Trigger warning: Drugs

[LMNO]

I'm not sure if this has been covered yet, I tend to gloss over drug threads when they becom circular.

Also, I apologize for another drug thread, and its ramifications.

So:
http://jezebel.com/crazy-clown-is-the-hot-new-drug-for-the-cool-dumb-te-1302380188

Weird "not-pot" alkaloids are being created, and re-created, to mimic pot yet fall outside of the prohibited substances laws. Like designer X, but for pot.

Thing is, it seems these Fake Weed products are much, much worse than Actual Weed. And because they're pseudo-legal, people (kids and non-kids) have greater access to them.

A system that allows a more harmful product while banning a less-harmful product is not rational. Legalizing weed would eliminate the market for harmful fake weed.

[Cainad (dec.)]

It also creates an effectively infinite cat-and-mouse game of BAN ALL THE THINGS!

When really, some of this shit is so legitimately terrible or straight-up poisonous that they might as well be regulated, in the same sense that like, mercury is regulated as a toxic substance (extreme example is extreme). But then you fall into this nebulous area between banning things because they're toxic, and banning things because Drugs Are Bad, M'kay?

Cainad,
mostly thinking out loud here

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Yeah it pretty much makes no practical sense at all.

[Cramulus]

I think that there will always, always be a market for illegal drugs

look at what's going on in Colorado -- weed is basically legal (the cannabis cup was at the denver convention center this year), and the real pot heads have moved onto concentrates. (You guys familiar with them? They're basically these refined THC oils which are exponentially stronger than weed.) The state went, "oh shit, uhhh.... concentrates are still illegal!".

the law of eristic escalation holds true again. A new order sets the stage for a new kind of disorder.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I think that there will always, always be a market for illegal drugs

look at what's going on in Colorado -- weed is basically legal (the cannabis cup was at the denver convention center this year), and the real pot heads have moved onto concentrates. (You guys familiar with them? They're basically these refined THC oils which are exponentially stronger than weed.) The state went, "oh shit, uhhh.... concentrates are still illegal!".

the law of eristic escalation holds true again. A new order sets the stage for a new kind of disorder.

I don't think they've "moved on". People have been making oil for ages. It's just that the state now has this thing that they didn't take into consideration, that isn't technically legal even though it's closely related to and derived from something that is legal. The refined THC oils you're talking about are typically used to avoid actually smoking the plant, with its associated tissue irritation. It's stronger, but the way that functions just means that people are using a single drop rather than smoking a nugget.

There will probably always be a market for illegal drugs, as long as there are illegal drugs, but the proliferation of "research chemicals" that skirt the fringes of legality is a direct result of prohibition.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

And the "real potheads" part doesn't even make sense. It's like saying that the "real wine connoisseurs have moved on to vodka".

[LMNO]

And the "real potheads" part doesn't even make sense. It's like saying that the "real wine connoisseurs have moved on to vodka".

This.  A pothead who normally smokes a gram of weed would never smoke a gram of hash in one sitting.



Cain once made a joke (or was it?) about walking into a bar and ordering a pint... of scotch.  Same logic applies.

[Junkenstein]

And the "real potheads" part doesn't even make sense. It's like saying that the "real wine connoisseurs have moved on to vodka".

Nonsense. Real wine connoisseurs have moved on to port. It's classier.

Anyway, I'm fairly sure there's a bunch of UK studies showing "legal highs" (mainly marijuana look/"feel"alkies) are almost universally worse than the actual drug.

Once again, because, drug thread:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Nutt


See you in 30 pages, have fun.

[Cramulus]

well, my weedy denver friends phrased it that way, "we don't even smoke pot anymore--have you heard of concentrate? gets you so much more stoned..." I would be surprised if these guys are only smoking a single drop, I think the oil proliferation (which came on the coat tails of legalization) increased their intake :P

these are the weediest dudes I know, they move shit around in bulk, that's what I meant

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

well, my weedy denver friends phrased it that way, "we don't even smoke pot anymore--have you heard of concentrate? gets you so much more stoned..." I would be surprised if these guys are only smoking a single drop, I think the oil proliferation (which came on the coat tails of legalization) increased their intake :P

these are the weediest dudes I know, they move shit around in bulk, that's what I meant

Well that's all the science I need! I'm sold.

[Cramulus]

okay? 

[Junkenstein]

well, my weedy denver friends phrased it that way, "we don't even smoke pot anymore--have you heard of concentrate? gets you so much more stoned..." I would be surprised if these guys are only smoking a single drop, I think the oil proliferation (which came on the coat tails of legalization) increased their intake :P

these are the weediest dudes I know, they move shit around in bulk, that's what I meant

Well that's all the science I need! I'm sold.

On the science side, I believe concentrates may have use with particular aliments, I recall a longer lasting beneficial effect on sufferers of MS using concentrates in comparison to the norm. If you're interested I'll dig it up.

Anecdotally, I've observed a rise in the UK. People who can barely grow are starting to do it more frequently. Quality varies radically(as always), but it's not really my thing. Unless you've built up a serious tolerance and are unwilling to take a break or it's been shown to be much more effective for what ails ya, I wouldn't go out of my way for it.

Please for the love of gods, someone help me with my addiction to drug threads.

[Q. G. Pennyworth]

Please for the love of gods, someone help me with my addiction to drug threads.

There's stuff in Big Words that needs feedback!

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Please for the love of gods, someone help me with my addiction to drug threads.

There's stuff in Big Words that needs feedback!

I would feedback you, but I'm not layouty. You need Net!

But coincidentally, I got a related-to-drugs email from Earl today:

This week marked another step forward for marijuana reform and bipartisanship. Yesterday, I joined with Grover Norquist, the president of Americans for Tax Reform, to discuss the importance of allowing state-legal marijuana businesses the same tax deductions that all other businesses receive. Ordinary and necessary expense deductions like rent, wages, and health insurance premiums are unfairly denied to this industry.

While Mr. Norquist and I rarely see eye-to-eye, I was very pleased to have his endorsement of The Small Business Tax Equity Act, bipartisan legislation I introduced to fix this inequity.

Grover Norquist and Representative Earl Blumenauer identify injustices in the tax code for legal marijuana businesses at a press conference with the National Cannabis Industry Association executive director Aaron Smith.

Read more about my work to reform drug laws.

Download The Americans for Tax Reform white paper: Legal Cannabis Dispensary Taxation: A Textbook Case of Punishing Law-Abiding Businesses Through the Tax Code (PDF)

Sincerely,

Earl Blumenauer
Member of Congress   

The links: http://blumenauer.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2250&utm_source=DCS+Congressional+E-mail+Marketing+System&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=http%3a%2f%2fblumenauer.house.gov%2findex.php%3foption%3dcom_content%26view%3darticle%26id%3d2250&utm_campaign=The+Odd+Couple

http://blumenauer.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2213&utm_source=DCS+Congressional+E-mail+Marketing+System&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=http%3a%2f%2fblumenauer.house.gov%2findex.php%3foption%3dcom_content%26view%3darticle%26id%3d2213&utm_campaign=The+Odd+Couple

http://blumenauer.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2160&utm_source=DCS+Congressional+E-mail+Marketing+System&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=http%3a%2f%2fblumenauer.house.gov%2findex.php%3foption%3dcom_content%26view%3darticle%26id%3d2160&utm_campaign=The+Odd+Couple

http://s3.amazonaws.com/atrfiles/files/files/090513pr-cannabiswp.pdf?utm_source=DCS+Congressional+E-mail+Marketing+System&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=http%3a%2f%2fs3.amazonaws.com%2fatrfiles%2ffiles%2ffiles%2f090513pr-cannabiswp.pdf&utm_campaign=The+Odd+Couple

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

well, my weedy denver friends phrased it that way, "we don't even smoke pot anymore--have you heard of concentrate? gets you so much more stoned..." I would be surprised if these guys are only smoking a single drop, I think the oil proliferation (which came on the coat tails of legalization) increased their intake :P

these are the weediest dudes I know, they move shit around in bulk, that's what I meant

Well that's all the science I need! I'm sold.

On the science side, I believe concentrates may have use with particular aliments, I recall a longer lasting beneficial effect on sufferers of MS using concentrates in comparison to the norm. If you're interested I'll dig it up.

Anecdotally, I've observed a rise in the UK. People who can barely grow are starting to do it more frequently. Quality varies radically(as always), but it's not really my thing. Unless you've built up a serious tolerance and are unwilling to take a break or it's been shown to be much more effective for what ails ya, I wouldn't go out of my way for it.

Please for the love of gods, someone help me with my addiction to drug threads.

Yes, a lot of people prefer the concentrates because a single inhale is all they need for hours, rather than taking multiple lungfuls, but they can control the dosage far more than they could with edibles. It's also easier to carry around and more discreet.