Legalise cannabis?

[Guest seanfox778]

This is pretty funny.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/02/04/seattle-pot-vending-machine/22817375/

In all seriousness, with the money the two American States are making from this I can see it being legal here within 2 years. I just can't imagine our government not wanting a taste of that giant money pie.

[Steven]

High There! Weed smokers get their own dating app, dubbed 'Tinder for stoners'

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/high-there-weed-smokers-get-their-own-dating-app-dubbed-tinder-for-stoners-10028815.html

[purpleronnie]

This is pretty funny.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/02/04/seattle-pot-vending-machine/22817375/

In all seriousness, with the money the two American States are making from this I can see it being legal here within 2 years. I just can't imagine our government not wanting a taste of that giant money pie.

No chance, if we (like in the US)  had the ability for each county to decide their own laws it could be passed in various places, but a government to make it legal, I can't see that happening anytime soon.

[Guest seanfox778]

No chance, if we (like in the US)  had the ability for each county to decide their own laws it could be passed in various places, but a government to make it legal, I can't see that happening anytime soon.

I suppose I didn't take into account how their system works, I'm not great on the subject of politics if i'm honest. Is it basically the residents have a vote on subjects like this in their individual states so the people chose whether or not it became legal rather then the government?

[sphericalfox]

No chance, if we (like in the US)  had the ability for each county to decide their own laws it could be passed in various places, but a government to make it legal, I can't see that happening anytime soon.

 

Why can't they allow an area of a city? Police it locally with the taxes it raises, cos it costs a fortune to buy, and then feed the excess into the Treasury. Just highly regulate the industry.

[Detroit Blues]

I suppose I didn't take into account how their system works, I'm not great on the subject of politics if i'm honest. Is it basically the residents have a vote on subjects like this in their individual states so the people chose whether or not it became legal rather then the government?

 

At least in my state - Michigan, this issue has been brought up for a vote on a state referendum, where the citizens get to vote directly on the law. Right now, marijuana has been approved for medical use, but it has not yet come up for a vote on recreational use. There's a weird grey area on the substance being legal on a state level, but it is still considered a narcotic on the federal level. So commercial growers have been raided by federal law enforcement. A good documentary that depicts this issue is CNN's Inside Man episode about medical marijuana. You may remember Morgan Spurlock, who direct and narrates the show was from "Super Size Me."

 

I personally think it should be taxed and regulated the same as alcohol or tobacco. Right now it would be harder for an underage minor in Detroit to go buy a pack of cigarettes than it would be to find some pot on the street. Plus our state could desperately use the tax dollars associated with regulating it. It would also reduce the cost of imprisoning non-violent marijuana offenders who have either possessed or sold the substance. As you might know, the US has a ridiculous % of its own citizens imprisoned, and the cost to house these people is staggering. So the reduced cost and the increase tax revenue is a win-win.

Edited 6 February 2015 by Detroit Blues

[Guest seanfox778]

At least in my state - Michigan, this issue has been brought up for a vote on a state referendum, where the citizens get to vote directly on the law. Right now, marijuana has been approved for medical use, but it has not yet come up for a vote on recreational use. There's a weird grey area on the substance being legal on a state level, but it is still considered a narcotic on the federal level. So commercial growers have been raided by federal law enforcement. A good documentary that depicts this issue is CNN's Inside Man episode about medical marijuana. You may remember Morgan Spurlock, who direct and narrates the show was from "Super Size Me."

 

I personally think it should be taxed and regulated the same as alcohol or tobacco. Right now it would be harder for an underage minor in Detroit to go buy a pack of cigarettes than it would be to find some pot on the street. Plus our state could desperately use the tax dollars associated with regulating it. It would also reduce the cost of imprisoning non-violent marijuana offenders who have either possessed or sold the substance. As you might know, the US has a ridiculous % of its own citizens imprisoned, and the cost to house these people is staggering. So the reduced cost and the increase tax revenue is a win-win.

Thanks for your input, it's kind of like America is made up of 50 smaller countries, each state has its own laws and regulations. Like if you took some marijuana from Colorado and still had it when going to the next bordering state you could get arrested right?

That's why I think our government would be interested, all that extra money but on the other hand you imagine the reactions of people like Katy Hopkins who would be on every news channel condemning it. It wouldn't be worth legalising it here because of all the moaning and outcry as if it was being forced upon everyone to use it instead of being seen as an alternative to alcohol perhaps? I'm not really sure how it'd be marketed.

[Carl the Llama]

Thanks for your input, it's kind of like America is made up of 50 smaller countries, each state has its own laws and regulations. Like if you took some marijuana from Colorado and still had it when going to the next bordering state you could get arrested right?

That's why I think our government would be interested, all that extra money but on the other hand you imagine the reactions of people like Katy Hopkins who would be on every news channel condemning it. It wouldn't be worth legalising it here because of all the moaning and outcry as if it was being forced upon everyone to use it instead of being seen as an alternative to alcohol perhaps? I'm not really sure how it'd be marketed.

The marvellous thing about intoxicating substances like cannabis is they need very little advertising to sell well.  It's pretty much at the point where if people still genuinely believe that society will crumble at the legal sanctioning of the selling of plants, then the only way they can ever be satisfied otherwise is by going ahead and doing it anyway and make them deal with reality (ironically something cannabis is rather apt at helping you avoid) - even then I think it's a bit of a long shot that "they" will ever admit any misguidance if the empirical evidence already available on the matter isn't enough.  Man.

Edited 7 February 2015 by Carl the Llama

[Vacamion]

Check out Jon Snow's Twitter.

He did 2 balloons full of skunk as "research" and it didn't agree with him.

I know people who have caned it for years who wouldn't dream of doing 2 balloons full of skunk.

It's the equivalent of a teetotal person doing a bottle of voddy.

The programme about it will be a fascinating watch.

[Carl the Llama]

Baller.  I can't even do a full spliff in one sitting half the time.

[lavrentis]

yeah thats too much for him,

 

someone shudda just passed him a joint

[Buce]

Baller. I can't even do a full spliff in one sitting half the time.

Lightweight!

[Carl the Llama]

To be fair it's more a "nah I'm good for now, I'll let it rest for a few minutes, make the most of the spliff" kinda thing, rather than a "no please god someone take this away from me I'm dying" thing.

 

Case in point - I started the one I'm on now half an hour ago and I've still got 3/4 left more or less

Edited 17 February 2015 by Carl the Llama

[Carl the Llama]

In case you were interested tonight's menu is something called Illusion Haze, presumably named after the beautiful shimmering effect of the crystals densely coating each bud:

 

Lightly bitter floral notes play on your tongue first, with earthy undertones reminiscent of a polm-style hash. The effect is mostly cerebral with a light body high.  It's in the higher price bracket at 12€/g in a Rotterdam coffee shop (don't know what you'd pay for it in Amsterdam but I suspect more like 16€/g), but the strength of the effect means the foliage lasts for longer because you use less of it, hence me taking the best part of an hour over this spliff and counting.  In terms of effect it compares closely with the budget strain White Widow (7.50€/g), but delivering it at a higher potency.  If you're buying yourself a gram or two as a special occasion I'd say it's definitely worth the extra investment, however if you're going for the bulk purchase I will always recommend WW because it's so cheap, tastes nice, and is already more than strong enough for anyone planning to partake in heavy consumption anyway, the extra-strong strains like this one are treats to be reserved for when you explicitly have no plans of overdoing it.

 

4.5/5

[Leeds Fox]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZqYV9KKOZQ

There's my contribution to this thread.

Weed has a great deal of medicinal properties & is no more of a health threat than booze. I see no reason for it to be illegal.

Well it's a good job you're not a Do.... Oh wait!

I joke, this was the only input I had to the thread as I've never smoked the stuff, and know nothing about the long term side affects, except it supposedly makes you paranoid.

[Carl the Llama]

Who are you calling paranoid?

[ozleicester]

We cant even use it MEDICINALLY in this country... medicinally... for fvcks sake, you can legally obtain a myriad drugs that will obliterate your mind, but one that actually works for people suffering is illegal.

 

we actually had a guy be prevented from visiting his daughter as she lay dying in hospital. She was suffering enormously and he bought some Medcinall Marijuana and gave it tio her to releive her suffering, he was arrested and given an order to stay away from her and hospital.

 

http://www.northerndailyleader.com.au/story/2802957/man-charged-for-treating-child-with-cannabis-oil/

 

 

....what a pathetic backwards country Australia is becoming.

 

Equal Marriage - NO!

Action on climate change - NO!

Medicinal Marijuana - NO!

 

On the good side, we did "Knight" prince phillip... so thats good then.

Edited 18 February 2015 by ozleicester

[The Doctor]

Well it's a good job you're not a Do.... Oh wait!

I joke, this was the only input I had to the thread as I've never smoked the stuff, and know nothing about the long term side affects, except it supposedly makes you paranoid.

I'm not a medical doctor. The names a reference to doctor who but hopefully in a couple of years I'll be a doctor of chemistry (doing my masters now then taking time out to raise money to do a PhD)

I smoked it back in first year and found it quite overrated, bit boring in all honesty. Only really causes paranoia in high doses (although what a high dose is depends on the person), otherwise is just a bit of a soft, take it or leave it thing.

[lavrentis]

Weed is good for you

[Carl the Llama]

[Samilktray]

Did anybody watch Jon Snow whitey on channel 4 t'other night

[DennisNedry]

Since this thread was last bumped I have tried weed.

 

Less harmful than cigarettes if smoked with a vapouriser/bong.

 

I was a lot less emotionally charged/potentially aggressive on weed than I can be when drunk.

 

Make it legal and tax it. Makes a lot of sense imo.

[Carl the Llama]

This was on in the US last night: http://www.cc.com/full-episodes/osu6mz/the-nightly-show-march-4--2015---yes-we-cannabis-season-1-ep-01022

The link takes you to an episode of The Nightly show (the replacement for the slot vacated by the Colbert Report ) discussing this very issue.  You'll need a VPN blocker of sorts to watch it though - to anyone using Chrome I'd recommend Zenmate which is free and lets you choose which country you appear to be from to the host website.

 

 

Edit:  Actually on second thoughts don't bother.  I've just finished watching and it doesn't really get into any of the issues at all.

Edited 5 March 2015 by Carl the Llama

[lavrentis]

[BoneDog]