POT CHIC

Women have followed the boys to the bank, but it would seem unwise to follow them to the bar.

Hey man,

In case you didn't notice, and there's a good chance you didn't, there is a growing trend among working women regarding marijuana use. Many gals are turning to pot, instead of booze, as their post-work drug of choice.

Thanks to women's hard-won advances in the corporate world, we have also garnered ourselves the matching handbag of executive stress that often comes with the idea of climbing that golden ladder.

You see,
no matter how bad alcohol may be for us (red wine is good for you, I say!), many of us take the edge off of an intense workday with a little visit to the bar. Your dad did it, and as long as beer companies make a living from it, it will remain in vogue as the number-one post work stress buster.

It has long been considered the norm; at the end of the business day, stressed-out working men head to the local pub, or a fridge, for a beer, or two. This 'good ole boy' habit is commonplace and widely condoned by many. On the other hand, alcohol use, no matter how occasional, has been the serious downfall of many a good girl.

The words 'instant slut - just add vodka' come to mind.

Where a man may get drunk and sleep with someone he wasn't planning to marry, escaping semi-unscathed, women who do so are seen as devalued, and our stock (etc..) goes down. Not to mention the obvious hazards of navigating the streets of a city often peopled with other drunken men. Safety concerns alone should put the ladies off the bottle.

We have followed the boys to the bank, but it would seem unwise for us to follow them to the bar. For many, violence and regret follow alcohol consumption like thighs and zits follow chocolate cheesecake.

And yet, it is the weed that has carried the cross, not the booze. The stigma regarding marijuana use is disproportionate when seen next to the highly accepted use of alcohol. A wee bit of herb is taboo to many, and yet a 'two-four' or a 'forty-ouncer' are common fare where I grew up on the East Coast. Much as a marguerita and/or scotch are at home on a yacht peopled with the well-to-do.

My 'dealer' is an artist, writer, female and friend. Though she sells only pot and hash to close friends, she must remain anonymous for obvious reasons. Most uncool to be known as a drug dealer. Garbage woman, lawyer, telemarketer, fine - just not community pot purveyor.

When she and I get together for a 'transaction,' it is not the seedy deal-doing of days gone by. It is a meeting of friends, to brainstorm, bitch, network and eat. After a little toot most gals simply enjoy a 'highly' appreciated snack and some blue sky day dreaming. Many ladies find it ideal for escaping those worries that won't go away, but do you little good to think about after hours.

We visualize our futures, think deeply about our choices and, above all, eat.

Not terribly thrilled with the taste of 'lite' food? Not to worry, a little puff will ensure that your low-fat soy bar tastes like high fat cheesecake. Trouble falling asleep? No problemo. Just role yourself a 'girly sized hoolie' (men often try to prove something by 'rolling honkin' big fatties'), pour yourself a bath, and then get ready for a sound snooze.

Not to say that there are no down sides to smoking marijuana. No sir. Just ask anyone with a lazy, unmotivated pothead in the house. Should you be executing a task that requires you to be alert and quick acting with short-term memory intact, then perhaps a cup of coffee would suit you instead. Common sense tells us this. As much as it tells us that drawing any black smoke in to our lungs should be minimized.

Any drug that you use to escape your troubles or alter your state of mind is potentially dangerous, and probably counterproductive. But, in all realism, we are bound to do something on occasion, in times of stress or agitation, and usually we grab whatever is accessible. Few crutches are as dangerous, addictive and accessible as alcohol. Legal everywhere, sexy even. Shaken, not stirred...

Marijuana is illegal at this time, but struggling in the courts to be seen as something more than an inebriate. Succeeding in some cases. Many doctors are prescribing it to patients with debilitating ailments. I know. My 'girlfriend' has supplied a few.Should saner heads prevail it could change the landscape of available stress busters in Canada, as well as the quality of life for thousands of people with chronic pain.

At any rate, if an appetite and a good night sleep are what some patients need, then dr. doob is your man. Although habitual, pot is not physically addictive, and when rolled with a little herbal tobacco it can be used in smaller, less intoxicating amounts.

The Canadian Medical Association, as well as the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police have both spoken out for the decriminalization of pot. You can always go north of the border to see socialist change at its laid back best.

Removing pot possession from the Criminal Code could even be beneficial to society, both associations say. It may save money spent prosecuting harmless adult marijuana users, and yet not make it openly accessible to minors. They don't suggest making it legal to sell it at the corner store, just not a criminal offence that would prohibit you from visiting mum and dad in Florida. Decriminalized, yet not legalized -ya dig?

This also means that if your teenager decides s/he's going to smoke it, anyway, s/he won't have to hang out - just to get a hold of a couple of joints - in the company of someone who might also be dealing crack and heroin.

And I for one would much prefer the labs at government-inspected greenhouses to produce my stash than some teenage urban scientist in his basement. Maybe even enhance its medicinal properties while keeping it additive-free. Fat chance, say the tobacco lobbyists, but at least we can conceivably hold the feds accountable.

But I digress (sound of long draw on hoolie).

I was talking about the many gals I know who smoke pot, and yet still make the world turn. Women are dealing with more and more stress since they stepped out of the kitchen and took over the boardroom. So very many go back to the kitchen when their 'work' day is done. Is it any wonder they look for escape?

Whenever I think of drinking myself out of a stressful day, I am sometimes reminded of the year that is added to my face the next morning. Often, that is enough to make me refrain. Besides, there is no dignity in puking tequila shooters.

But take note, you who would paint me with that dreaded pothead brush, I do have an 'after dark and weekends' rule that insures that I am not buzzing at the office. And yeah, it makes me a little lazy sometimes, but - mostly ? it clears my mind of the day's jumble, and opens my mind to the beautiful possibilities of the future...

(Check out that series 'Weeds' on dvd sometime. It's even chic to toot on tv now.)

-30

copyright CVM

Carolyn is a 38 year old artist and entrepreneur living in downtown Toronto (now Victoria). Oh yeah, and a very productive pothead to boot.