Should marijuana be legalised? (3 Viewers)

[Safiya]

Are you talkign about me?

how so?

I have heaps better stuff to do, i just happened to see this thread, full of ill informed fuckwits talking shit and i couldn't resist.

and your any better? you believe your smarter than most of these people in this room... you are not even prepared to view their opinion in any way but your own. If your gonna put som1 down go do it privately, not on a public forum

 

[sK...]

keep in mind that a drugs legal status has no bearing on its health risk.

Yup, taken.

But an illicit drug is ANY drug "taken not for the purpose for which it was prescribed"

 

[sK...]

and your any better? you believe your smarter than most of these people in this room... you are not even prepared to view their opinion in any way but your own. If your gonna put som1 down go do it privately, not on a public forum

yep. 'ken oath i'm better.

no, i'm not smarter.

I just don't make a comment ill informed of FACTS. I don't pretend to know shit i don't.
end of story.

 

[Safiya]

yep. 'ken oath i'm better.

no, i'm not smarter.

I just don't make a comment ill informed of FACTS. I don't pretend to know shit i don't.
end of story.

like i said before, egotistical and now i add aggravated, because you could do it alot nicer instead of putting people down.

 

[sped_kid01]

this probably sounds stupid to many of you, but i see no problem in recreation drug use

 

[Generator]

Slight bump, but I heard about the following case on Hack yesterday and I thought that some may be interested in this particular case and a revival of the decriminalisation debate in general.

FEDERAL GRAND JURY INDICTS MARIJUANA SEED DISTRIBUTOR;
CANADIAN WHO CALLS HIMSELF "PRINCE OF POT" ARRESTED IN COORDINATED U.S. - CANADA INVESTIGATION​

July 29 2005

MARC EMERY, 47, of Vancouver, B.C. was arrested by the RCMP and Halifax Police Department today on a warrant from the Western District of Washington. EMERY was indicted by a Federal Grand Jury in Seattle on May 26, 2005, after an 18 month investigation into the millions of dollars worth of marijuana seeds EMERY sold in person, over the internet and by mail. EMERY and co-defendants GREGORY KEITH WILLIAMS, 50, of Vancouver, B.C. and MICHELLE RAINEY-FENKAREK, 34, of Vancouver, B.C. are charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana, Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana Seeds, and Conspiracy to Engage in Money Laundering. The charges carry penalties of 10 years to life in prison.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington has filed an extradition request with Canada asking that all three defendants be brought to Seattle to stand trial. MARC EMERY has operated Marc Emery Direct since 1994, taking orders for marijuana seeds over the internet. According to his web site, EMERY has made more than $3 million annually, selling marijuana seeds. EMERY claims to stock the largest supply of marijuana seeds in the world and is considered the largest distributor of marijuana seeds. According to court filings, Emery seeds are associated with multiple illegal grow operations across the U.S. The Drug Enforcement Administration has traced Emery seeds to illegal grows in Indiana, Florida, California, Tennessee, Montana, Virginia, Michigan, New Jersey and North Dakota. An estimated 75% of the seeds EMERY sells are transported to the United States.

In addition to selling marijuana seeds, Marc Emery Direct provides customers with detailed written instruction on how to grow the seeds into marijuana plants. EMERY's business also sells equipment used to grow the seeds into marijuana, including specialized lights, fans and fertilizer.

EMERY has served time in Canada for illegally selling marijuana seeds. United States authorities want to stop the flow of seeds to grow operations.

"We are not going to turn a blind eye to Marc Emery's illegal multi-million dollar sales of marijuana seeds," said U.S. Attorney John McKay. "The grows that sprout from those seeds are often protected by armed criminals or rigged with lethal booby-traps. They do significant environmental damage, and fuel the organized crime and drug trade that destroys lives."

"The tentacles of the Mark Emery criminal enterprise reached out across North America to include all 50 United States and Canada," said Special Agent in Charge Rodney G. Benson of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). "Mr. Emery utilized the internet to sell his marijuana seeds throughout this country to customers no matter their age. He directed his business with efficiency, was motivated by greed, and will now be prosecuted for this illegal activity."

EMERY is a well known figure in Canada as publisher of Cannabis Culture magazine, and as a leader of the BC Marijuana Party. The charges filed today are not related to those activities but are the result of an extensive undercover investigation. EMERY sold large amounts of seeds both by mail and in person to undercover DEA agents.

An indictment contains allegations that have not yet been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), United States Postal Inspection Service and the Vancouver Police Department (VPD). Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg is prosecuting the case.

 

[MoonlightSonata]

My brother's history thesis is on the Marijuana Tax Act and the conspiracy which resulted in the western world's disdain for the drug, and the mostly unfounded stigma behind it (I too find it hard to detach from it)

I think the stats are something like 150,000 dead per year from alchohol in the US, where as it's zero from marijuana

 

[mr_brightside]

yes...it should .

 

[~TeLEpAtHeTiC~]

imo it shouldnt be decriminlised but there should be allowances made in so far as a person can keep on themselves a certain quanitity for personal use..
anything over this amount would be commercial..
still illegal and wont stop the problem completely but will lessen the 'blackmarketness' off it
its a victimless crime and its up to the individual to make the chioce to use it or not any consequences are theirs to deal with,
personally i feel its use has opened my mind up alot more and allowed me to ask alot more questions about the world (paranoia? the voices in my head say no!)... which definately helps in uni assessment... hah.. but thats me... i am not promoting its use..

 

[Xayma]

imo it shouldnt be decriminlised but there should be allowances made in so far as a person can keep on themselves a certain quanitity for personal use..
anything over this amount would be commercial..
still illegal and wont stop the problem completely but will lessen the 'blackmarketness' off it
its a victimless crime and its up to the individual to make the chioce to use it or not any consequences are theirs to deal with,
personally i feel its use has opened my mind up alot more and allowed me to ask alot more questions about the world (paranoia? the voices in my head say no!)... which definately helps in uni assessment... hah.. but thats me... i am not promoting its use..

Victimless if no one ever drives while under the influence of it.

I'm for very strict penalities if driven while under the effect (although will need a test that will detect it until at least the effects wear off) but for legalisation if it is only taken on one's property (so not in bars and the like).

edit: changed decrim to legalised because I believe that it should be taxed heavily to pay for the increase in costs by society for the user (eg mental health treatment)

 

[Comrade nathan]

yes alcohol can cause brain damage and liver problems, but marijuana is still more toxic

This is highly controversial area. There is alot of work done on marijuana and its effects, and many claim it is not as bad when compared to alcohol.

I believe that it should be taxed heavily to pay for the increase in costs by society for the user

I disagree, because then more money will go into policing these laws, it will eventually have to be fully privatised industry. When it becomes privatised it will then be a commerical drugs, so it will be heavily advertised, through some means or another. This will increase the numbers of users, and more people will need medical treatement for ill drug use.

In the present more people suffer from alcohol and tabacco use, more then marijuana. If i marijuana is legalised then with correct education there will not be a rise in users, as long as the drug is not comericalised.

 

[spell check]

the world would be a better place if alcohol and tobacco were illegal and marijuana was not

i don't see how anyone can disagree with that

 

[Generator]

Given that the injecting room has been discussed within this thread (from time to time), I didn't see much point in creating a new thread -

Liberal leader vows to close injecting room

 

[chookyn]

Why not? Everything else seems to be becoming legalised. Let's let society embrace self-destruction all the way.

 

[Soviet]

Comrades, marijuana is a symbol of the weak, decadent bourgeoise elements of capitalist society. It is addictive, can cause mental illnesses in the future, and depending upon the way it is ingested, can also lead to lung cancer. Clearly, comrades, we must ban this vicious substance.

 

[Götterfunken]

The problem with much of the research thus far in so much as 'is it [good|bad] for you is that the research has been "deeply flawed, with strong bias and poor methodology". Both sides are so desperate to present it as either a horrible substance, far worse then either alcohol or tobacco, while the contrasting side presents it as a panacea.

I think, due to its relative use amongst Australia we must accept the fact that it is not going to go away, and given the inconclusive nature of the research thus far, I don’t necessarily feel it should.

Thus, hiding our heads in the sand, as the government is doing now, and continuing their current attitudes is, I believe, not going to work. By ignoring the problem the government is potentially creating a situation for worse then it could be.

In way of a solution, I would like to quote something from an article about the Dutch drug policy:

“The drug policy of the Netherlands is based on two principles:
1. Drug use is a public health issue, not a criminal matter
2. A distinction between hard drugs and soft drugs exists

It is a pragmatic policy. Most policymakers in the Netherlands believe that if a problem has proved to be unstoppable, it is better to try controlling it instead of continuing to enforce laws that have shown to be unable to stop the problem.

…One of the main aims of this policy is to separate the markets for soft and hard drugs so that soft drug users are less likely to come into contact with hard drugs. This policy also aims to take the soft drug market out of the hands of the criminals, thus reducing crime.”

And while Cannabis is still technically illegal in the Netherlands, a policy of non-enforcement (even to the point of where “courts have ruled against the government when individual cases were prosecuted”) such a system seems to be better then the current system in Australia where drugs are seemingly viewed as a criminal matter, and although this view point has changed, it still could be improved with the end result of not only ensuring the safety of those who do consume the drugs, but also providing adequate health resources, and continuing to combat 'hard drugs' and the crime associated thereof.

In short, I do believe the legalisation, which would allow the government to ‘control’ and administer this situation in a more effective manner is the ideal solution. If we banned alcohol, people will still be drinking it, so isn’t it better for them to drink in places like bars where there are at least some regulations aimed at protecting their health?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_policy_of_the_Netherlands
http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2003/11/7/17557/6451
http://www.drugpolicy.org/global/drugpolicyby/westerneurop/thenetherlan/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marijuana#Long-term_effects_of_human_consumption

 

[Sonic]

No...no...no

it shouldn't isn't it bad enough that people can access it with laws in place how widespread will it be without laws..

 

[studynoob]

beer kills weed does not

weed indeed fucks you up
beer does it anyway

 

[katie_tully]

No it should not.

 

[Götterfunken]

it shouldn't isn't it bad enough that people can access it with laws in place how widespread will it be without laws..

Nothing in society is without laws; I don't think anyone is suggesting that by legalising it there will be no laws associated with it. Its like alcohol, which is still legal, but heavily legislated and regulated.