Marijuana/Cannabis.

So..

I'm of the opinion that prohibition doesn't work.. and here's why:

The UK. Approximately 60 million inhabitants. Estimates of regular smokers that I've come across vary between 2.5 and 6 million.

So let's err on the conservative side and call it 1 million.

If those 1 million consume 1 gramme per day (easily done), that equals 1 million grammes each day = 1000 kilos = 1 metric tonne per day.

Times 365 = 365 tonnes per year.

How much the authorities seize in an average year = 4-6 tonnes. Barely a dent in the national consumption.. and these are conservative estimates.

At an ounce price of £160 (Skunk - F1 hybrid marijuana), 1 kilo = £5600 (approx).

Per day: 1 tonne = £5,600,000.

Per year: 365 tonnes = £2,044,000,000.

And that's being conservative. It could be 3-6 times that estimate. Whatever, it's a huge amount of moolah.

This money goes into the pockets of organised crime, financing God knows what.

It's time to legalise it, in my opinion. Prohibition just puts huge amounts of money into the wrong hands. It doesn't stop the demand.

Personally, I think the government should control the price, cultivation and sale via retail outlets, and let people grow it at home within production limits for personal use, or sale to the state if they so wish. I would suggest that it should still be illegal for the private individual to sell it to anyone but the state itself. The state fixed price would have to be low enough to make any black market non-viable.

The current state of play reminds me of alcohol prohibition in the US. It's unworkable.

So.. thoughts?

Tend to agree, but there are contra-indications healthwise.

Quote: dellas @ June 29 2012, 4:47 AM BST

Tend to agree, but there are contra-indications healthwise.

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It's contradictory to legalise against something if health-concerns are an issue, when something as hugely damaging as alcohol is legal.

Would agree with all of that. Can apply the same argument to all drugs as well. Can add the vast amounts of money spent by the authorities in trying to stop drugs entry into the country, trying to stop their sale, dealing with and housing offenders. It's a colossal amount of money.

The problem in legalisation is that nobody involved wants it (other than maybe the end user). The police and criminal justice system has got a good thing going. The underworld don't want change either; one would imagine some of that vast money being made ends up in the pockets of opinion makers (or am I being paranoid).

Also, no one has yet come up with a satisfactory model of what this would look like and how it would operate.

Also, the research is still not in on the mental health effects of canabis. Legalisation could put the govt in a precarious position.

But the main reason it won't happen in this country is there are too many Daily Heil reading muppets who can't see past the kneejerk 'drugs are bad, think of the children' argument that hasn't been working for God knows how long.

Quote: Nogget @ June 29 2012, 8:00 AM BST

It's contradictory to legalise against something if health-concerns are an issue, when something as hugely damaging as alcohol is legal.

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Going by that argument, isn't that like saying we already have people carrying pistols so what's the harm in letting them have attack knives too?

Quote: David Bussell @ June 29 2012, 8:16 AM BST

Going by that argument, isn't that like saying we already have people carrying pistols so what's the harm in letting them have attack knives too?

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If carrying pistols were legal then banning knives would be inconsistent.

To take the alcohol/gun metaphor further, we are in the bizarre situation where guns are freely available in supermarkets, and are advocated in even the most genteel places, with the Beeb broadcasting shows describing the relative merits of Uzis over Kalashnikovs, and grannies enjoying a bit of a shooting before going to Bingo; wheras the very mention a knife in public is taboo.

As far as I can gather it's almost legal already (barring the official seal)
My nieces husband was caught growing 500 plants. He had a house he used and the entire house was a greenhouse.
He got 40 hours community service as punishment.

My thoughts are if they officially legalise it, the 'criminals' who will still be criminals because it's their way of life will find other avenues of corrupt income.

I suspect there is a 'let sleeping dogs lie' policy

I'd say legalise but put it under strict government control.

But then I'd say that for all drugs, its the illegality more than the substance that kills.

Switzerland started prescribing heroin a few years ago and found most addicts hit a level of usage that was manageable and stayed there. Similar schemes have been run privately in the UK as well.

Governments are rarely succesful at banning.

But becautious. I can think of people I know who's use of marijuana has contributed to their death.

Quote: Nogget @ June 29 2012, 8:37 AM BST

If carrying pistols were legal then banning knives would be inconsistent.

To take the alcohol/gun metaphor further, we are in the bizarre situation where guns are freely available in supermarkets, and are advocated in even the most genteel places, with the Beeb broadcasting shows describing the relative merits of Uzis over Kalashnikovs, and grannies enjoying a bit of a shooting before going to Bingo; wheras the very mention a knife in public is taboo.

View original

Inconsistent yes, but desirable? My point is that the horse has already bolted as far as the legalisation of alcohol, but does that mean we should open the gates further and let the zebras run amok?

People are always going to want to get high or low or whatever.

I mean strict Islamic states have problems with semi legal khat.

Quote: David Bussell @ June 29 2012, 10:31 AM BST

Inconsistent yes, but desirable? My point is that the horse has already bolted as far as the legalisation of alcohol, but does that mean we should open the gates further and let the zebras run amok?

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Personally I believe it would be desirable, for all the reasons already given, although the path to hell is paved with good intentions, so the reality might be different. But my point is that alcohol is such a destructive drug that it dwarfs any issues with health regarding cannabis. And no-one wants an alcoholic dwarf.

If I were a pot head suffering from reefer madness, the last thing I would want would be for it to be legalised and taxed.

As a cigarette smoker, the unbelieveable amounts of tax that have been put on my hobby / addiction have been nothing short of astronomical, punitive and draconian. Imagine if the cost of Mary Jane suddenly shot up by 500%?

You monged out hippy losers are better off keeping it on the down low.

Quote: Stylee TingTing @ June 29 2012, 3:06 AM BST

Personally, I think the government should control the price, cultivation and sale via retail outlets, and let people grow it at home within production limits for personal use, or sale to the state if they so wish. I would suggest that it should still be illegal for the private individual to sell it to anyone but the state itself. The state fixed price would have to be low enough to make any black market non-viable.

The current state of play reminds me of alcohol prohibition in the US. It's unworkable.

So.. thoughts?

View original

I'm with you totally, the amount of cash the government could make out of even taxing the stuff would be enough to pull us out of recession. Plus, if it were legalised, other methods of smoking (such as vapes etc) would become cheaper, negating the need for the use of tobacco, and removing almost all of the medical effects. Legalising for home use, but asking people to buy a license is also a good idea. It still allows revenue but isn't a direct tax.

Quote: Nat Wicks @ June 29 2012, 12:04 PM BST

I'm with you totally, the amount of cash the government could make out of even taxing the stuff would be enough to pull us out of recession.

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Well there is an argument you could use to legalise everything. I'm sure state run child brothels would also bring in the cash from the rich paedophile crowd, so let's do that too.

Holland is now in the process of banning the sale of legalised dope because of all the anti-social evils that go with it, particularly from foreign tourists. Despite the propaganda put forward by the pro-Spliff brigade that cannabis makes you all chilled out and non-violent - yes, aren't heavily armed Yardies really peaceful - there are reasons, both medical and social for not introducing another addicting substance onto the legal market.

Additionally, it flies in the face of every political party's plan to stop us all from drinking and smoking and to take up bicycling instead.

Not banning it but restricting it mainly from tourists

So be nice to me I have a dutch passport