Decriminalizing marijuana

[markedel]

Not having found this debate in the search engine I'm curious what people think about decriminalizing "soft drugs." I'm from Canada and there's been an ongoing debate about the issue. What do you think?

[Earniel]

I know the Netherlands have a pretty lose law about it. Here in Belgium the law is somewhat stricter. (and some find it totally useless) Some softdrugs are allowed but I can't remember which ones and in what quantities.

Personally I find it hard to decide. I believe that the fact that soft drugs are 'forbidden' makes some young people use it because it makes them look 'rebellious' and 'cool'. On the other had if you legalise soft drugs others will start using it because 'it's legal now so it can't be that bad'. I'm not sure if you can answer it with yea or nay.

[Treebeard's apprentice]

There's lots of sides to this issue, but let me tell you what I believe.

I've never tried marijuana or any other illegal drugs in my life, but I can't stop others from doing it. Niether, it seems most of the time, can the police. I think one of the main reasons many tenagers try it is because its illegal (here in the US, at least) and usually they can get away with it. Everyone I've known that has actually been busted for weed will just keep on smoking it, usually less than a week after getting caught.

There's so many anti-drug campaigns out there that it's impossible to ignore the negative effects of drugs. People will try it no matter what, so enforcing laws seems pointless. The only reason it's illegal is so that the law enforcement can keep their jobs. When Prohibition was started, a new group needed to be created to enforce the law. When Prohibition ended, instead of telling the enforcers to get new jobs, they just gave them something else to regulate: marijuana.

That's my opinion. I'll probably never try it in my life, but if someone else wants to, there isn't much I can say to change it. I don't care either way if it's legal or not.

[Lotesse]

Originally Posted by Treebeard's apprentice

The only reason it's illegal is so that the law enforcement can keep their jobs. When Prohibition was started, a new group needed to be created to enforce the law. When Prohibition ended, instead of telling the enforcers to get new jobs, they just gave them something else to regulate: marijuana..

This is an excellent point you've made, Treebeard's apprentice wherever you may be roaming now... and a viewpoint I very definitely agree with. Booze should be more regulated, Marijuana should be legalised. Does anyone realize how much more terribly destructive alcohol is compared with pot? There's almost no comparison. Just ask Cypress Hill!

[IronParrot]

So a headline story in Canada these past few weeks concerns one Marc Emery, decriminalization activist and leader of British Columbia's provincial Marijuana Party. He's been running a business dealing seeds online for some time, to customers from both Canada and abroad - technically illegal, but Canadian authorities never intervened.

About two weeks ago he was charged by the DEA and promptly arrested up here in Canada, and the United States government demanded his extradition. If extradited, he likely faces a life sentence to be served in the US. The decision hasn't made its way through the judicial system yet, so it's made for a huge international relations issue here.

Thoughts?

[Lotesse]

He's Canadian? Then what is the DEA doing screwing with him?! Freakin' U. S. government, what harm has he done the US? Honestly, pot busts are SO wrong, they ought to be putting money & effort in tracking down and busting the opium traders and coke importers, and leave the potheads alone.

[IronParrot]

Well, it's a question of legality, right? He has been selling pot seeds to American customers, and that's a direct violation of both domestic laws and international treaties. Is the question of whether or not busting marijuana is a thing worth pursuing even a factor?

There's no straight answer, hence the debate, but I'd lean towards no. It's one thing to push for a change in the laws that govern you, but violating them before they have been changed is not an appropriate way to go about it, nor is it effective.

[Nurvingiel]

Originally Posted by IronParrot

So a headline story in Canada these past few weeks concerns one Marc Emery, decriminalization activist and leader of British Columbia's provincial Marijuana Party. He's been running a business dealing seeds online for some time, to customers from both Canada and abroad - technically illegal, but Canadian authorities never intervened.

About two weeks ago he was charged by the DEA and promptly arrested up here in Canada, and the United States government demanded his extradition. If extradited, he likely faces a life sentence to be served in the US. The decision hasn't made its way through the judicial system yet, so it's made for a huge international relations issue here.

Thoughts?

There was a very interesting article in the Globe and Mail the other day. The author basically pointed out that if there was an American who used a website to sell Canadians handguns, we'd be pissed, and we'd want to try him in our courts, according to our gun control laws. It would be fair to ask for this - after all, this hypothetical American was selling guns in Canada. Our laws should be applicable to him.

Well, we have a Canadian who sold pot seeds in the States. Why is it unfair that they want to try him under their drug control laws? Granted, this starts to get highly complicated, but the USA isn't wrong for wanting to try him.

If he was selling pot seeds solely to Canadians, of course his trial would stay in Canada. Isn't international law tricky.

We insist that Americans obey our gun control laws on our side of the border, it's only fair we obey their drug laws on their side of the border.

[Sween]

been a pretty regular user of pot myself i personally feel that it should be decrimalised.

I smoke it pretty regually we often in mid week will smoke a load over a game of cards or summet. Me and my friends find it a plesent way to spend an evening. None of my circle of friends has ever felt the need to go on to do harder drugs (not that they have not been offred to us) but we are more than content just getting stonned.

I dont take the argueement to a point that if you smoke pot you will automatically be more likly to do harder drugs. i feel the main reason that people end up doing harder drugs is that fact that ash is illegal and to0 get it we have to through some pretty low people. if it were legal it would cut down the contact with dealers a lot.

As for harder drugs there is a distinct pattern from what iu can see. speed and E's have a strong connection (i know when i went to gatecrasher i was openly offred them on servral occasions) smack i have allways seen as summet completally diffrent because you have to coniolly take it. you allways have a choice with drugs i mwwill admit that one day i was offred it and i said no and that was the end of that. Unfortnally i have known people take it and trust me it is nothing but bad news that stuff.

But i like to judge everything on its own. and dont believe the way TV protrys pot its allways it makes you lazy and they often misreprsent it and that anoys me. I feel in many ways it populises it and creates a false impression of its powers which seems to me more damaging than been honest.

Has anyone else ever done it here? if so what do you think?

[osszie]

I've been known to *ahem* indulge in the occasional herbal ciggarette in the past

I believe that the law for cannabis should go in two different directions. It should be lowered for genuine users of the drug (they do of course hurt no-one but themselves) their punishment should be limited to a fine, less money in pocket, less dope in lungs. although the punishment should be upped for users under 18 yrs of age......more as a deterrent to stop kids experimenting with the stuff.

For the dealers I feel that the punishment should be harsher, it's the easiest way to get drugs off the streets. With harsher punishment the dealers will be more selective about who they sell drugs to (i.e. stop the dealers in the schoolyards etc).

I am very much against the full legalisation of cannabis. Look at the state of many people through the legal drugs, tobbacco and alchohol .......cannabis does have many damaging properties and I'm sure many of you who have spent time with smokers have seen what we called a "whitey" vomitting, raised blood pressure and hyperventilating caused by overindulgnece over a short period of time.............then of cause there is the classic zombie-like state (brain dead) that many cannabis smokers suffer from over a lengthened spell of misuse

I don't believe that using cannabis leads to addiction to other drugs, years ago I tried several kinds of chemical based drugs (Ecstacy, Speed, LSD) and they give you a totally different kind of "high" than cannabis.......someone with a cannabis habit (I don't believe it is addictive but it is certainly habit forming among many individuals) would find little or no satisfaction from other drugs. Chemical drugs tend to speed up the brain function while cannabis slows it down.

Taking chemical based drugs is a little like playing russian roulette. They are chemicals mixed by someone who is only after the maximum profit.........there could be anything in it!

A friend of mine suffered serious burns to her mouth after taking speed which was cut (mixed with) Ajax (a bleach based floor cleaner).......this she had bought from a dealer she had known for years, he just tried to got greedy ........... that was the last time I was tempted to take speed, or any other chemicals for that matter

[Sween]

with a name like ozzie i should of known uve done a few drugs in your time . In all seriousness a lot of dealers are scum. people who if they were on fire i would even........ well you get the picture.

This is such a hard one to weigh up because allthough pot itself is pretty harmless (as harmless as any drug is i personally rate it bellow alchol in terms of danger) de crimalizing it would cause a lot of problems.

how will the dealers suplement there income pot is pretty much the backbone of a dealers paycheck sure the others are higher priced but for shear quantaties theres nothing to match pot. Me and 6 mates smoked a 9 bar in 1 weekend . How will they get there money bk? they will have to resort to more forward methods of pushing the harder drugs.

there are however some plus sides to this. first let me explain that people will smoke pot regardless so stuff like been stonned at the wheel are pretty irrivent to me. But if pot were made legal it can be taxed and moderated and would be a bosst to the british farmer. it could also help prove the valueable resources needed to help tackle the hard drug industry. It would also stop wasteing police time and allow them to go after the harder stuff.

In england i think that the majority of well informed people are swinging to well they are not really swinging ne where to be honest they kinda dont want to see it legalised but dont really want it illegal no one really cares.

we all have the american teen movie image of the gang of stonners in the corner talking bull etc and yeh people will do stuff to excess but then people drink to excess and eat to excess and does something been illegal really change how we would use it?

[markedel]

I also smoke pot once in a while. That's why I'm curious. I'm of two sides on this-it isn't going to ruin your life, but it certainly can, and it does and can have a faiely powerful effect on someone. On the other hand getting high is no worse then being drunk, and the health risk is not much greater then say smoking. Certainly if it was regulated properly that would be better then currently, but decriminilization without regulation is IMHO pointless.

[crickhollow]

I tend to think that you move into dangerous ground anytime you relinquish control over your mind. Granted, I've never used drugs...
BTW, no choice has only to do with person...we constantly play a role in other people's lives based on the choices we make in our own.

[osszie]

Originally posted by crickhollow
I tend to think that you move into dangerous ground anytime you relinquish control over your mind.

that is very true, there are probably many people in jail because of their actions while high or drunk

Just say NO

(unless its a really good night then just say a little j/k)

[Erawyn]

I haven't quite made up my mind on this one. In a way I think maybe it would be safer if it was decriminalized, and probably less people would be tempted to take it. On the other hand though I am really against drugs in every way. My friends dad is kind of a pothead, and when he heard about it maybe becoming decriminalized here he got all excited and it really upset her. Marijuana is actually pretty harmful to your health, and using it doesn't just harm yourself, but people in your family, your friends etc.

[Dunadan]

Originally posted by Erawyn
Marijuana is actually pretty harmful to your health, and using it doesn't just harm yourself, but people in your family, your friends etc.

This is a good point, and one which a lot of potheads (myself included in the past) do not acknowledge.

There is a very tired old saw that says "dope isn't as bad for you as alcohol" Personally, I think that is untrue, and there is an increasing body of evidence to link cannabis use with personality disorders and psychosis. However, there is such a bogus culture around drugs use that users tend to believe what their friends rather than what some government scientist says. You can't blame them, when much so-called drugs education is so clearly nonsensical. A good start would be to tell the truth about them.

However, the most dangerous drug out there is legal: tobacco. If I caught my kids smoking a spliff, I would be most upset about the tobacco in it. I speak as an ex-smoker who is in the throes of giving up. It is by far the most difficult thing I have ever done.

Never mind cancer: smoke cigarettes and you might die gasping for breath, but not before your legs and arms have been amputated and you've spent years unable to walk to the toilet without needing oxygen.

[Millane]

nup i cant talk from experiance like so many of you can but i do have my own opinions and here goes
i think that pot even if more harmful to you it isnt as harmful to family friends etc and therefore is more of a choice thing (or should be) i just think there isdifferences between Alcohol Tobacco Marijuana but who draws the line. Nevertheless it is dangerous and it is harder to get where i live if it is illegal. to get it you have to travle to melbourne( bout 2 hours away) and that certainly keeps it down...
as for the other drugs (ecstasy speed etc) there are goods and bads about if that was to be legalised. GOOD POINT: nowadays drugdealers cut a lot of the stuff with flour, tranquilisers and all other sorts of crap and if it was legalised it would have a tighter control and only pure stuff would be sold keeping it as undamaging to the health as possible GOOD POINT: governments could tax it BAD POINT: DEATH AND CRIME...
just my views

[Spock]

My thoughts are confused.
For those whom it would help, glaucoma victims and others suffering various ailments, I say decriminalize.

For the rest of us, hey, it's great in baked goods.

[Khamûl]

I'm against it, even for medicinal purposes. Not only are drugs bad, but then you'd have a lot of people saying, "Thank God I have arthritis."

[BeardofPants]

My uncle Freddie uses it for his back pain. I don't think I'd like to be around him if he didn't have that small mercy.