hippies rejoice

[ragnarcissist]

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/07/colorado-washington-pass-marijuana-legalization-oregon-says-no/

crazy, full legalization for recreational use in two states!!?!? this is a big step for anti-prohibitionists in this country. what are your thoughts?

[Psychosplodge]

Cheaper than enforcement, and you can tax it.

[Mr Mystery]

Plus it dispels much of the rebellion in smoking it.

[Wolfshade]

Cheaper than enforcement, and you can tax it.

Ain't that the truth, though with cannabis being so carcegenic maybe it was a bad move to provide free health care...

[Psychosplodge]

but they're providing that anyway, they still have the effects to deal regardless of the legality...

[Wolfshade]

True, I think the 21+ age limit is better, after all the links to youg users and schizophrenia is quite compelling

[eldargal]

Sensible, prohibition is insane. Under alcohol prohibition alcohol use in the US icnreased something like 3000% and the figure is even higher with marijuana and other illegal drugs.

[Wildeybeast]

True, I think the 21+ age limit is better, after all the links to youg users and schizophrenia is quite compelling

But like cigarettes, the age limit will just make it more alluring to kids, as well as being easier to get hold off.


Sensible, prohibition is insane. Under alcohol prohibition alcohol use in the US icnreased something like 3000% and the figure is even higher with marijuana and other illegal drugs.

A flawed example. That was the banning of a previously legal substance that was in common consumption amongst adult society. Decriminalising a substance which has been banned for quite some time is a different situation. Legalising it certainly won't reduce usage.

The only public benefit of this is that money goes to the government and legitimate businesses rather than funding crime.

[Wolfshade]

Also a lot depends on whether or not it is a "gateway" drug, which has not been conclusively proven one way or the other.

[Wildeybeast]

A fair point. If it's being sold by legitimate and controlled business rather than some shady looking bloke, you could make an argument to suggest it is actually less likely to be a gateway drug.

[chromedog]

True, I think the 21+ age limit is better, after all the links to youg users and schizophrenia is quite compelling

Some of those links deal with undiagnosed schizophrenia and teenagers and mj use. Some people get this reaction, some don't. It's not like they understand WHAT triggers it, but they can guess at it.

I had a schoolfriend where Schizophrenia was something present in his family (his mother, and one sister had it, actively expressed, but diagnosed and controlled through medication.
He was undiagnosed (but suspected of being latently schizophrenic) and after one weekend too many toking, he had a psychotic break and this is thought to have triggered his (up until that point) latent schizoid tendencies. We fell out over his "over-use" of his "recreational drug" use.

[Wolfshade]

It would certainly make it less "cool", also you can have higher quality products which are safer, by that I mean the person is smoking what they think they are rather than some dodgy alternative or something that has been blasted with posion chemicals or some such. Regulation and tax is the way to go. Plus healthy competition will drive down the price on the street making it more affordable to the poor and ill educated :D

[eldargal]

Marijuana was legal in the US in many states until the early 20th century. The comparison is quite apt. Hell in Britain you used to be able to buy all kinds of now illegal drugs over the counter at places like Fortnum and Masons.

[Psychosplodge]

Also, do hippies still exist? Are they not extinct yet?

[Wildeybeast]

Marijuana was legal in the US in many states until the early 20th century. The comparison is quite apt. Hell in Britain you used to be able to buy all kinds of now illegal drugs over the counter at places like Fortnum and Masons.

So it's been banned for a hundred years. Any demand caused by the sudden lack of access to it will have peaked long ago and it usage was nowhere near as widespread as alcohol. Legalising it will not decrease demand for it, if anything it has been legalised because of the demand for it.

[Wolfshade]

Bring back Opium, it didn't do the bard much harm, and look at the gun crime associated with it, none!

[eldargal]

So it's been banned for a hundred years. Any demand caused by the sudden lack of access to it will have peaked long ago and it usage was nowhere near as widespread as alcohol. Legalising it will not decrease demand for it, if anything it has been legalised because of the demand for it.
Don't be silly. The only reason most narcotics are as popular as they are is because they are 'cool'. There are very few genuine addicts in general and alcohol and tobacco are cheaper. There is also the fact that marijuana use and alcohol use after prohibition share an almost identical spike in usage going by most of the statistics I'eve seen, the issue isn't pre-banning demand but the glamour of forbidden fruit.

[Wildeybeast]

By that basis, it would be just as in demand and have just as high a usage rate amongst young people as cigarettes and tobacco. It doesn't because alcohol and tobacco are much easier for them to get hold of, so they use those. Legalising it would see a surge in use amongst young people, regardless of the age restrictions placed on it as it becomes more accessible.

The people who have voted to pass this legislation will fall into one of three categories. a)Those who already use it illegally b) those who want to use it but don't because it's illegal c) those who don't want to use it, but think others should be able to. They represent the majority of the population and none of those is going to lead to a fall in usage.

[eldargal]

Except once the gloss wears off because everyone can/is trying it it will normalise and only the people who really enjoy it will continue. In countries/states that have tried legalising narcotics the result has always been a decrease in use (http://ist-socrates.berkeley.edu/~maccoun/PsyBull1993.pdf) or no change at all.

[ragnarcissist]

i still dont get how they plan to get away with selling it over the counter, its still illegal by federal law after all... so anyone who does sell it, risks getting raided at anytime. the supreme court has to reverse it, or we will continue to over fund the DEA and fill our already packed jails with more non-violent criminals...

as much as i like both, alcohol is wayyyy worse for society than green

[wittdooley]

Also, do hippies still exist? Are they not extinct yet?

Yes, except now they're called hipsters and they're much more obnoxious.

[DarkLink]

Still illegal under federal law, though.

Edit: wildeybeast, it's not a debate that legalization reduces use. History has shown it repeatedly. Prohibition is probably the most famous example.

[Deadlift]

Why do drugs ? When you can eat steak.

[Psychosplodge]

Yes, except now they're called hipsters and they're much more obnoxious.

Oh is that what they evolve into?


Why do drugs ? When you can eat steak.

But what about a good pint to wash it down?

[Mr Mystery]

What I want to know is...

Do arsebrains smoke cannabis, or does smoking cannabis turn you into an arsebrain??

[DarkLink]

Eldargal did a thread on that. It offended someone, I forget who.

[ragnarcissist]

What I want to know is...

Do arsebrains smoke cannabis, or does smoking cannabis turn you into an arsebrain??


woah, get off your high horse (terrible pun) millions of people smoke and function normally in everyday life... even certain presidents have been known to partake...

[eldargal]

Eldargal did a thread on that. It offended someone, I forget who.
I vaguely remember that, lol. There is quite a bit of evidence that marijuana causes permanent damage, but so does alcohol if you drink enough of it and marijuana has plenty of legitimate uses (medical for one) so it still doesn't amount to justification for banning it. Not that I think you were arguing that, just saying so before someone things I'm contradictingymself over my earlier no-prohibition stance.:rolleyes:

[Wolfshade]

Why do drugs ? When you can eat steak.

^^ This

[Psychosplodge]

woah, get off your high horse (terrible pun) millions of people smoke and function normally in everyday life... even certain presidents have been known to partake...
Yes but of the Arsebrains among them, were they always arsebrains or have they over indulged? It didn't say everyone that smoked cannabis is an arsebrain...

[Drunkencorgimaster]

I'm in favor of legalization, but I don't think there is any doubt too much weed (or booze) can have a bad effect on the gray matter over the years. My brother-in-law is an anecdotal case in point.