DEATH OF THE HIPPIE MAY HAPPEN TUESDAY

It could happen on Tuesday. Finally. The end of the '60s
counterculture. All of us aging hippies and unrepentant cannabis
connoisseurs will be forced to face the fact that "we" are "them." If
Prop. 19 passes, and California legalizes the recreational use of
marijuana, we must face the (rock) music and accept the fact that the
counterculture is now the mainstream culture.

There have been warning signs for years. Bill Clinton, the first Baby
Boomer president, broke the ice when he admitted having smoked pot.
But then, in one of the defining moments of his political career,
Clinton claimed he didn't inhale.

Then someone asked Barack Obama if he inhaled and he replied, "Wasn't
that the point?" Then he admitted snorting cocaine, and a great nation yawned.

Legalized marijuana has been sneaking its way into our lives for
several years now via another mainstay of the '60s counterculture -
alternative medicine. When acupuncture didn't do the trick, a few
tokes of medicinal marijuana were there to cure whatever ailed us.

There were other signs. Yoga classes at corporate headquarters.
Organic veggies at Safeway. Holistic health guru Andrew Weil and his
bushy beard making it onto the cover of Time magazine, not once, but twice.

Let your freak flag fly! Jimi Hendrix asked, "Are you experienced?"
and before we knew it, everyone was looking for mind-blowing
spiritual experiences, with or without the acid. Spiritual, but not
religious. Eastern mysticism, watered down for mass consumption, was
dished up by Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer and the rest of the gang on
prime-time PBS. Marijuana is only the first step.

Pretty soon, your doctor may be prescribing Orange Sunshine. The
federal government just authorized a research project in which
shrinks are giving ecstasy - the psychedelic drug that fueled a
million raves - to Iraq war veterans returning with post-traumatic
stress disorder. Timothy Leary's not dead.

Getting stoned is now good for us. It's even good for the economy!
Prop. 19 will create jobs, broaden the tax base, fight crime and
restore America to greatness.

This cultural shift had to happen eventually. The year 2010 marks the
time when we are closer to 2060 than to 1960. It's time to
moveon.org. There's a whole generation with a new explanation. I'm
not sure what its explanation is, but it's time for someone to start
reminding us not to trust anyone over 30.