The Legalisation of Marijuana

The San Fransisco Chronicle has recently reported that Californian Democratic Assemblyman, Tom Ammiano, wants California to become the first state in America to legalise marijuana for recreational use.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/23/BAO416354C.DTL&type=politics&tsp=1

This news article, combined with the light discussions in the 'Euthanasia' thread, have led us to create this thread and poll - Should Australia legalise marijuana for recreational use.

Things to think about:

Is the timing right for the incumbent Government to table such an agenda item? Would it be supported by either of the two major political parties? What about the minor political parties? I don't particularly envisage the idea being endorsed by evangelical christians like Family First.

How would the sales and distribution be handled? Would growers need a license to grow it? Would proprietors need a license, like alcohol? Would legalisation affect supply and demand, or price? What are the tax implications for the Government?

How would it affect society as a whole? Should there be a legal smoking age? Are we likely to see an increase of mental health issues? A rise in unemployment? An increase or decrease in violent behaviour?

What message does legalisation send to the youth of today, considering it is currently a controlled substance that has been labeled hazardous to one's health?

Should be an interesting discussion 

wait... what?? 

No Party in Australia will endorse this. No matter what the benefit.


I'd imagine in liquor stores and would imagine growing the shit would still be illegal. If they make it legal the government is gonna wanna slice of the profits and the only way to do that is to control it.(Although would feel empowering writing marijuana cultivator as your main source of income on a tax return). Price increase but by how much will depend on who's in power. Taxes claimed from weed can go into the well under funded mental health system!


Legal smoking age of 18. Sure some will smoke younger but still a deterrent for the younger pups. Mental Health issues may or may not increase, cancer may or may not increase ask a doctor.  A rise in unemployment? why cause cats sit home and smoke up instead of working? or cause growers would have to join the dole cue? Violent behaviour ? wtf? Do you really think that all stoners are pot smoking hippies who believe in peace love and harmony?
Sends a terrible message to the youth and sets a horrible precedent for the future. 

it will never happen. the government has been so anti it for so long now it would be a massive backflip for them. DESPITE the fact it would boost our economy and allow our authorities to focus on more important crimes

I'd like to see if marijuana use increased among current non-smokers if it were legalised. I'm sure it would to some degree, but it would be interesting to see if it were by a large amount. I personally don't think it would change all that much, although I'm sure the population of combi-van driving, dreadlock having hippies would.

yeah but i think you will find a sharp increase in uptake by future generations.


worst idea ever.

I think the everyday stoner would smoke less due to the price hike and its pretty hard to predict if consumption by youth would increase. I dont know the figures but It would be interesting to find out how much being illegal actually prevents people from smoking up. From personal experience I've never offered someone a pipe and they've responded with''no thanks thats illegal'.

stigma though innit.

TBH i never thought about the legalities for weed when I used to smoke, it was so readily available it was almost acceptable anyways.  Tho not amongst my parents, even they they let me grow a plant they never connected the fact that I was a user.  The were totally againt me using it, what did they think I would do with the plant? haha.

Even if it was legal it would not make me take it up again.  When I went to the Dam I didn't have a smoke either.

Not a fan of historical observations in your world philosophy either, I see.

Is there any country in the western world where weed is legal? (It is not legal in the netherlands btw - the police just don't stop the sale of it - they would rather crack down on class A drugs before worring about weed).

Until the big swinging dicks of the world legalise it (i.e. america etc) then it won't be legal anywhere else IMO.  Because, if something isn't against the law in one country that is against the law in america the risk of them not trading or having healthy trading agreements with you rises.

I think that having a one plant per house rule should be ok...would free up some police time they use on stopping the traffic of weed...and you could just go over to your next door neighbours place if you run out of weed.

The sooner weed gets legalised in america the sooner it will throughout the world...

I think that the current laws in SA are acceptable.

From talking to my family and friends in Holland, I was told about the theory that "a forbidden fruit tastes sweeter". That goes for a lot of things in life (not just marijuana), where by if you tell a kid (or anyone for that matter) not to do something, they will invariably do it. At the very least they will ask, why not?

I think responsibly educating people about marijuana and its related issues is important.

I've heard that The Netherlands have lower rates of marijuana smokers per capita than many other countries where it is illegal, but I can't substantiate that.

unless your one plant ended up being a male


anyway, again the current, semi-recently amended law doesnt actually achieve what it set out to do.
limiting the personal use, backyard growers to one outdoor plant means that the majority of weed now comes from commercial growers and organised crime. a guy with 200 hydro plants in a house doesnt give a fuck that the personal limit has gone down from 3 plants to 1, so the pockets of the much maligned bikie gangs etc keep getting fatter.
just why the law makers cant see this amazes me.

I really fucking hate those "Marijuana - you don't know what it will do to you" adverts.

If it wasn't restricted as much as it is, we could do proper scientific tests with large numbers of people to determine exactly what it does to an individual.

I'm not so sure about that, as while it may currently be illegal, it's still so readily available to young people. It's not like legalising it is going to shove it in their faces any more than it already is. Take a look at the Netherlands, while it may not be technically "legal", it's still got to be one of the easiest places on earth to obtain marijuana. Yet all the information I've been able to gather has stated that while the use of marijuana among youth is higher than the EU average, it isn't even in Europes top 3 and is still lagging far behind the USA*.

*
Bear in mind, that the 1980's is when coffee shops were being introduced in the Netherlands and started taking over the bulk of Marijuana distribution.


People Currently Using Marijuana


Use Among Students aged 15-16


And here's the studies conclusion:


http://www.parl.gc.ca/37/1/parlbus/commbus/senate/com-e/ille-e/presentation-e/korf-e.htm#1.%20Introduction%C2%A0

The study even mentioned that Marijuana use among youth peaked in the Netherlands in the late 1960's-early 1970's when it was distributed via and 'underground' network.

So it would seem that it is in fact, not the worst idea ever and in all likely hood probably wouldn't change much from the usage side of things.

if it were to be made legalised, it would be rubbish and very weak weed that would be sold.

i also reckon they'd have to regulate it so it was only the one strain that was legal to smoke as well. thus bringing down my day to day buzz.

i vote no thanks.

Marijuana use should be decriminalised (for small quantities) throughout Australia at the very least.

I think it should be legal, despite the health risks, but understand that that will probably never happen.

At least if it is decriminalised it's legal in the sense that if you keep it on the low down you'll be fine - I could think of worse ways to go about things I guess.

Also, the condition of being ambivalent means that you have simultaneous, conflicting feelings toward a person or thing. Perhaps a better word for the poll would be 'indifferent'.

Don't forget, you can just go back to chroming though...

I prefer to combine the two personally.

'you used to be my chromeo, woooa woooa'

i am not so sure that would be the case.

if weed was treated like alcohol you would have your budget weed like VB and west end, something a bit more substantial like coopers and then your fancy boutique shit which is a bit more expensive.

just depends on how it all works if they do legalise it, but i wouldnt rule out that possibility...

Agreed. I don't think you'd find to many people puffing on skank weed in Amsterdam, skunk on the other hand...

yeah but we aren't ever going to have a government as laid back about anything like amsterdam is.

the government if it were to be de-criminalised would (as i see it) only do so for financial gain on their part. i'm sure of that.

i also believe that because of all of the known side-effects (some much worse than others) from smoking that they wouldn't be overly keen on weed with too much potency being sold over the counter as it does alter your mental state so much, and so quickly (especially when you don't or haven't smoked very much in the past).

Amsterdam is only one part of The Netherlands and a lot of people there would like to see the laws change.

In the current situation many coffee shops are being closed down permanently, whilst new coffee shops are not allowed to start up. There is a strong conservative movement in the country despite the drug/sex/euthanasia easy perspectives which we see.

it has been decriminalised here in SA since the mid 1980s already
and yes, it seemed to free up the courts somewhat, so a financial gain of sorts.



i did hear that growing tobacco was actually far more illegal than growing weed (due to very strict licensing etc) - anyone know anything about this?

LOL @ "Can I open my own ganja cafe and call it 'Herbal Essences'?'

bahaha

because they have such a huge financial interest in the industry themselves i believe.

pretty sure that's right. could be well wrong though.

I was looking at a Bill just before (not sure if it had been passed or not) proposing a maximum fine of $55,000 and maximum 2 years imprisonment for growing/transporting illegal tobacco.

Shows what the Government really cares about I suppose.

was told growing tobacco was a federal offence. Marijuana is dealt on a state by state basis.

pffft, where's the fun in that?

No room for such things in online discussion. Never has been, never will.

I just saw this (cos Fluke quoted it)

On SBS World News last night, drug use has declined by 10%, along with rates of substance abuse disorder and related crimes in Portugal since law reform 8 years ago.

well hoo raaay for Portugal! What did they do to achieve this? Get dogs to sniff out drugs and then take them to music festivals? Get a big bus and start testing people for drug use while driving?  I hope were following their lead!

 

i would rather see the streets filled with stoners than drunks, but then again the pub would be empty and the video store would be full..

I honestly think that theyre would be alot more mental problems, but its hard to weigh up because if it was legal, the grade of cannabis would be higher with less shit in it, making it 'healthier' ...

More mental health issues?
Booze contributes to a fair whack of mental health issues as well

look i believe if you go out and do your thing in moderation all is well.. however I know this is not the case for many.. Ive seen that stuff screw with a few peoples minds in my time, although I know some of them had some mental health problems before hand that were just amplified by smoking it...

plus if it was legal, who would do any work at all?

I went to work stoned for five years. Breakfast billys, pipes at smoko, session for lunch home to smoke up and watch vids ah that was the life!

I don't know man, sure it's laziness effect is widely known but in my opinion it also increases focus on small details and great motivation once you are actually engaged in a task.

Well alcohol is currently legal, yet if you show up to work pissed and don't do anything, you're likely to get fired. I don't see weed being any different.

Increases focus on small details maybe but (maybe just me) quite flippant with attention span. eg, Think i'll go online and research my latest study project and end up talking semantics of bullshit in a forum and wondering how i got from my study(if I remember it) to my current situation. 

Yeah, true, but for me that task was generally eating and watching bad TV


haha, good shit... sounds like me at high school