KRMH must have started in '71 or I somehow missed it. Things were changing fast in 70. Herbert's, Mosscliff and Rivendell hadn't opened yet. Gil's was peaking back then. A gil-a-monster, fries and tea was standard issue for the munchies. Amazingly, pretty much redneck landlords were willing to rent to hippies. And rent was damn cheap. Hundred bucks ABP for a two bedroom house. You could feel change in the air. The kickers seemed to vanish overnight (ghost riders in the sky). And the few you saw were actually friendly. Vets, myself included, were riding the GI bill and smoking weed on the government dime. I remember one old coot looking down from the top of the stairs in front of old main during class change saying "what the hell happened, it looks like it must have rained hippies". Hair grows fast.
Dirty hippies- everybody puts down any group they don't like. Ever hear of a "cowboy shower"?, After rodeo, P.E., whatever, those guys would change to another starched shirt and starched jeans without a shower, but they'd soak themselves with Jade East cologne. That weird, sweet, superpowerful smell could knock a vulture off a s*** wagon at a hundred yards.
Tie dye- In the 60's and early 70's only narcs wore tie dyed shirts. It has slowly and strangely grown more popular since then.
Love beads- never knew any hippie guys who wore them. A few girls.
Lazy hippies- even in SM you had to do something to survive, unless you were on the GI bill. Many hippies became craftsmen, and the best in many construction trades. Stone(d) masons created much rock art from 75-86.
Some became great gardeners.
Hippies became yuppies- not one I knew. Some former longhaired, dope smoking, rich kids transformed into coke tooting yuppies. They were just being trendy. Yuppie was a more natural fit for them anyway.
Media image- movies, tv, whatever, distort for effect and because those involved are subject to the same ignorance and misconceptions as others. Hence, the dirty, lazy, love beaded, tie-dyed, "far out, groovy, peace man" hippie caricature.
Seems like a good time to do this after your lead in, Philby.
1. Marijuana (MJ) is addictive - One of the defining characteristics of MJ is that it is not addictive. People with addictive personalities can have a problem with MJ or anything else.
2. MJ is a gateway drug - The whole concept of a gateway drug is false. Most MJ users don't do any other drugs. The strongest correlation between use of a drug and using "stronger" drugs is with alcohol and tobacco. There is no proof even there, it might be a spurrious correlation.
3. MJ makes you stupid - Stupid people, when stoned, will stand out more and thus become a stereotype.
4. MJ will make you more creative - Only if you're already creative.
5. MJ will make you lazy - It's used to energize oneself in many cultures and on many jobsites here. If you're too tired or just out of shape, yes.
6. MJ will make you paranoid - Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you. Whatever you feel can be magnified while high. Play some music. Don't smoke where it's not safe.
7. MJ causes brain damage - Total BS. The only long term study on heavy usage (Coptic Study) showed no brain difference between users and non-users.
8. MJ causes lung cancer or any other physical problems - No scientific study that is repeatable and verifiable has proven any negative effects of MJ.
9. MJ makes men grow breasts - One can only imagine that they were trying to plumb the depths of public ignorance or gullibility. I only mention this because there are a number of obviously absurd claims about MJ.
10. MJ can kill you - There is no lethal dose of MJ/THC. Cops, DEA etc. especially if cranked up on speed, might do so, be careful.
A couple of excellent references are:
"Ganja In Jamaica", Vera Rubin
"The Emperor Wears No Clothes", Jack Herer
Any discussion of hippie days would have to include those marijuana myths. But, you left out the biggie that gets dragged out to explain why decrim was okay in the seventies but not now. 'Marijuana now is at least TEN times stronger than it used to be'.
Granted, home growers have tried to maximize yield and value by developing more potent hybrids. And many have done quite well in that regard. The Dutch have assisted with highly developed seeds. But the truth is that most grass on the market today is still your standard mexican dirt weed ranch stash, almost identical to average weed in the 70's. They also fail to mention the incredible early Columbian and Thai strains that are the equal or better of anything available now.
Technology is another factor. It is now possible to test for THC more accurately. However THC alone is not what gets you high. There are cannabinoids and cannabinoils that by their proportion to THC (pretty much equal amounts are best) determine the quality of the high. If the proportion is right, weed with low THC content can get you a lot higher than weed with a lot of THC that's out of balance with the 'oids and 'oils.
The biggest factor in the 10 X stronger argument is that it is another drug war lie. The drug war has become an industry with high profits and lots of jobs. We're all for jobs and profit, right.
I'm for legalization, but I wouldn't say it is harmless. Few things are, though.
I knew a guy who smoked quite a bit and he would just talk to himself for hours and days on end. About anything. If other people talked to him, he'd talk to them, but he'd keep talking to himself at the same time. It was freaking weird.
I'm for legalization, but I wouldn't say it is harmless. Few things are, though.
I knew a guy who smoked quite a bit and he would just talk to himself for hours and days on end. About anything. If other people talked to him, he'd talk to them, but he'd keep talking to himself at the same time. It was freaking weird.
Maybe it was just a coincidence.
Some crazy people self medicate, pot is a much better home remedy than alcohol for most mentally disturbed people.
It was a mistake to assume (or even speculate) that the pot made him crazy. He could have been self-medicating or he could have just liked to smoke pot. Plenty of normal people do.
He sure was crazy, though. Just talking to himself all day long.
Regardless of the drug, it's always the freaking idiots who stand out and ruin it for others. He might have been doing other drugs too. It's also possible that he would have been worse straight.
The only harm possible using marijuana is smoke. Any smoke in your lungs will do some harm. Strangely, a study from the early 90's showed that smoking weed lessened the damage to lung tissue in people who also smoked tobacco. Go figure.
Once again technology has created a solution, vaporizers. They eliminate most of the useless smoke and make the stash last longer because you use less. Biggest drawback is that a good vaporizer will set you back over $500.
See Vaporizer on Wikipedia for a better explanation of how one works.
Legalization would be nice but I doubt if it'll happen in my lifetime.
Bars didn't come to San Marcos until about 74 (maybe 73). The first bar I knew of was the Nickel Keg half a block south of the square on LBJ. The city was in a "dry precinct" before that. The closest place to drink or buy booze was out 123 five miles at the county line. OST was out there, along with several liquor stores. Not a trip many hippies made. Socializing before bars was going to a friends house. Usually there was a designated hang out, normally a single guy's place, but not always. Preferably somewhere with a little privacy. A classic example was the "Psychotic Vet's Lodge #2" garage apartment behind Taco Torch. It was extremely rare not to be offered a joint when you walked in. You learned a lot about music because everyone would play their latest favorite record. Discussion was about the war, politics (local, college and national), weed and everything college students and hangers on still talk about today. SM was definitely uncrowded and much more laid back. Gil's Broiler and the nearby GM Steakhouse were popular with all students. When you walked into the GM the owner would yell "your order, please" before you could look up at the menu. He freaked out a lot of people. Hill's restaurant on the highway was a favorite of the greeks. Pic-a-Taco on Guadalupe was the only mexican food place I knew of back then. San Marcos was a totally different and in my opinion better place before bars, but then I don't drink.
I have tried for weeks to get dates specific to the events of which you speak on this thread to fill in all the blanks. I'm amazed how little info there is on sm on the net. Same for restaurant info. Most references to long gone restaurants are on here or out of date dining review sites. The dba list was useless, the nra (nat'l restaurant assoc.- eating out is fun) didn't know, bbb useless, the daily rec useless. San Marcos in the 60s and 70s is a black hole on the net.
One incomplete site on the McCrocklin affair. None on the dean who was run off. Nothing on the burning of the rotc bldg. to protest the war.
I thought you guys couldn't remember for the ahem usual reasons. But this is like the quest for the holy grail. If I ever find anything Ill jump back in. Don't hold your breath.
Linear Mode
