside from Christmas, are there other major times of the year with regular associations? Like winter...I don't think it gets that cold or snows, does it? Unless you go to altitude? So what's the winter sports and activities like? Any special times through the non-summer seasons?
 
Something a yank could teach an Aussie.

Ive been meaning to find this out, just out of curiosity.

What happened to cannabis prices in the states of the U.S. where it’s been legalised for recreational use? Is there still a black market for it? Is it more pricey buying from legal vendors/shops/coffee caf?s, or whatever sources y’all call them?

Honestly, I don't smoke, but I'll ask my friends that do. My impression is that with the gov't licensed 'dispensaries' you have limited locations from which to legally buy. Even then, I'm more used to the medical ones where you are required to have a doctor's prescription and even then you are limited to what is prescribed. Though, many recreational users get a doctors note as protection in case caught with a small amount, and they tend to use a lot more than was prescribed ;). As for areas where recreational use has been legalized, I don't know - that's fairly recent and not widespread.

My impression is that the experiences are reasonably priced, and with a wider selection than a dealer might have, so that's a plus. Though there is still a limit on what you can buy (medically of course, but also recreationally where that is allowed due to the definition of 'personal use' allowable amounts).

It has caused some issues, however. For example, someone with allowed recreational use goes to fly to another state where it isn't legal...I've heard of drop bins at the airport so you won't get busted for possession when you land. No word on what's done with all the dropped weed =D
 
TheLoveBandit, is that title below your name related to Tobias Forge/Ghost?

Anyway... weed is about as close to free as it can get in Oregon. Even after they pay for testing to make sure it has no pesticides or mold, and I'm not talking like 11% THC weed either, this stuff is 20%+ THC and has a reasonably nice cure. Not the most beautiful stuff.

Even the higher tier stuff is cheaper than ditch weed crap in most illegal states.
 
TheLoveBandit, is that title below your name related to Tobias Forge/Ghost?

No, sorry. It has to do with my being here nearly two decades and serving in all positions.

An emeritus is a retired college professor or minister. When a professor stops teaching, she might be given the title of emeritus, which basically means she can still be remembered as a successful professor. The word emeritus, pronounced "eh-MER-ih-tus," is Latin, originally meaning "veteran soldier."


Anyway... weed is about as close to free as it can get in Oregon. Even after they pay for testing to make sure it has no pesticides or mold, and I'm not talking like 11% THC weed either, this stuff is 20%+ THC and has a reasonably nice cure. Not the most beautiful stuff.

Even the higher tier stuff is cheaper than ditch weed crap in most illegal states.

Is Oregon medical only, or recreational as well at this point? Is there a limit on how much you can buy (per visit, per month or whatever)? I didn't realize the quality was that much better, but then again, it is 'regulated' so that kinda makes sense.
 
Oregon was fully legalized same time as Washington, shortly after Colorado.

Q: How much marijuana can I have?
A: The personal possession limits are:
One ounce of usable marijuana in a public place;
Eight ounces of usable marijuana;
16 ounces of a cannabinoid product in solid form;
72 ounces of a cannabinoid product in liquid form;
Five grams of cannabinoid extracts or concentrates, whether sold alone or contained in an inhalant delivery system;
Four marijuana plants; and
Ten marijuana seeds.



Medical limits are much higher. There's an ounce a day limit for purchase and the rest of the purchase limits are the same as those numbers I believe.
 
Last edited:
it all depends on where you go because on a federal level using marijuana recreationally is still illegal so the laws are left up to the individual states. how does this work? there are federal laws that all citizens must follow in addition to state laws that citizens can vote on if they are a citizen of that state and laws might vary from state to state based on which laws they vote for. like what The Network i'm sure if familiar with there is no sales tax in Oregon but their direct neighbor to the north (Washington) does have one. Oregon makes up for this deficit in other ways and from what i hear is not so tax friendly when it comes to that time of year on a business or personal level. but both Oregon and Washington allow recreational legal marijuana.

if the number of states that allow recreational marijuana use get to an overwhelming number and elect the the people into congress who share their views then the federal laws could be changed to make marijuana legal to use. that is slowly happening and time will tell.

this link has a map of which states can use it recreationally, medically and which ones are still illegal. something more complicated which is by limited THC content is something else a lil different. https://www.vox.com/identities/2018/8/20/17938366/medical-marijuana-legalization-states-map

even though it's legal in states and our capital the District of Columbia (Washington D.C., yes 50 states and one district here) it's not legal to sell in all places. weird right.

in addition to what TLB and The Network have posted: they scan your state I.D. card in some states when you buy i hear. though selection is higher the same product is not always on the shelves a month later.

i know someone in one state who use to get quarter ounces for a fairly reduced price from the black market. trying to get it from a legal shop at that same price does not happen. they also told me the black market is now almost non existent.

someone i know from another state told me they have higher quality for selection then they use to get off of the black market though at a higher price. one would think the trade off is worth it but to each their own.

the states who have legalized recreationally have done so mostly through legal means of income for the state. they tax it though i'm not sure if the standards have gone up (what The Network says is true though).

basically all the states are making this up as they go along (sales, quality, taxes, etc.) because it has never been done here before and some are doing better than others. w01g4ng has a great state and good break down of things if they could be troubled to get their butt to post here.

there are other practical problems that come up that are relevant to this site perhaps but not so popular to talk about or not generally accepted by most people who use. when a police officer pulls you over for drunk driving a breathalyzer test can be given to determine the amount of alcohol in your blood. this is an interesting thing because the blood carries the alcohol in your veins to your lungs to be expelled and a device was invented that could give accurate measurements on the spot based off of how much you breath out. measuring the content of THC in ones system so accurately and quickly has not yet been invented. so when a person is driving and gets pulled over for DUI/DUII (driving while under the influence/ of intoxicants) of using marijuana the have to use pre-existing field tests (much like for drunk driving or other drugs, i.e. walking a straight line, pupil dilation, etc.) to test your ability to drive and if you fail then they can arrest you and while booking you can take a sample of urine (pee test, UA) to determine your exact content of THC.

each state is making this up as they go along as well and coming up with general guidelines as to what you can and cannot do when it comes to smoking and driving. best not to smoke right before you drive is obviously one of them. something like waiting an hour if you have been smoking a joint i hear.

one law in some states is that it's like alcohol consumption. you can use recreationally in the privacy of your own home but not smoke in public. this has led to some places being opened to general smoking but not much at this time.

even though it is legal to use marijuana recreationally in the state you live in your employer who is not under mandate by the state or federal governments might not hire you or allow you to continue to work for their company if they have a no drug policy.

this post is in addition to what was asked and already talked about as well as the way things generally work for posterity reasons but also to show how things are working themselves out.
 
Last edited:
here is what w01fg4ng has said in another thread:
w01fg4ng said:
Colorado was the first to fully legalize about six years ago and became medically legally a few years prior to that. Medical provided a consistently higher quality, however the lack of regulations and competition did not change the pricing from the medical community to the blackmarket. It wasn't until recreational built a free market for healthy competition did the prices begin to drop, and they dropped dramatically. In just a few years after legalization in Colorado, the prices became 1/6th (or less) the price of what the blackmarket was or what the medical pricing offered. This cheap pricing is daily and the quality is top shelf. Pricing for flower, oil, THC, CBD, edibles, have all dropped insanely low without sacrificing quality. When you begin to look at special sales (black friday, 420, etc.) , the prices become even more ridiculously low, as in FREE.

Of course the blackmarket still exists in Colorado, but the only ones who survived have dramatically lowered their prices and in some desperate cases their sources are the legal shops themselves. To prevent this type of exploit, the legal market as begun to strictly enforce the one ounce a day rule. It's not easy being a dealer in the blackmarket in Colorado, and for good reasons.

Other states have similar results as Colorado, and many are just beginning the process of building a free market for legal weed. Good results don't happen over night, so many states are still trying to get their program off the ground.
 
So, I'll admit I'm American. But I'm open minded and try not to be arrogant about it, so please don't hate me too much. Given that the Americans are heading towards their annual Thanksgiving holidays, it got me to wondering what other areas of the world do for annual holidays or traditions.

Are there certain national holidays (official or otherwise) that are celebrated, noted, or at least enjoyed a bit more for the natives? I know this forum covers multiple countries, so I'm open to any and all things you lot can teach me about your calendar and events of note which either you are proud of, or which you at least wish those damn Americans weren't so quick to ignore.

Australia day falls on January 26th, and ANZAC day falls on April 25th. They are both public holidays and a big thing here. Australia day has become a bit controversial as some see it as offensive to Indingenous Australians and a celebration of the white colonisation of this country; this view is still a minority position, but seems to have received increased attention in recent years.

I get the fact that on maps, the population is spread around the coastline for the most part, and that the distances can get pretty big travelling the coast from one side to the other. Does it have a small world feel, or does it feel immense to the point of 'I will likely never travel to city_X because it's too far and not worth it'?

I wouldn't say it has a "small world feel", but the distances don't take very long to cover by plane. People seem to do a decent amount of domestic travel in this country, anecdotally I would say that domestic travel is more common here than in the UK (the only other place I have lived), and the distances in the UK are obviously a fair bit shorter. It is quite common here for retirees to buy a caravan and spend a lot of time driving all over the country.

How much of a national identity do citizens have, and how does that compare to a local (city? region?) self-identity and us-them thinking? Or does it mostly come down to individualism?

I think there is a pretty strong sense of national identity in this country, generally speaking. This is why holidays like ANZAC day and Australia day are really big here. I think there is a much stronger sense of national identity than state based identity/ Though, there is a bit of the latter too.
 
I like your questions TLB. :)

Is there the sense of freedom for Australians that is tied to car ownership, or at least having a license? Or are most fairly content with their nearby surroundings, and a car is just more expense or a means to get to school/work?

There is, but its perhaps not as big a rite of passage as it appears in the US. I dunno, when you guys are 16 what are the restrictions on your license? In Aus (or Victoria at least), from 16 you can drive but only with a fully licensed passenger. I think there are other restrictions too, I cannot recall them.

There is not as big a road trip culture in Aus either, but most youngish folks will hop in a car and head out to festivals or a coastal shindig. Thing is, many of the cities start in really rural, almost bushlike surrounds and gradually get denser towards the CDB, so you are never a particularly long drive from the fucking Aussie bush and beautiful nature. And most of the cities worth going to (for young people) are really too far away to drive too. I did drive to Adelaide when I was younger- that's about 700km's, and that's the closest capital city to Melbourne easily, and its . . . quaint.

In my late 20's, I did a lot of driving with my brother and brother-in-law, met some awesome interesting family and saw some crazy fucking shit (a family, a mud hut, with something like 100 massive goddamn tarantula's just carpeting the walls- woah), I would have to say the area around Uluru and Uluru itself is incredibly eerie; in fact, the whole outback is so fucking huge and empty, there is a really odd, haunted, ancient feel to everything. A totally insane place to trip and I tripped balls :D

It's always a mind flip to consider your Christmas is in the middle of summer. It's just weird, man. Weird. So, aside from Christmas, are there other major times of the year with regular associations? Like winter...I don't think it gets that cold or snows, does it? Unless you go to altitude? So what's the winter sports and activities like? Any special times through the non-summer seasons?

Other holidays . . . hmm. As D_m mentioned, we have Australia Day- I'm well in the camp that thinks its an insulting date to choose to celebrate national identity. :| Its really and mainly just a(nother) day for dickheads to get hammered. Anzac Day, and the lead up, gets a lot of attention and is somewhat important to Australians but I have no huge meterological associations with it. I just associate it with the football though :\ New Years Eve is a big night of course. The Queens Birthday- well, its a public holiday so there's that :\

I live in one of the few spots in Melbourne where it can occaisionally snow- higher up from me, and we're talking fuck all tbh; in general winters are probably comparatively mild. It only occaisionally gets below 0c in winter, but I still fucking hate it- maybe where I live contributes, its cold and damp (but beautiful and quiet)... So winter sport is mainly going to be Australian Rules Football. I'm just going to assume you know vaguely what that is, but its huge throughout Australia, but is based in Victoria by and large, and attracts massive crowds and fanatical devotion.

I have a question for you TLB; what do you imagine an Australian city like Melbourne to look like?
 
Honestly, I don't smoke, but I'll ask my friends that do. My impression is that with the gov't licensed 'dispensaries' you have limited locations from which to legally buy. Even then, I'm more used to the medical ones where you are required to have a doctor's prescription and even then you are limited to what is prescribed. Though, many recreational users get a doctors note as protection in case caught with a small amount, and they tend to use a lot more than was prescribed ;). As for areas where recreational use has been legalized, I don't know - that's fairly recent and not widespread.

My impression is that the experiences are reasonably priced, and with a wider selection than a dealer might have, so that's a plus. Though there is still a limit on what you can buy (medically of course, but also recreationally where that is allowed due to the definition of 'personal use' allowable amounts).

It has caused some issues, however. For example, someone with allowed recreational use goes to fly to another state where it isn't legal...I've heard of drop bins at the airport so you won't get busted for possession when you land. No word on what's done with all the dropped weed =D


Thanks LB!
 
Top