420 Legalize it?

[We Are Legion]

Why not legalize everything? You're never going to stop people from doing drugs. At this point, combating the sale of any drugs is just throwing bad money after bad. The only thing left to do at this point is legalize, regulate and tax. If people are going to be stupid, you may as well make some money off of them. Also, you have the added benefit of reducing prison costs and forcing every single drug dealer in the country to get a real job.

Of course then you also run the risk of those nutbags endangering the lives of millions of people in the country...

So there's THAT.

 

[monkeystyle]

Of course then you also run the risk of those nutbags endangering the lives of millions of people in the country...

So there's THAT.

More so than they already do? What exactly are they going to start doing after legalization that they aren't doing now?

 

[Ryan]

I actually did specifically make the distinction in saying physiologically it is not addictive. Physically, you cannot be addicted, but psychologically, that's a different story and I do think that's not a side of the coin many people look at. People don't usually think about that often times addiction is as much a mindset as a physical need. I know a couple addicts and I know when one of them decided to quit drinking, he started gambling. Obviously, gambling is not a physical addiction, it's a mindset. Technically, though, psychology would probably refer to both gambling and a marijuana addiction as an impulse control disorder but we aren't psychologists so addictive disorder for both it is.

 

[monkeystyle]

I actually did specifically make the distinction in saying physiologically it is not addictive. Physically, you cannot be addicted, but psychologically, that's a different story and I do think that's not a side of the coin many people look at. People don't usually think about that often times addiction is as much a mindset as a physical need.

People are fairly clueless when it comes to the matter of addictions. A mental addiction can be just as debilitating as a physical addiction.

On the old IWF I spent an ass load of time (I don't know why) with this one guy who thought that pot had no addictive qualities or even negative effects at all. If he was just indicative of a small minority I wouldn't think anything of it but sadly he represented a very significantly sized group of smokers who believe that smoking pot is the cure for everything that ails you.

 

[Kiffy Lube]

I don't want it to be more expensive and taxed.

 

[monkeystyle]

I don't want it to be more expensive and taxed.

This is a common complaint. If the government was serious though about taking a chunk out of drug dealer's pockets they couldn't have it be tremendously more expensive.

Think of it this way though. Are you going to go to a dealer and pay less even though they can't guarantee quality or are you going to go to a place where the government sells it, it's a little more expensive but you know that you're getting top quality shit?

I think the best example of this I can think of would be cigarettes. The Canadian government has significantly raised the prices for smokes. I pay almost $13 a pack for mine. I could go get illegal native cigarettes at anytime and get what amounts to a carton for $15 but I don't. They are terrible quality and of dubious origin. Most smokers I know also feel the same way I do. Yeah, they're cheaper but the quality is significantly less than the cigarettes sold in stores. I think most people would feel the same way about pot.

 

[ThatGuyFromNukemHigh]

This is a common complaint. If the government was serious though about taking a chunk out of drug dealer's pockets they couldn't have it be tremendously more expensive.

Think of it this way though. Are you going to go to a dealer and pay less even though they can't guarantee quality or are you going to go to a place where the government sells it, it's a little more expensive but you know that you're getting top quality shit?

I think the best example of this I can think of would be cigarettes. The Canadian government has significantly raised the prices for smokes. I pay almost $13 a pack for mine. I could go get illegal native cigarettes at anytime and get what amounts to a carton for $15 but I don't. They are terrible quality and of dubious origin. Most smokers I know also feel the same way I do. Yeah, they're cheaper but the quality is significantly less than the cigarettes sold in stores. I think most people would feel the same way about pot.

Actually, in recent years the quality of the premium brands have gone down. The last time I grabbed a pack of Player's, it had more stems hacked up in the smokes than an average pack from the $10 bags. You can also get cartons of Player's & DuMaurier at the reserve for nearly half price, so about the dubious origin, I would figure you were talking about the tobacco industry in and of itself.

 

[monkeystyle]

Actually, in recent years the quality of the premium brands have gone down. The last time I grabbed a pack of Player's, it had more stems hacked up in the smokes than an average pack from the $10 bags. You can also get cartons of Player's & DuMaurier at the reserve for nearly half price, so about the dubious origin, I would figure you were talking about the tobacco industry in and of itself.

I don't know about Player's. I smoke Benson and Hedges Blacks and I've never had any complaints about them.

I didn't know though that you could get cartons of the premium brands at the reservations. That's kinda neat. The ones that we see around here are brutal with no flavour or bite if that makes any sense. I don't really know how to describe that second part.

 

[Rated R Superstar]

My dealer always has quality shit, so that's not a problem.

 

[Mick Donalds]

Economically, the legalization of marijuana could help a lot with this "recession", a lot less money being spent to imprison smokers, new jobs being created for growers, not to mention the taxing they can do much like cigarettes.

Although you then have those that will say "We got weed legalized, now to get the next drug". And that is the only drawback I can think of, as it could very well create a snowball effect leading to the want of harsher chemical drugs to be legalized.

Took my post idea, but yes. The feds and state could tax the ever loving shit out of it, control it, and make a profit. It would also help stem the flow of illegal drugs coming from the beanbreath greasers down south.

Of course, that may in turn create a "bootlegging" boom where every suburbanite living outside the city becomes an overnight pot grower. So, tax increases would have to be incremental over time, not sudden and deliberate.
Weed really is a harmless drug. You smoke up to relax, eat some food, sit idly by on a couch and play video games for a few hours. Lethargy. Not exactly a perceived "threat" to other people's lives as alcohol is.

 

[Deezy]

Took my post idea, but yes. The feds and state could tax the ever loving shit out of it, control it, and make a profit. It would also help stem the flow of illegal drugs coming from the beanbreath greasers down south.

Of course, that may in turn create a "bootlegging" boom where every suburbanite living outside the city becomes an overnight pot grower. So, tax increases would have to be incremental over time, not sudden and deliberate.
Weed really is a harmless drug. You smoke up to relax, eat some food, sit idly by on a couch and play video games for a few hours. Lethargy. Not exactly a perceived "threat" to other people's lives as alcohol is.

Why would anyone bootleg something for being legal and taxable. Consumption would go down solely because cool kids can't get in trouble anymore.

 

[monkeystyle]

Why would anyone bootleg something for being legal and taxable. Consumption would go down solely because cool kids can't get in trouble anymore.

This is true. There have been studies done indicating that the number 16 year olds who have tried weed in Amsterdam was drastically lower than 16 year olds in the US.

 

[Dademo]

I'm a major pothead, so I guess I might as well share my opinion on this.

I really don't care if it's legalized. I smoke weed very often and I never worry about the legality at this point. In New York (where I live) its' decriminilized. No one bugs out about weed anymore. Nowadays, if you get caught by a cop with a half ounce or less, they either take it and give you a ticket, or just tell you to dump it out if it's a grinder or something. Honestly, my life wouldn't be much different if weed WAS legal. Would I prefer for it to be legal? Yeah, I guess so. The truth is though the legality doesn't really worry me that much anymore. (I guess that's not a good thing, but oh well)

Also, I personally think ALL drugs should be legal, but that's a discussion for another thread.

 

[Mick Donalds]

Why would anyone bootleg something for being legal and taxable. Consumption would go down solely because cool kids can't get in trouble anymore.

If the price was too insanely high it could happen. It may not, but if it gets too expensive, people would find a way around paying 'the man'

The feds and state could tax the ever loving shit out of it, control it, and make a profit.

 

[Deezy]

If the price was too insanely high it could happen. It may not, but if it gets too expensive, people would find a way around paying 'the man'

Paying the man is how roads and bridges get made or repaired, and how kids at public schools get their learn on.....But that is a different debate.

Let's just think about how alcohol and tobacco bootlegging is compared to the sales of each product and compare the two,,,,I don't think there would be actual data for it, but I can honestly say, that I don't know anyone who goes out of their way to get bootleg shit then stuff from a store because it is cheaper, I would actually prefer shit form a store, because I would know what I'm getting. I doubt a local 7/11 is going to put perfume on my weed to make me choke on it to make me think I'm getting better shit than I actually got.