i am so pissed off
When I buy weed at my local dispensary, it comes in a sealed jar. They put that sealed jar into a branded disposable plastic carrying bag along with my receipt. I have asked to leave without the bag several times, and they've told me I have to leave the building with the bag.
I have been told the lie probably 6 times that it is because of "state law". I read the state law, and I emailed my state's cannabis regulatory agency, and I have confirmed that there is no state law requiring the plastic carrying bag.
I have made it MY policy to say, every time I go in there, that I disagree with the policy. I do so kindly, and I criticize the policy, not the person helping me.
Usually they repeat that "state law" lie or tell me some other excuse. Usually they are nice. The guy tonight was kinda rude about it. My hope is that they will communicate to their management about this and that this will help change the policy in time.
I'm already quite frustrated every time I leave.
I do not want to create plastic waste. The law does not require me to take a bag. And they're lying to me about it.
I do not blame the staff for this lie - I suspect they are repeating what they've been told. However, I would appreciate if they chose not to be complicit.
I blame the company for this lie, and the people who own and run it.
So I already would have been upset leaving today, but dude was just kind of a dick and that really didn't help. I got really really pissed off after I left.
While I had some frustration with him, 99% of my anger was directed at the policy and the company.
How the heck can I, a consumer, be forced by a business to create unnecessary waste AND be repeatedly lied to about why?
It's the lying that pisses me off the most.
The policy is bad. It is harmful. It creates air pollution (in the production and transportation and potential recycling of the bags), water polution (microplastics and possibly chemicals leeching off the bags?), and litter (I was once told that they find a lot of their bags littered in the parking lot).
But if they just said "We require it because we want to get our branding out there," I think I'd be less pissed.
As it is, they are polluting the environment, forcing legal cannabis consumers to be complicit in this pollution, and they are lying to their staff and the public about the laws in my state.
I think it is okay that there are bags available. I think they should be paper, and if they ARE going to be plastic, they should be much thinner (they are very thick bags). I think it's fine that their brand is on the bag.
What is not fine is that I am being forced to create environmental harm by engaging in legal consumer markets. That and the lying about it.
So what have I done?
In the last 4-6 weeks:
- Read the state law on Cannabis packaging
- Emailed the board trustees for the town the dispensary is in, asking for an ordinance to get the right to choose (nobody replied)
- FOIA'd for their environmental promises on their dispensary application (First request was denied. Second request was more specific and I'm awaiting reply)
- Emailed the state cannabis regulatory agency to check if my understanding of the law was correct (it is correct) and see if I have any rights or whatever
- Emailed my Police Chief, asking if they require sealed packages to be transported in disposable bags (Emailed last week, hoping for a reply)
Today:
- Emailed my State's Attorney General's office, complaining & asking about my rights and remedies
- Emailed my City's Clerk (asking her to direct my email to the correct person), asking if the city requires sealed cannabis packages to be transported in disposable bags
- Called the mayor of the town and left a voicemail
- put the next town board of trustees meeting on my calendar and emailed for details about where to attend and how to speak during public participation
And now I'm just pissed, impatient, and wanting to fix this problem (the lying and the unnecessary waste).
I picked up around 4:35pm. During the drive home, I became unreasonably angry. (I think anger is appropriate, but the intensity is unhealthy) It is 7:10pm now and I have pretty much been unable to stop thinking about it.
The actions I took helped. I also vented to my bestie in a voice message, in which I cussed and yelled. (The yelling & cussing was not directed at bestie. And afterward, I sent a text telling her she could skip it and that it is bad vibes and I sent a tldr in text form)
I made dinner and watched some commentary content and a Legal Eagle video about PDiddy. Not exactly happy content, but at least it's stuff that kind of pulled my attention out of my head... kinda.
I smoked weed after and then sat down to write this post.
I want to take more action RIGHT NOW, but I need to let my other actions process (wait for emails, go to the township meeting and speak, wait for the mayor to call me back).
I feel really impatient. Probably because I've been patient for many weeks already, and my patience is wearing thin. But also because I'm mentally ill and have an obsessive mind, and my emotions are unstable sometimes.
The actual solution is that they change their policy (AND STOP LYING). But these things take time, and I need to tend to myself in the meantime.
So here I am, 2 hours and 30 minutes later. I did about 15 minutes of work sending emails and making a phone call. And I've been unable to think about or really focus on anything else during this time.
A walk probably would help me decompress and clear my mind. But I have that feeling that tells me I'm not going to go on a walk. I just don't think it's gonna happen.
And on top of the obsessive thinking is this "I need to do something about it" feeling. I think that might be mania? That's usually the feeling behind my manic episodes.
P.S. 7:27 pm, I have finished re-reading and making minor edits. Posting this P.S. at 7:27pm. I hope I can settle down now.