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Tell that to all the medical and recreational marijuana dispensaries in 29 states across America
I should’ve been more clear, whoever is in the WH makes no difference, that “federal ban” will be lifted inevitably.
You're preaching to the choir Rocko. I agree with you. The majority of states have approved the use of cannabis for medical and/or recreational purposes. I also agree that the federal ban will eventually be lifted. When is anyone guess, but more and more members of congress seem to agree that the ban is indeed outdated.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocko20
I don’t know what your point is? I said nothing about Denmark. My point to mention Amsterdam was that there are plenty of foreign cities who have had legal marijuana for decades without any issues.
The war to keep marijuana outlawed is pretty much over, has been for a while now.
Sorry that I mentioned Denmark. That was an error on my part. I also agree that Amsterdam is very lenient about the use of cannabis. That said, cannabis technically does still fall under the legal classification of being a "soft drug". There are some strict conditions about it as noted in the link I posted. On the other hand, in most circumstances, the personal use of cannabis is tolerated and seldom is anyone prosecuted as long as it falls within the guidelines of the law.
Interesting. So marijuana itself is not a gateway drug but rather those in high risk socioeconomic environments might use it as a gateway
I say we legalize it, regulate it, and tax it. Like alcohol, it can be enjoyed responsibly.
I agree. These days working for a living puts people and families under a real strain. THC relaxes the body completely and a joint before bed could be very relaxing. As long as the high doesn't spill over to the morning drive or the next day's work, why not?
Local head shops will be making so much on weed that they won't be risking arrest by selling anything stronger. If there is an underground economy in marijuana because of heavy taxation, I can see nefarious characters selling people stronger stuff like hash or heroin.
Probably so, because this generation thinks it's organic, earthly and good so they use it everyday. Hence why it's probably a gateway drug and eventually we will discover a new series of maladies related to marijuana use, overuse.
Never use the word never. There is one force more powerful than those you mentioned, and even more powerful than Big Pharma, Law Enforcement Lobbyists, etc, all put together: The voting booth. Once these career politicians start loosing their seats in the House and/or Senate because of their stance on legalization, they will "pivot".
There's no choice for them once it reaches that point, and we'll get there. Probably sooner than you think.
BTW, I have been to Amsterdam and enjoyed, thoroughly enjoyed, the coffee shops there. It is correct that it is technically still illegal there, but they have had a 'zero enforcement' policy in place for cannabis for decades. The only reason it isn't fully legal there, along with many other places in the world, is because of pressure and sanctions that could and would be levied by the US if any country breaks the international drug treaty currently in place. The way Holland worked around it is the completely out in the open, court-tested, zero-enforcement policy.
I witnessed a side-effect of that when I noticed all the coffee shops had trees and other plants painted in vivid green on their windows, but not a single marijuana leaf. I was informed that since Reagan had visited there a few years prior, all the coffee shops were forced to remove all the marijuana leaves from their windows prior to his arrival.
An interesting anecdote is that after stopping at a canal bench for a rest, I left my camera sitting on it in plain view. It was almost an hour before I realized it and made my way back to that bench. The camera was gone, but there was a yellow post-it note on the bench with a little hand-drawn picture of a camera, and "Leidseplein", the name of the local police station. I went there, and got my camera back.
What's the chances something like that would happen in America? The way the youth in Holland act compared with here is like two different worlds. The strict, authoritarian, taboo-oriented culture we have here has taken its toll. Want to know why kids sometimes die from binge drinking on their 18th birthday? Because it is so taboo and strictly forbidden that it builds up to such a crescendo by the time immature kids turn 18 that some inadvertently kill themselves.
In Holland, kids are not barred from liquor stores or bars. The grow up with such places being thought of no differently than gas stations or shoe stores. Sure, that seems foreign to most of us stuffy Americans, but the Dutch have been around many more hundreds of years than we have. Maybe they've figured a few things out. Just sayin'...
I have not seen any evidence that voting does a single thing to change the war on drugs in anyway shape or form, consider that is was during Obamas administration, when the liberal Democrats controlled everything, did the prescription opioid crackdown happen...so how do you explain that?
Even before that, when Bush Jr was in office, war on drugs was full steam ahead.
It doesnt appear to matter which party has control at any given time, the war on drugs transcends all that apparently, its like the DEA does whatever they want, despite who is in office.
I have not seen any evidence that voting does a single thing to change the war on drugs in anyway shape or form, consider that is was during Obamas administration, when the liberal Democrats controlled everything, did the prescription opioid crackdown happen...so how do you explain that?
Even before that, when Bush Jr was in office, war on drugs was full steam ahead.
It doesnt appear to matter which party has control at any given time, the war on drugs transcends all that apparently, its like the DEA does whatever they want, despite who is in office.
That is all very true. The big difference now though is that we are nearing 70% of the voting public that supports legalization these days. That is unprecedented.
That, combined with social media, has stirred a movement that has people pushing this issue up higher on their voting priority list. I see Facebook posts all the time from my Oklahoma friends that clearly shows the candidates that still support prohibition, and encouraging people to keep it in mind when they enter the voting booth.
It is all about money. These corrupt career politicians cannot keep any of the special-interest money coming their way if they can't hold their seat. If they have to pivot on pot and subsequently lose that part of their payola in order to stay in power, they will do so. But only very begrudgingly, holding off for as long as politically possible.
It is just a matter of time. Prohibitionists are shaking in their boots.
Probably so, because this generation thinks it's organic, earthly and good so they use it everyday. Hence why it's probably a gateway drug and eventually we will discover a new series of maladies related to marijuana use, overuse.
What maladies? I've been using it (legally) every day for the past two years, and I'm in excellent health. It helps me relax and sleep better, that's all.
Any substance, when overused, can be bad for you. But experienced cannabis users know their limits. It's the newbies who get in trouble by taking too much. Anyone who's ever done that knows how unpleasant that experience can be - racing heart and paranoid thoughts - and has no desire to repeat the experience.
The jury is still out on whether smoking cannabis increases the risk for respiratory problems, but there are lots of ways to use it other than smoking. I prefer edibles and tinctures. If there's any down side to using it every day, I have yet to see it.
I've yet to see any evidence that cannabis, independently in and of itself, could be construed as a so-called gateway drug. The very premise of this assertion presumes a truth claim within a total absence of externalities. Such an argument is demonstrably a nonstarter.
Anti-marijuana folks seem to point to this argument. But what do the studies say:
Interesting. So marijuana itself is not a gateway drug but rather those in high risk socioeconomic environments might use it as a gateway
I say we legalize it, regulate it, and tax it. Like alcohol, it can be enjoyed responsibly.
I don't know about the "high risk socioeconomic environment" (whatever the Hell that is) but I think it is a gateway drug for some people ~ not for others. And this has been my own observation of people I've known. Yes, I've known individuals that got bored with pot and needed bigger thrills. I also have a couple of friends that have toked pot and nothing else for decades and they're satisfied with that.
I don't know about the "high risk socioeconomic environment" (whatever the Hell that is) but I think it is a gateway drug for some people ~ not for others. And this has been my own observation of people I've known. Yes, I've known individuals that got bored with pot and needed bigger thrills. I also have a couple of friends that have toked pot and nothing else for decades and they're satisfied with that.
Yes, me too. In terms of myself growing up, and my friends, beer was the gateway drug. The first time any of us experienced altered consciousness, was with alcohol. In terms of long-term effects, as someone who works in rehab, I can also say this (alcohol) is the one drug that causes the most and worst long-term bad effects on mind and body. Well, that and cigarettes.
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