Good idea in my book, much safer than alcohol, would be good for the economy and no suggestion it would spike a rise in crime (crimes has decreased in Colorado).
Slippery slope? We're already well down that when the two most harmful recreational drugs in our society are both legal. Sell it. Tax it. Invest in treatment and stop this ridiculous failed "war on drugs".
Yes. Regulate so people aren't smoking ridiculously strong and dangerous stuff that affects mental health. Tax the fuck out of it so that the money goes down the throat of the taxman not gangs.
People who take drugs will buy and take drugs no matter how illegal it is.
Yes as others have said and tax the hell out of it too.
I can't stand the stuff but what's even worse is when it gets smoked by people in communal areas meaning others have to suffer the smell right up to there front door. At least legalising it people will then smoke it at home instead.
with my (very limited) use of it I would say yes, but I dont really know about any the damage it can cause but I believe that long term use can have serious health issues - but then again so does alcohol & tobacco. If it is legalised then it should be taxed the same as tobacco & the money specifically earmarked for the NHS.
Legalise all drugs, it's been seen around the world to help the problem rather than make it worse, you take away the taboo and rush of illegality and it may be less attractive to kids, all the while hard addicts can get the help they need whenever they need it without worry about getting arrested, not to mention drug dealers would be cleared off the streets.
The secret ingredient is crime. Alcohol is problematic but it at least has limits and protection laws. It's controlled.
Obviously what you don't want is people that never used "the gateway drug" previously, before it was sort of off limits, to then to all of a sudden start using it due to the fact that its legal and going over the top with it.
Then getting hooked and going off the rails experimenting with other things. Gaining bad health and ruining lives.
I believe that worst case scenario in most cases, to be unlikely.
Give people the freedom of choice and as said above, tax it.
Makes sense to decriminalize it and tax it and spend the money that the government will get back on taxes on focusing on why people get hooked on the harder drugs in the first place.
Legalise it. So long as drug bores never utter another word in my presence.
No, cannabis doesn't cure cancer. No, it's not a conspiracy because drug companies can't patent it (they could if for a new use). Shut up and take your first year politics undergraduate BS with you.
Legalise it. So long as drug bores never utter another word in my presence.
No, cannabis doesn't cure cancer. No, it's not a conspiracy because drug companies can't patent it (they could if for a new use). Shut up and take your first year politics undergraduate BS with you.
Alllllllllllllllllll of the this.
And if you think you've had it bad, try Los Angeles->Berkeley and now Eugene, OR.
On a serious note, it is now legal in Oregon, where I live. California just voted to legalize it back in November (not sure when that takes effect). It's also legal in Washington state and Colorado, and I think there might have been a couple other states who legalized it back in November.
So full disclosure, despite growing up in Los Angeles, going to Berkeley, and now living in Oregon, I've never smoked pot, just not for me. But I am very much in favor of legalization, in large part because we have so many people in jail for low level drug offenses, and they are incredibly disproportionately people of color. This is the stuff people write books about, and given I don't know how applicable it is for the UK I'll lay off that.
Now would be a good time for me to take the population of those states, compare them to the UK, and explain how much revenue you'd be likely to see......but I'm pretty lazy.
It's a lot of money that the states are bringing in, and this doesn't include savings on policing, judicial, and penitentiary costs associated with decriminalized drugs.
The big concern for me is the lack of long-term research on Marijuana and potential side/long-term effects. Because of silly drug laws over the past 50+ years, we don't have studies or scientific information that we really should. There are some studies that link marijuana and mental health issues. There seems to be some correlation (Harvard study below) between teens who smoke marijuana and the onset of Schizophrenia later in life. That said, it's unclear how much of that is the drug and how much could be pre-existing dormant or un-diagnosed conditions (NIH). There is also the possibility that marijuana is a form of self-medicating for those who suffer from such illnesses, further confusing cause and effect.
My personal feeling, for whatever it's worth, is to legalize, but also to regulate, monitor, study, and educate people. Decriminalizing something that has been illegal and a taboo for so long should be the beginning of the process, not the end of it.
Surely if they 'tax the fuck' out of it, people will just buy from non authorised sources.
Alcohol is currently certainly in "tax the fuck out of it" category and I would imagine the vast majority of booze is being bought from licensed operations.
The secret ingredient is crime. Alcohol is problematic but it at least has limits and protection laws. It's controlled.
Obviously what you don't want is people that never used "the gateway drug" previously, before it was sort of off limits, to then to all of a sudden start using it due to the fact that its legal and going over the top with it.
Then getting hooked and going off the rails experimenting with other things. Gaining bad health and ruining lives.
I believe that worst case scenario in most cases, to be unlikely.
Give people the freedom of choice and as said above, tax it.
Once legal I think the scenario of it becoming a "gateway" drug is as likely as alcohol being your gateway to heroin addiction now.
I think we should legalise it (maybe the gov't could give local regions the power to legalise it if they choose - Doncaster could become the English Amsterdam!) and then strongly tax it and use all of the money generated to try and minimise the abuse of drugs which truly do destroy families and communities.
Yes of course it should. In one fell swoop the government would reduce crime and make a ton of dough from taxes and regulation. I know so many people who enjoy a social joint, they are all different ages from 25-70 years old, and are from different social groups, just look at the model Holland has used for years. BUT it won't be legalised because the people who have no idea what they are talking about will oppose it thinking that if we legalise it we will be going to hell in a hand cart. Also,if I may add I dont thing class A drugs should be legal but I do think that more help should be available for the poor buggers that are stuck in the downward spiral of addiction.
Comments
Drugs will be legalised in my lifetime I am confident of that.
Cocaine on the other hand should remain off limits, turns all users into chatterbox arseholes
People who take drugs will buy and take drugs no matter how illegal it is.
Can't see a reason not to.
I can't stand the stuff but what's even worse is when it gets smoked by people in communal areas meaning others have to suffer the smell right up to there front door. At least legalising it people will then smoke it at home instead.
The secret ingredient is crime. Alcohol is problematic but it at least has limits and protection laws. It's controlled.
Obviously what you don't want is people that never used "the gateway drug" previously, before it was sort of off limits, to then to all of a sudden start using it due to the fact that its legal and going over the top with it.
Then getting hooked and going off the rails experimenting with other things. Gaining bad health and ruining lives.
I believe that worst case scenario in most cases, to be unlikely.
Give people the freedom of choice and as said above, tax it.
No, cannabis doesn't cure cancer. No, it's not a conspiracy because drug companies can't patent it (they could if for a new use). Shut up and take your first year politics undergraduate BS with you.
And if you think you've had it bad, try Los Angeles->Berkeley and now Eugene, OR.
So full disclosure, despite growing up in Los Angeles, going to Berkeley, and now living in Oregon, I've never smoked pot, just not for me. But I am very much in favor of legalization, in large part because we have so many people in jail for low level drug offenses, and they are incredibly disproportionately people of color. This is the stuff people write books about, and given I don't know how applicable it is for the UK I'll lay off that.
So, as for what it's doing here, last year in Colorado, it seems the projections are for around $1billion in revenue, with around $200m in taxes accrued. That's pretty massive for the 21st largest state with a population of 5.5m. Washington state seems to be seeing roughly the same numbers, although it's a far smaller portion of their state's budget (keep in mind Washington state is home to Microsoft and Amazon, and Seattle is I think the fastest growing city in the country).
Now would be a good time for me to take the population of those states, compare them to the UK, and explain how much revenue you'd be likely to see......but I'm pretty lazy.
It's a lot of money that the states are bringing in, and this doesn't include savings on policing, judicial, and penitentiary costs associated with decriminalized drugs.
The big concern for me is the lack of long-term research on Marijuana and potential side/long-term effects. Because of silly drug laws over the past 50+ years, we don't have studies or scientific information that we really should. There are some studies that link marijuana and mental health issues. There seems to be some correlation (Harvard study below) between teens who smoke marijuana and the onset of Schizophrenia later in life. That said, it's unclear how much of that is the drug and how much could be pre-existing dormant or un-diagnosed conditions (NIH). There is also the possibility that marijuana is a form of self-medicating for those who suffer from such illnesses, further confusing cause and effect.
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/marijuana/there-link-between-marijuana-use-psychiatric-disorders
http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/teens-who-smoke-pot-at-risk-for-later-schizophrenia-psychosis-201103071676
My personal feeling, for whatever it's worth, is to legalize, but also to regulate, monitor, study, and educate people. Decriminalizing something that has been illegal and a taboo for so long should be the beginning of the process, not the end of it.
I think we should legalise it (maybe the gov't could give local regions the power to legalise it if they choose - Doncaster could become the English Amsterdam!) and then strongly tax it and use all of the money generated to try and minimise the abuse of drugs which truly do destroy families and communities.
http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1893946,00.html
As a policy, how can a government be on the backs of fag comopanies and spend millions?? putting out anti smoking publicity and yet legalise smoking?
In one fell swoop the government would reduce crime and make a ton of dough from taxes and regulation.
I know so many people who enjoy a social joint, they are all different ages from 25-70 years old, and are from different social groups, just look at the model Holland has used for years.
BUT it won't be legalised because the people who have no idea what they are talking about will oppose it thinking that if we legalise it we will be going to hell in a hand cart.
Also,if I may add I dont thing class A drugs should be legal but I do think that more help should be available for the poor buggers that are stuck in the downward spiral of addiction.