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So, the economist and time agree: It's about fucking time to LEGALISE IT

Started by Lies, November 15, 2009, 06:13:22 AM

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Lies

Being doing a bit of interesting reading lately into drug journalism...

From the economist: http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14845095
QuoteReformers are in a bold mood. Earlier this year a report by ex-presidents of Brazil, Colombia and Mexico called for alternatives to prohibition. On November 12th a British think-tank, Transform, launched a report* setting out ideas on how drugs could be legally regulated. For every substance from cannabis to crack, it suggests a form of regulation, via doctors' prescriptions, pharmacy sales or consumption on licensed premises.

...

Elsewhere in the United States, there are many signs of prohibition ebbing away. Some 14 states have decriminalised the possession of marijuana for personal use (medical or otherwise), though most keep the option of a $100 civil penalty. Three states—New Mexico, Rhode Island and Massachusetts—license non-profit corporations to grow medical marijuana. Most radically, some states are considering legalising the drug completely. California and Massachusetts are holding committee hearings on bills to legalise pot outright; Oregon is expected to introduce such a bill within the next couple of weeks.

One reason for the sudden popularity of cannabis is financial. Tom Ammiano, the California assemblyman who introduced the bill to legalise marijuana earlier this year, points out that were it taxed it could raise some $1.3 billion a year for state coffers, based on a $50 per ounce levy on sales. As an added benefit to the public purse, lots of police time and prison space would be freed up. California's jails heave with 170,000 inmates, almost a fifth of them inside for drug-related crimes, albeit mostly worse than just possessing a spliff.

Having read the full article, and seeing this picture:

I remembered someone mentioning a while ago that thanks to portugals lax drug laws, drug problems are going DOWN.
So I checked out what the internet has to say about portugal and its drug problems and found this in Time: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1893946,00.html

QuoteUnder Portugal's new regime, people found guilty of possessing small amounts of drugs are sent to a panel consisting of a psychologist, social worker and legal adviser for appropriate treatment (which may be refused without criminal punishment), instead of jail.

The question is, does the new policy work? At the time, critics in the poor, socially conservative and largely Catholic nation said decriminalizing drug possession would open the country to "drug tourists" and exacerbate Portugal's drug problem; the country had some of the highest levels of hard-drug use in Europe. But the recently released results of a report commissioned by the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, suggest otherwise.

The paper, published by Cato in April, found that in the five years after personal possession was decriminalized, illegal drug use among teens in Portugal declined and rates of new HIV infections caused by sharing of dirty needles dropped, while the number of people seeking treatment for drug addiction more than doubled.

"Judging by every metric, decriminalization in Portugal has been a resounding success," says Glenn Greenwald, an attorney, author and fluent Portuguese speaker, who conducted the research. "It has enabled the Portuguese government to manage and control the drug problem far better than virtually every other Western country does."

Compared to the European Union and the U.S., Portugal's drug use numbers are impressive. Following decriminalization, Portugal had the lowest rate of lifetime marijuana use in people over 15 in the E.U.: 10%. The most comparable figure in America is in people over 12: 39.8%. Proportionally, more Americans have used cocaine than Portuguese have used marijuana.

So, having looked at this evidence, what do you think PD?
Isn't about time we fucking LEGALISED IT, ALL OF IT, and instead of THROWING GOOD PEOPLE IN JAIL WHO HAVE BAD DRUG PROBLEMS, we instead start helping them, and HELPING the economy at the same time?
- So the New World Order does not actually exist?
- Oh it exists, and how!
Ask the slaves whose labour built the White House;
Ask the slaves of today tied down to sweatshops and brothels to escape hunger;
Ask most women, second class citizens, in a pervasive rape culture;
Ask the non-human creatures who inhabit the planet:
whales, bears, frogs, tuna, bees, slaughtered farm animals;
Ask the natives of the Americas and Australia on whose land
you live today, on whose graves your factories, farms and neighbourhoods stand;
ask any of them this, ask them if the New World Order is true;
they'll tell you plainly: the New World Order... is you!

Cait M. R.

This is all "Well, duh" shit to me.

But yeah, definitely should be legal.

Lies

Quote from: null & void on November 15, 2009, 06:16:40 AM
This is all "Well, duh" shit to me.

But yeah, definitely should be legal.

Yeah, I know, I doubt anyone here is going to disagree, I just like preachin to the choir.

That and I just want to share these awesome articles with you guys.

But if anyone does disagree, I'd love to hear it.
- So the New World Order does not actually exist?
- Oh it exists, and how!
Ask the slaves whose labour built the White House;
Ask the slaves of today tied down to sweatshops and brothels to escape hunger;
Ask most women, second class citizens, in a pervasive rape culture;
Ask the non-human creatures who inhabit the planet:
whales, bears, frogs, tuna, bees, slaughtered farm animals;
Ask the natives of the Americas and Australia on whose land
you live today, on whose graves your factories, farms and neighbourhoods stand;
ask any of them this, ask them if the New World Order is true;
they'll tell you plainly: the New World Order... is you!

The Johnny


Here in Mexico its legal - but you get caught by a police officer in a bad mood and you are fucked
<<My image in some places, is of a monster of some kind who wants to pull a string and manipulate people. Nothing could be further from the truth. People are manipulated; I just want them to be manipulated more effectively.>>

-B.F. Skinner

Lies

Quote from: JohNyx on November 15, 2009, 06:24:41 AM

Here in Mexico its legal - but you get caught by a police officer in a bad mood and you are fucked
What can they do to you if it's legal?? :?
- So the New World Order does not actually exist?
- Oh it exists, and how!
Ask the slaves whose labour built the White House;
Ask the slaves of today tied down to sweatshops and brothels to escape hunger;
Ask most women, second class citizens, in a pervasive rape culture;
Ask the non-human creatures who inhabit the planet:
whales, bears, frogs, tuna, bees, slaughtered farm animals;
Ask the natives of the Americas and Australia on whose land
you live today, on whose graves your factories, farms and neighbourhoods stand;
ask any of them this, ask them if the New World Order is true;
they'll tell you plainly: the New World Order... is you!

The Johnny


"Plant" on you twice or quadruple the legal ammount, and off you go to the big house - unless you bribe them off possibly, and that also depends on their current mood or how persuasive you are
<<My image in some places, is of a monster of some kind who wants to pull a string and manipulate people. Nothing could be further from the truth. People are manipulated; I just want them to be manipulated more effectively.>>

-B.F. Skinner

Lies

Quote from: JohNyx on November 15, 2009, 06:28:43 AM

"Plant" on you twice or quadruple the legal ammount, and off you go to the big house - unless you bribe them off possibly, and that also depends on their current mood or how persuasive you are
Wow. This ever happen to anyone you know?
- So the New World Order does not actually exist?
- Oh it exists, and how!
Ask the slaves whose labour built the White House;
Ask the slaves of today tied down to sweatshops and brothels to escape hunger;
Ask most women, second class citizens, in a pervasive rape culture;
Ask the non-human creatures who inhabit the planet:
whales, bears, frogs, tuna, bees, slaughtered farm animals;
Ask the natives of the Americas and Australia on whose land
you live today, on whose graves your factories, farms and neighbourhoods stand;
ask any of them this, ask them if the New World Order is true;
they'll tell you plainly: the New World Order... is you!

Remington

Is it plugged in?

Lies

All research and successful drug policy shows
That treatment should be increased,
And law enforcement decreased,
While abolishing mandatory minimum sentences.
-System of a down, Prison Song.
- So the New World Order does not actually exist?
- Oh it exists, and how!
Ask the slaves whose labour built the White House;
Ask the slaves of today tied down to sweatshops and brothels to escape hunger;
Ask most women, second class citizens, in a pervasive rape culture;
Ask the non-human creatures who inhabit the planet:
whales, bears, frogs, tuna, bees, slaughtered farm animals;
Ask the natives of the Americas and Australia on whose land
you live today, on whose graves your factories, farms and neighbourhoods stand;
ask any of them this, ask them if the New World Order is true;
they'll tell you plainly: the New World Order... is you!

The Johnny

Quote from: Lysergic on November 15, 2009, 06:36:27 AM
Quote from: JohNyx on November 15, 2009, 06:28:43 AM

"Plant" on you twice or quadruple the legal ammount, and off you go to the big house - unless you bribe them off possibly, and that also depends on their current mood or how persuasive you are
Wow. This ever happen to anyone you know?

Its been only about half a year that it has been legalized here... but before it was legal ive known half a dozen people that got up to the bribing point... but thats cz they were a bit noobish, walking around at night with a lit joint while drunk... i dont know, maybe in first world countries corruption wouldnt be a factor... (because in the 1st world the corruption seems to run at the higher eschelons and not so much at the basic level... while here its at every level)
<<My image in some places, is of a monster of some kind who wants to pull a string and manipulate people. Nothing could be further from the truth. People are manipulated; I just want them to be manipulated more effectively.>>

-B.F. Skinner

fomenter

Quote from: JohNyx on November 15, 2009, 06:50:55 AM
Quote from: Lysergic on November 15, 2009, 06:36:27 AM
Quote from: JohNyx on November 15, 2009, 06:28:43 AM

"Plant" on you twice or quadruple the legal ammount, and off you go to the big house - unless you bribe them off possibly, and that also depends on their current mood or how persuasive you are
Wow. This ever happen to anyone you know?

Its been only about half a year that it has been legalized here... but before it was legal ive known half a dozen people that got up to the bribing point... but thats cz they were a bit noobish, walking around at night with a lit joint while drunk... i dont know, maybe in first world countries corruption wouldnt be a factor... (because in the 1st world the corruption seems to run at the higher eschelons and not so much at the basic level... while here its at every level)
interesting i have heard the same sentiment from people from other 2nd world country's about corruption  being at every level and it only being high up here in the first world

i would say yay for us but corruption sucks at any level..
"So she says to me, do you wanna be a BAD boy? And I say YEAH baby YEAH! Surf's up space ponies! I'm makin' gravy... Without the lumps. HAAA-ha-ha-ha!"


hmroogp

The Johnny


Getting "shaked down" for $10-50 sucks.

To look on the bright side, ive gotten off from $200 driving violations for $15.  :lulz:
<<My image in some places, is of a monster of some kind who wants to pull a string and manipulate people. Nothing could be further from the truth. People are manipulated; I just want them to be manipulated more effectively.>>

-B.F. Skinner

Lies

Quote from: JohNyx on November 15, 2009, 07:00:22 AM

Getting "shaked down" for $10-50 sucks.

To look on the bright side, ive gotten off from $200 driving violations for $15.  :lulz:

Lol, I suppose it's all about knowing how to make corruption work for you, eh?
- So the New World Order does not actually exist?
- Oh it exists, and how!
Ask the slaves whose labour built the White House;
Ask the slaves of today tied down to sweatshops and brothels to escape hunger;
Ask most women, second class citizens, in a pervasive rape culture;
Ask the non-human creatures who inhabit the planet:
whales, bears, frogs, tuna, bees, slaughtered farm animals;
Ask the natives of the Americas and Australia on whose land
you live today, on whose graves your factories, farms and neighbourhoods stand;
ask any of them this, ask them if the New World Order is true;
they'll tell you plainly: the New World Order... is you!

East Coast Hustle

I am strongly against the legalization of recreational marijuana use.

not because I think it's bad or anything, but because when I'm in a financial pinch I can always count on being able to weasel a few grand for myself out of the illegality of cannabis products.
Rabid Colostomy Hole Jammer of the Coming Apocalypse™

The Devil is in the details; God is in the nuance.


Some yahoo yelled at me, saying 'GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH', and I thought, "I'm feeling generous today.  Why not BOTH?"

Bruno

Some cops in a town about 60 miles from here got caught planting drugs on a guy by their own camera!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2IDrsDC7gg
Formerly something else...