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Drug use should be decriminalized

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/oct/15/decriminalise-drug-use-say-experts?fb=optOut

Nothing will come out of it, unfortunately.

We (Canadians) already had a Senate led research telling us exactly the same thing... And it was properly dismissed by the very government that had ordered it.

Unfortunately, legalization doesn't bring enough voters to the urn, so no one (except the NPD here, and even that, it's only in some areas) are willing to voice their support of it. Too much to potentially lose, too little to gain.

 Kovnik Obama wrote:
Nothing will come out of it, unfortunately.

We (Canadians) already had a Senate led research telling us exactly the same thing... And it was properly dismissed by the very government that had ordered it.

Unfortunately, legalization doesn't bring enough voters to the urn, so no one (except the NPD here, and even that, it's only in some areas) are willing to voice their support of it. Too much to potentially lose, too little to gain.

tell that to The Czech Republic

they made simple possession of all "drugs" legal, and they are loving life. Less crime, more help for addicts, less money wasted on worthless endeavors. All around they love the fact they did it

Too many people making money from the drug war, I don't see much hope for anything changing soon.

Of course some countries already legalized drug possession and use. But it was either done in a culture that was already quite used to it, or one that hadn't associated a huge stigma to it.

Or possibly one where such personnal liberties were considered very important.

My point being that such studies won't change anything, because politicians only use studies when it's to their benefit.

Legalize weed... tax/regulate it like a vice (ala, ciggies and alcohols).

States would make soooo much money, that the local government would loath to kill that revenue stream...

Case in point: See California... it aint going anywhere...

Portugal decriminalized drug use back in 2001, and the results 10 years later has been nothing but positive for the country.

Their approach to a holistic fix, i.e. counseling and help, work far better than sticking people in jails.

We can't do it here, or we'll lose all our prison labor

 Samus_aran115 wrote:
We can't do it here, or we'll lose all our prison labor

What prison labor?

Kovnik Obama wrote:Nothing will come out of it, unfortunately.

We (Canadians) already had a Senate led research telling us exactly the same thing... And it was properly dismissed by the very government that had ordered it.

Unfortunately, legalization doesn't bring enough voters to the urn, so no one (except the NPD here, and even that, it's only in some areas) are willing to voice their support of it. Too much to potentially lose, too little to gain.

Apparently BC is something like 75% in favour of not just decriminalizing it, but legalizing it. However, this means nothing as the issue is a federal matter.

Nothing will come out of it, unfortunately.

We (Canadians) already had a Senate led research telling us exactly the same thing... And it was properly dismissed by the very government that had ordered it.

Unfortunately, legalization doesn't bring enough voters to the urn, so no one (except the NPD here, and even that, it's only in some areas) are willing to voice their support of it. Too much to potentially lose, too little to gain.

The liberals also recently came out on the side of decriminalizing at the very least and I think Bob Rae mentioned that he would legalize it. If Trudeau wins both the Leadership and next election I think there is a very good chance we will see it legalized.

I actually just voted against legalizing weed here in Colorado in America land, I'm for legalization but I think it needs to be done federally not locally.

For the record I don't smoke pot or intend to, alcohol is vice enough for me.

 whembly wrote:

 Samus_aran115 wrote:
We can't do it here, or we'll lose all our prison labor

What prison labor?

um, really?

https://www.google.com/search?q=privatized+prison+industry&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&client=firefox-a#hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=YSt&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&q=private+prison+industry&sa=X&ei=VYeTUIjlHKXUiwLf6oCoDg&ved=0CB4Q7xYoAA&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=525df9d0db58cfce&bpcl=37189454&biw=1024&bih=605


look into America's prison system and the private sector. More and more private prisons popping up, some for kids. There was a case about kids for cash, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kids_for_cash_scandal, this is what happens when you privatize prisons. If they aren't full they aren't profitable. Oh yea, all sorts of companies use these slaves to make their goods. Does your girlfriend, or the one you dream of, wear Victorias Secret? Chances are some guy locked up for rape or god knows what made her panties. http://www.thenation.com/article/your-valentine-made-prison#


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 KalashnikovMarine wrote:
I actually just voted against legalizing weed here in Colorado in America land, I'm for legalization but I think it needs to be done federally not locally.

For the record I don't smoke pot or intend to, alcohol is vice enough for me.

for the record

change happens at a state wide level



OR,(Oregon) legalized liquor BEFORE the US did


just saying



power is in the State's hand, or at least it was, and still should be

Study after study comes to the same conclusion yet nothing will be done about this for decades,. The 'war' on drugs has become politically sarcosanct even if it is a costly failure.

Decriminalising may be a better way but legalisation? no way.

Why would governments seek to legalise another narcotic when there is already pressure on tobacco and alcohol?

It just wont happen, regardless of studies and 'popular' opinion.

 Mr. Burning wrote:

Why would governments seek to legalise another narcotic when there is already pressure on tobacco and alcohol?

Tax revenues?

Palindrome wrote:

 Mr. Burning wrote:

Why would governments seek to legalise another narcotic when there is already pressure on tobacco and alcohol?

Tax revenues?

Also in theory, fewer deaths and less money spent on prisons and police enforcement.

Have to be careful on this one as drug cartels get alot of money from the illicit drug trade. What do they do when drugs become decriminalized?

 BuFFo wrote:
Portugal decriminalized drug use back in 2001, and the results 10 years later has been nothing but positive for the country.

Their approach to a holistic fix, i.e. counseling and help, work far better than sticking people in jails.

The jails is a big problem here in the US. The US incarceration rates are nearly 5* as much as the UK. Does the US have 5* as many bad people? Probably not. In all likelyhood the US just has a much harsher procecustion rate for the "Drug War"

One of the problems that the US has is that many prisons are private contractors. They are making money from the taxpayers to keep kids in jail for pot charges.
To make things worse, they have lobbyists...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_incarceration_rate

Palindrome wrote:

 Mr. Burning wrote:

Why would governments seek to legalise another narcotic when there is already pressure on tobacco and alcohol?

Tax revenues?

Alcohol and tobacco are taxed and yet we are doing all we can to make it harder to purchase and with tobacco marginalise users.
Again, Cannabis will not be legalised whilst we (in the uk) are fighting to decrease the use of legal narcotics such as tobacco (with the resultant decrease in tax revenues this will bring).

 Mr. Burning wrote:

Palindrome wrote:

 Mr. Burning wrote:

Why would governments seek to legalise another narcotic when there is already pressure on tobacco and alcohol?

Tax revenues?

Alcohol and tobacco are taxed and yet we are doing all we can to make it harder to purchase and with tobacco marginalise users.
Again, Cannabis will not be legalised whilst we (in the uk) are fighting to decrease the use of legal narcotics such as tobacco (with the resultant decrease in tax revenues this will bring).

No matter what the substance, if it provides tax income then the government has to tread a fine tightrope. They have to protect the tax income (because, lets face it, if it isn't on your pint of lager they are going to have to do the nasty thing and lump it somewhere else) because otherwise they lose money, and simultaneously appease the public health folks by discouraging people from imbibing in the substance in question. As far as governmental policy goes it's a fine line.

The main problem that causes the issue is the human tendency to abuse the gak out of something instead of taking it steady and enjoying it once or twice. The whole thing around booze is because instead of having a glass of wine/pint of beer or two a week and 'having a blowout' very infrequency, we have become a culture where it is perfectly acceptable to get absolutely blotto every weekend and go around punching phone boxes.

I'll never use it, but i have no problem with legalizing marijuana.

Require a license or whatever that tobacco growers need, tax it, move on.

 WarOne wrote:

Palindrome wrote:

 Mr. Burning wrote:

Why would governments seek to legalise another narcotic when there is already pressure on tobacco and alcohol?

Tax revenues?

Also in theory, fewer deaths and less money spent on prisons and police enforcement.

Have to be careful on this one as drug cartels get alot of money from the illicit drug trade. What do they do when drugs become decriminalized?

Perhaps that may depend upon the price of the legalised drug in question. Cigarettes, football shirts, DVDs, alcohol and the likes are all perfectly legal, yet criminals continue to sell counterfeit versions of these; it's possible that they'd continue selling drugs, but aiming to undercut the market.

 Mr. Burning wrote:

Why would governments seek to legalise another narcotic when there is already pressure on tobacco and alcohol?

What pressure on alcohol?

Perhaps that may depend upon the price of the legalised drug in question. Cigarettes, football shirts, DVDs, alcohol and the likes are all perfectly legal, yet criminals continue to sell counterfeit versions of these; it's possible that they'd continue selling drugs, but aiming to undercut the market.

While true, the profit margins for such things is far far lower than what it is for illegal drugs right now. That said, I don't remember the last time I heard someone getting roughed up when they bought a counterfiet football shirt.

 kronk wrote:

 Mr. Burning wrote:

Why would governments seek to legalise another narcotic when there is already pressure on tobacco and alcohol?

What pressure on alcohol?

Alcohol is the new gateway to crime and unhappy homes etc yadda yadda yadda.

 Mr. Burning wrote:

 kronk wrote:

 Mr. Burning wrote:

Why would governments seek to legalise another narcotic when there is already pressure on tobacco and alcohol?

What pressure on alcohol?

Alcohol is the new gateway to crime and unhappy homes etc yadda yadda yadda.

I see what you're saying. I see a lot more "Don't Drink and Drive" ads and all of the beer commercials are tossing in a "Drink responsibly" line at the tail end of the commercials.

I thought you meant something more along the lines of people pushing for prohibition or something else extreme, which I haven't been seeing.

There is a lot of pressure on tobacco, though. No smoking in restaurants, no smoking in bars in some cites, and so on. I wonder if that will ever go to a complete prohibition. Not that I care either way.

 Mr. Burning wrote:

Alcohol is the new gateway to crime and unhappy homes etc yadda yadda yadda.

I would hardly call that pressure. Substance misuse is a public health issue and the public needs to be informed but alcohol and tabacco are not going to be made illegal.

 DIDM wrote:
Drug use should be decriminalized

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/oct/15/decriminalise-drug-use-say-experts?fb=optOut

6 years wasted to find the obvious.

 Ratbarf wrote:

Nothing will come out of it, unfortunately.

We (Canadians) already had a Senate led research telling us exactly the same thing... And it was properly dismissed by the very government that had ordered it.

Unfortunately, legalization doesn't bring enough voters to the urn, so no one (except the NPD here, and even that, it's only in some areas) are willing to voice their support of it. Too much to potentially lose, too little to gain.

The liberals also recently came out on the side of decriminalizing at the very least and I think Bob Rae mentioned that he would legalize it. If Trudeau wins both the Leadership and next election I think there is a very good chance we will see it legalized.

Well, I guess that makes two reasons to like the guy (what with him ready to boxe other politicians).


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 azazel the cat wrote:

Kovnik Obama wrote:Nothing will come out of it, unfortunately.

We (Canadians) already had a Senate led research telling us exactly the same thing... And it was properly dismissed by the very government that had ordered it.

Unfortunately, legalization doesn't bring enough voters to the urn, so no one (except the NPD here, and even that, it's only in some areas) are willing to voice their support of it. Too much to potentially lose, too little to gain.

Apparently BC is something like 75% in favour of not just decriminalizing it, but legalizing it. However, this means nothing as the issue is a federal matter.

Yeah, the NPD made a rally on the subject during the last leadership run (or was it the federal election, I'm unsure now).

You guys are getting my hopes up.

 Mr. Burning wrote:

 kronk wrote:

 Mr. Burning wrote:

Why would governments seek to legalise another narcotic when there is already pressure on tobacco and alcohol?

What pressure on alcohol?

Alcohol is the new gateway to crime and unhappy homes etc yadda yadda yadda.

it's not the new one


it's time tested and TRUE


drunk folks do incredibly stupid things

stoned folks eat junk food and laugh at the TV


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 AustonT wrote:

 DIDM wrote:
Drug use should be decriminalized

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/oct/15/decriminalise-drug-use-say-experts?fb=optOut

6 years wasted to find the obvious.

Common sense, what the feth is so common about it?

yea, it is sad that we need to waste money to realize we are wasting money on something