I haven't kept up with this thread much, just glanced through now and then, but thought I might join in the discussion about....my favorite blend...
I'm the only one in my band who partakes, I don't touch it onstage or bring it to practice, and the guys know it. I was actually gigging with these same guys when I stopped burning one before a gig years ago. Went to a gig one night, had a very small piece of one and decided to save it for the ride home. Played better than I had in months, I'd been having trouble concentrating, which had never happened before. So I realized it and stopped.
By contrast, I played for a living for around 8 years or so, usually 5 nights a week, and nobody ever saw me play straight. I left Baton Rouge in the late 80's with a reputation as one of the best guitar players in the area. Was doing a lot of fill in gigs, which really keeps you on your toes. Meet the band, 30 minutes later I'm onstage with them...no idea what they'll play, what key it might be in, nothing...I had to wing it many nights, and nobody ever knew I was not exactly what they might consider normal. And a lot of these bands were more country than anything else, most tried to hire me full time before the night was over. A good friend recommended me for these gigs, and always told them I could play anything. So he always set the bar pretty high and I had to deliver. And I did, stoned.
Then all of a sudden, I'm losing my concentration onstage, getting lost, missing chords and leads...things I had never ever done. I had no problem learning the material, I hate to practice at home but I did because I had songs to learn, and if I don't practice, they know it. So I did my homework. Left the weed at home during band practice, I was the only guy in the band that was into that, didn't want anyone else in trouble for my actions. I drove to gigs by myself, but usually had one before the gigs. That stopped when I realized what was happening. It took one night onstage straight for me to figure out what was going on.
I still like to have something for the ride home, haven't seen any in at least a year so it's not an issue at the moment, but never onstage or at practice, and it's been a strong rule for 20 years or more NEVER bring it if I ride with someone else. Period. No reason for them to get in trouble for what I do.
I talked to a guy in Louisiana who had that problem with his band. He didn't mind it in general, but he had kicked several people out of his band for breaking the no drugs rule. He said...
1. People get wasted onstage and can't keep up. That applies especially to alcohol. (I've seen that myself dozens of times) They also get highly addicted to the hard stuff and that affects the whole band. And not in a positive way.
2. If I get pulled over on the way home, the cops will drag everything out of my vehicle and trailer if one person has anything at all, and I get hauled off to jail for his stupidity. Truck, trailer and equipment all gets impounded, if I get off the hook at all it costs me a lot of money to get it all back.
So he didn't want it in his band at all, and rightfully so. And people never failed to think he didn't mean it or they could get away with it...He'd know before long and they would be fired.
He had a hard time keeping a band together, but he did it that way for his own protection and the protection of other band members who did choose to stay straight. I agree completely and I keep it away from the band I'm in for the same reasons.
It's not about whether pot is legal, it's about keeping other people out of trouble for something they didn't do. The way the laws work these days, if you ride with someone else and get busted with anything at all, even a piece of a doobie a half inch long, the owner of the vehicle can and will be charged with it as well, his vehicle impounded, his house probably searched, and his personal property possibly confiscated. It's just plain wrong to subject someone else to that.
I'm a member of the BOMB SQUAD.
If you see me running, better catch up!
http://billy-griffis-jr.artistwebsites.com/