This is a very hot topic in Oregon right now, voters having approved its recreational possession and growth last spring.

Last week the Salem City Club’s first forum of the new season was about marijuana.  The two speakers were a very knowledgeable woman who grows and sells legal medicinal cannabis.  The other was the chief of police.  On opposite sides of the issue, they were very friendly and congenial with each other, having served on several study groups together.

Medicinal marijuana has been legal here for a while.  Recreational pot awaits the setting of local guidelines to be readily available.  The city council met last night and voted to allow its sale on October first.  Possession and home growing, in very limited amounts became legal in July.  You can have an ounce, if you’re interested.  All this is still illegal federally.

A number of interesting questions were asked at City Club following the presentations.  My favorite was from an elderly woman, even older than I.  She struggled to her feet and took the microphone and asked, “What is meant by ‘recreational?’ ”  The chief of police responded, “It’s what everyone did in college.”  The woman quietly said, “No.” and sat down.

No.  Me neither.  And, being a goody-two-shoes, I didn’t drink either until my 21st birthday and never developed much of a taste for it.

But I digress.  I think it would have been very helpful if the woman dealer/grower, had provided all in attendance at the City Club meeting with a sample following lunch.  Then we might have had a greater understanding.

Clearly, I’m no expert, but I do know, from my experience teaching at the Indian school that if I could out law one or the other, I would choose alcohol.  Its effects are much more devastating.

On a surprisingly related topic, back here at 1880, I had to have two ancient rhododendrons taken down.

This, unfortunately, revealed, across the fence, my neighbors’ very tacky-made-from-recycled-junk greenhouse where, my gardener pointed out, they are already growing their legal limit of potted pot plants.

On a personal note, about all I have to say about pot is, if my doctor ever needs to prescribe it for me, I want to be able to take that prescription right up to the pharmacy counter at Fred Meyer’s and not have to go to a shop downtown called Club Pit Bull Cannabis.