Should Weed Be Legal?

[Binos]

3 hours ago, ++Ammo - Airdrie++ said:

"here, have some more paint from my massively broad brush strokes".

Your generalisation is astounding and ill informed.

 

I've been quite specific 

It increases the likelihood of psychosis 

[TxRover]

7 hours ago, Derry Alli said:

 

 

Whoosh

[TxRover]

4 hours ago, Binos said:

I've been quite specific 

It increases the likelihood of psychosis 

And you didn’t address the medical research paper I linked that refutes that statement.

[Satoshi]

Not surprised at all that Binos is opposed to a slam dunk policy like legalising marijuana.

Who exactly benefits from prosecuting people who voluntarily take a substance that is demonstrably far safer than many legal substances?

[Molotov]

3 hours ago, Satoshi said:

Not surprised at all that Binos is opposed to a slam dunk policy like legalising marijuana.

Who exactly benefits from prosecuting people who voluntarily take a substance that is demonstrably far safer than many legal substances?

There are significant health benefits derived from using the medicinal benefits that parts of the plant can offer to treat many conditions that are “managed” currently by pharmaceutical companies and GPs.

The knock on effect of many of these lab drugs is that they often have significant side effects that lead to other complications. 

Given that so many countries have opened up to the health benefits it seems absurd that we are not following suit. 

Is the CBD oil that’s currently in the UK as good as that in USA, Canada, Australia?

For example I have friends and relatives who suffer with arthritis as an example but they are unsure to give CBD a chance and I’m unsure which company to use.

[Molotov]

I’d also like to see us legalise weed in Scotland. 

Lets get some new coffee shops and get these franchise companies (Starbucks, Costa, etc) to fcuk with their extremely unhealthy products loaded with high fat and sugar.

There must be loads of run down pubs that have been forced to close over the last few decades that could be revamped on the high street. 

Then there is the financial benefit of raising tax on the revenues and less money spent on dealing with the current criminalisation policies.

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/insights/110916/economic-benefits-legalizing-weed.asp

 

 

[Binos]

9 hours ago, TxRover said:

And you didn’t address the medical research paper I linked that refutes that statement.

How you managed to find that amongst the deluge of medical professionals stating the opposite

[Binos]

9 hours ago, TxRover said:

And you didn’t address the medical research paper I linked that refutes that statement.

Also it didn't state that 

[RuMoore]

Weed should be legal but it should be an arrestable offence to refer to yourself as a "Stoner" and anyone suspected as identifying with any part of "Stoner culture" should be on a list. 

[coprolite]

29 minutes ago, Binos said:

How you managed to find that amongst the deluge of medical professionals stating the opposite

I don't have anything to hand and can't be arsed searching but im sure that some research found that it was newer, stronger breeds of skunk that were particularly linked to psychosis. 

In the same way that bootleggers and illicit consumers in 1920s chigaco went for whisky rather than a few pints of bitter, the economics of illegality encourages more potent, concentrated products. 

I used to be quite a heavy smoker back in the day. When i started out soapbar/ resin was much more common. I could easily have a smoke then go to the pub a couple of hours later and function normally. It also wasn't too much of a barrier to studying or work. 

Skunk is a completely different beast. It can make me extremely paranoid and i find normal functioning much more of a problem. 

As a society, we currently don't allow unrestricted sale of unregulated high strength moonshine, because it's dangerous. We tax the shit out of high strength spirits  because they're potentially very harmful. We still heavily tax beer and cider, because of health concerns. 

It shouldn't be beyond the wit of man to arrange something similar for the range of different products that are unhelpfully grouped as a single thing, cannabis, in the minds of many. 

[Sweet Pete]

1 hour ago, coprolite said:

I don't have anything to hand and can't be arsed searching but im sure that some research found that it was newer, stronger breeds of skunk that were particularly linked to psychosis. 

In the same way that bootleggers and illicit consumers in 1920s chigaco went for whisky rather than a few pints of bitter, the economics of illegality encourages more potent, concentrated products. 

I used to be quite a heavy smoker back in the day. When i started out soapbar/ resin was much more common. I could easily have a smoke then go to the pub a couple of hours later and function normally. It also wasn't too much of a barrier to studying or work. 

Skunk is a completely different beast. It can make me extremely paranoid and i find normal functioning much more of a problem. 

As a society, we currently don't allow unrestricted sale of unregulated high strength moonshine, because it's dangerous. We tax the shit out of high strength spirits  because they're potentially very harmful. We still heavily tax beer and cider, because of health concerns. 

It shouldn't be beyond the wit of man to arrange something similar for the range of different products that are unhelpfully grouped as a single thing, cannabis, in the minds of many. 

I don't smoke, but this sums up my feelings on the matter.

Also, to echo another poster "stoners" are losers, with poor personal hygiene, shite opinions, no dress sense and are boring, cringeworthy c***s.  Smoke if you want, but avoid being part of the stoner crowd at all costs.

[Jives Miguel]

I like listening to stoner rock/metal.

[welshbairn]

2 hours ago, coprolite said:

When i started out soapbar/ resin was much more common. I could easily have a smoke then go to the pub a couple of hours later and function normally. It also wasn't too much of a barrier to studying or work. 

Skunk is a completely different beast. It can make me extremely paranoid and i find normal functioning much more of a problem. 

That's why I hardly ever smoke anymore, the goldilocks zone between nothing happening and whiteout is a rare thing these days, unless you have a reliable and regular dealer or grow your own I suppose.

[RawB93]

Can anyone who lives in a country where it’s legalised tell me what prices are like? - per g, hq and so on. I’ve never been to Amsterdam either, though would imagine they have separate tourist prices. 
I guess what I’m getting at is, is there a chance that legalising and taxing it could actually make it unaffordable for some people?

Whilst simultaneously making a select few companies very rich… I’d really rather it was just decriminalised and legal to smoke, cultivate (small amounts) and distribute. And those that need it can get it. 

[parsforlife]

3 hours ago, RawB93 said:

Can anyone who lives in a country where it’s legalised tell me what prices are like? - per g, hq and so on. I’ve never been to Amsterdam either, though would imagine they have separate tourist prices. 
I guess what I’m getting at is, is there a chance that legalising and taxing it could actually make it unaffordable for some people?

Whilst simultaneously making a select few companies very rich… I’d really rather it was just decriminalised and legal to smoke, cultivate (small amounts) and distribute. And those that need it can get it. 

Without knowing the numbers I guess that the answer to that is whilst there’s a market of dodgy tobacco(and I mean the faked efforts, not duty free brought in) and faked spirits also exist the vast majority are of the use of these substances is through the legal routes.

We can regulate and legalise sale and also allow for home grows, same way as home brews are legal but you can’t just sell out your house 

I agree there’s a few lining up big profits,  but there is no hippie utopia of small businesses just supplying the local area currently.  Drug supply is big business already, there efforts of big businesses to control market and keep the profit in the hands of a few already exists, we just don’t see there branding on tv adverts.

I just don’t see how the illegal market can match a legal one,  yes tax and regulations come with a cost,  but surely far less than trafficking costs, bribes etc

[ICTChris]

20 minutes ago, parsforlife said:

 

I just don’t see how the illegal market can match a legal one,  yes tax and regulations come with a cost,  but surely far less than trafficking costs, bribes etc

Plenty of evidence from the USA that black markets can thrive when drugs are legalised.

https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/marijuana-in-california-black-market-weed-buzzkills-for-california-legal-weed-industry-60-minutes-2019-10-27/?__twitter_impression=true

 

Quote

 

So where's the money being made in California?

It turns out, in the very place legalization was supposed to destroy: the black market, which often operates out of store fronts like this in strip malls around the state.

Those unlicensed shops don't have to pay for state and local permits and can sell marijuana much cheaper because they don't charge customers marijuana taxes. Which can reach as high as 45 percent. So it's cheaper and easier to buy pot on the black market, which is three times larger than the legal one.

 

https://www.pressherald.com/2020/02/26/maine-wants-to-create-special-cannabis-crimes-unit/

Quote

The number of illegal plants seized in Colorado – grown in sprawling networks of suburban homes to be sold at above-market prices in states where marijuana is illegal – has only grown since legalization, from 5,000 in 2014 to almost 60,000 in 2019, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Many such cases.   

Edited April 7, 2023 by ICTChris

[carpetmonster]

3 hours ago, RawB93 said:

Can anyone who lives in a country where it’s legalised tell me what prices are like? - per g, hq and so on. I’ve never been to Amsterdam either, though would imagine they have separate tourist prices. 
I guess what I’m getting at is, is there a chance that legalising and taxing it could actually make it unaffordable for some people?

Whilst simultaneously making a select few companies very rich… I’d really rather it was just decriminalised and legal to smoke, cultivate (small amounts) and distribute. And those that need it can get it. 

Illinois it's about $80 for an eighth of flower because they went ham on taxing it. Street prices actually went up a little as a result; dealers just work out the cost without the tax and then charged that. The state still made $445m on it last year, and it's about double the population of Scotland for working out maths. A lot of regular/heavy users will just skip over to Michigan where the prices are slightly less than half of Illinois. Most states also let you grow a few plants for your own use if you have a medical card. Illinois doesn't - they just don't charge the tax if you present a medical card at a dispensary - but the chances of the cops giving any sort of a shit about someone with a couple of plants are zero in Chicago and minimal anywhere else. 

[ICTChris]

Is most of the marijuana consumed in Scotland / UK grown here or smuggled here? 

[carpetmonster]

27 minutes ago, ICTChris said:

Is most of the marijuana consumed in Scotland / UK grown here or smuggled here? 

There was a story in the Daily Ranger the other day about a farm with 2m worth being busted in Stevenston the other day - and then when I was searching for it there was one from January with a farm of 75k getting done in Kilmarnock, so I'd imagine much of it's grown via the leccy off Scottish lampposts

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/ayrshire/ayrshire-police-recover-2m-worth-29637173

[RawB93]

25 minutes ago, ICTChris said:

Is most of the marijuana consumed in Scotland / UK grown here or smuggled here? 

I'm not sure of the source of all the weed currently in Scotland but I remember seeing/reading recently that the availability of pretty high end home-growing equipment capable of yielding high grade marijuana means that there's really no need to be importing it anymore. Seeds can also be bought from UK based seed companies. A quick google threw up the figures below.

 

...the Independent Drug Monitoring Unit estimated that by 2012, 80% of the cannabis used in the UK was grown here – up from 30% in the late 1990s. It is probably well over 90% now.

Home-grown cannabis: how COVID-19 has fuelled a boom around the world (theconversation.com)