Pubdate: Wed, 04 Oct 2006
Source: Manitoban, The (CN MB, Edu)
Copyright: 2006 The Manitoban Newspaper Publications Corporation
Contact:  http://www.themanitoban.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2665
Author: Morgan Modjeski

HIGH SOCIETY

My Stumble Upon The Promised Land

I have recently stumbled upon one of the most interesting places I 
have ever been. It all started while walking through University 
Centre. As I was putting something into my bag, I spotted a small 
white business card on top of one of the many garbage cans. I picked 
it up, and saw that it read "420" on top of a giant weed leaf. It 
also listed an address and a phone number. Me, being the pot 
enthusiast that I am, pocketed the card and took note to make further 
inquires on this strange stoner business card. When time allowed I 
examined the card more closely, and noticed that the address was 
nearby. I decided to check out what this place was. I quickly bought 
a gram of Winnipeg's finest and headed down to whatever this address 
had in store.

I stepped inside to see a bright orange wall covered in blue and 
black paintings of every famous musician from Bob Marley to Rob 
Zombie. I thought to myself 'what is this place?'

When I arrived, the place was tactfully out of sight and adapted to 
its surroundings. There was no obvious giveaway that this store had 
anything to do with weed, except for the Canadian flag that had the 
maple leaf replaced with a large red marijuana leaf. It was only 
noticeable if you have the right kind of eyes; any square walking by 
would surely mistake it for the flag of Canada. The bright neon sign 
in the window read "open" and I made my way inside.

When you enter the place there is a small room that eventually leads 
to another door. The second door actually led into a bigger space; I 
could see it through the window. I reached for the handle and pulled 
the door open. Immediately, the smell of reefer overcame me; I was 
knocked back by the intense smell of burning marijuana. I stepped 
inside to see a bright orange wall covered in blue and black 
paintings of every famous musician from Bob Marley to Rob Zombie. I 
thought to myself, "what is this place?"

The first person to notice my arrival was actually my good friend 
Fehr*. He was holding a joint and sucking on it wildly when he saw 
me. His first words to me were, "What the fuck?" He then asked me how 
I was doing and introduced me to the owner. The owner, who was now 
taking a hit, quickly inhaled and said his name was Morris*. He said 
it in an out-of-breath sort of voice and released a huge amount of 
smoke from his mouth. He then looked at me and passed me the tightly 
rolled joint; I took it in my hand and sucked on it like a cigarette. 
I passed it on to one of the other stoners around the shop and then 
exhaled a huge cloud of the pungent white smoke. The feeling was one 
I was familiar with but the setting was not. The store consisted of 
three cases, all filled with random marijuana paraphernalia. In the 
back of the store there were a couch and three chairs, all occupied 
by stoners passing around a joint.

The store was colourful and sent off good vibes on all fronts. It 
seems that this place got left behind by society, or left society 
behind. Whichever it was, I was right in the centre of it. This place 
was crawling with all sorts of interesting people, from tattooed 
freaks to the mellowest hippies, all under one roof. This was a place 
where all stoners can come and unite. A place in which it truly does 
not matter who you are or where you came from. This place's only 
concerns are that you're a good person and that you smoke dope. These 
people are a strange breed, one that started their own kind of 
society. A society in which pot is the main focus. A truly "High Society."

* Names have been changed for privacy reasons.
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