[Archived] Drugs

[braddock]

Portugal decriminalised all drugs (I believe) the doom mongers predicted chaos, yet drug use and crime (not solely "drug" crimes) have fallen.

An EU country leading the way....

they decriminalised the possession of drugs, of any class

i'm pretty sure they could confiscate it though.

and dealing is still illegal obviously

[Hughesy]

Mega prices for drugs in Ibiza. Get yourself over there and make yourself a nice big profit ha ha!

70 euro for 3 Ecstasy - 50p here!

[Ritchie]

13 years for Lewis and Kirnon

Another wayward delivery from Lewis... this time the judge has knocked him for six.

[OscarRaven]

they decriminalised the possession of drugs, of any class

i'm pretty sure they could confiscate it though.

and dealing is still illegal obviously

They are offered incentives to seek treatment as well

[Ritchie]

Mega prices for drugs in Ibiza. Get yourself over there and make yourself a nice big profit ha ha!

70 euro for 3 Ecstasy - 50p here!

Banging tunes, man... INNIT!

[philipl]

Interesting that in these difficult times financially, more and more people are concluding that drug prohibition is an expensive luxury we can all live without.

Economically-bust California makes moves to legalise pot. With the controls in place to control and manage distribution, the next sensible step would be to supply and distribute tobacco the same way as pot.

[Spencer]

Or, more accurately:

"With the controls in place to control and manage distribution, the next sensible step would be to supply and distribute pot the same way as tobacco."

Before Barry gets involved!!

[Presty On Tour]

California will become the new Amsterdam when this decision goes ahead. Getting stoned in Disney Land!

[philipl]

New York has similar legislation in draft.

[yankrover]

New York has similar legislation in draft.

Phillip, that may be, but our state government isn't even functioning right now, so I wouldn't expect any progress soon.

[Presty On Tour]

I heard in California currently that if you have medical reasons, you can get a license to obtain weed legally. Apparently it's simply easy to get the document also.

California is in a serious amount of debt and Schwarzenegger & other officials are realizing that they can literally make billions out of legalizing and taxing the drug. I think Obama is willing to try out this idea and use the state as an experiment. I believe he was fond of the substance in his earlier years too.

[philipl]

It is interesting that the two States in the biggest messes are the ones looking to end pot prohibition.

California's prison system costs have doubled in ten years to $11bn anualy- pretty well all of that increase going on drugs convicts. Then there are all the costs of policing.

At the end of the day with civic budgets stretched beyond breaking point, society is collectively going to decide that drugs prohibition is a luxury it can live without.

Legalising and taxing pot is looking like a very attractive "get out of jail free" card now throughout the recession hit economies of the west.

Just as the Great Depression did for alcohol prohibition, so will budget deficits bring drugs prohibition to an end now.

[Jonnolad]

I heard in California currently that if you have medical reasons, you can get a license to obtain weed legally. Apparently it's simply easy to get the document also.

There's also an iPhone app, which tells you the nearest distributors of "legal" weed, and if you get into any trouble the app "gives you the locations of the nearest lawyers who specialize in marijuana cases":

http://www.pcworld.com/article/168736/need...e_can_help.html

[philipl]

This article in the Times articulates my position exactly:

Drugs are evil. They must be legalised.

I will repeat, just as the depression did for prohibition of alcohol, so the sick state of public finances will drive the ending of prohibition on drugs.

Like the author, I am close to a minority of one who has never popped an illegal pill or smoked an illegal spliff amongst the people I know.

[Presty On Tour]

Warning Ad on fake drugs

Unless it's a drug at the chemist of pharmacy, you really don't know what your getting from anywhere. Rat poison is often an ingredient used in ecstasy and cocaine.

[BuckyRover]

Obviously that is what they cut it with. If they want to get arrested and lose their custom.

[OhmiBRFC]

Warning Ad on fake drugs

Unless it's a drug at the chemist of pharmacy, you really don't know what your getting from anywhere. Rat poison is often an ingredient used in ecstasy and cocaine.

No, no it's not!

Why would you put something in your produce and potentially kill your custom?

[BuckyRover]

No, no it's not!

Why would you put something in your produce and potentially kill your custom?

Thanks for backing my point up!

That is Daily Mail scare mongering at it's finest.

[Presty On Tour]

Perhaps "often" is to strong a word when cutting drugs with rat poison but it does happen and it still highlights the fact that you don't know what your buying.

The purity of drugs has been on a downward decline since the 80's.

[OhmiBRFC]

No way. I don't believe it, at all.

Why would you want to kill your customer base? It just doesn't make sense. Drug making is a business after all. They might add lots of ###### to it. Nothing like rat poison, or the other favourite - heroin

Is ecstasy cut with dangerous substances?

Many people, including many ecstasy users themselves, believe that the drug is 'cut' with various things - from rat poison and ground glass to heroin. There is however, a lack of evidence to support these beliefs. These beliefs persist for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is commonly believed that illicit drugs in general are mixed in such a way. Secondly, people involved in the manufacture and supply of drugs are believed to be capable of just about anything and so it seems reasonable to believe that they would do things like this.

There is a great deal of forensic evidence available (through the testing of seized and volunteered ecstasy tablets) and substances such as ground glass and rat poison have not been found. Heroin in particular has never been found in any ecstasy tablets. This belief is based on oone of the many myths surrounding how people get addicted and the role and practices of drug 'pushers'.

Source: http://www.drugscope.org.uk/resources/medi...cstasymyths.htm

Edited August 28, 2009 by OhmiBRFC

[philipl]

LA Times articled- another sign that prohibition is nearing its end

[philipl]

Esquire produces the stats.

[philipl]

Yet another call to end prohibition

[philipl]

Sorry to bang on about this but ending prohibition is easily the most sensible and painless way to cut unnecessary public expenditure.

Now in Britain

Astonishing statistic there- 75% of all Britain's acquisition crime (stealing in one form or another) is drugs related.

Just think what can be done to cut prison population, redirect policing and, above all, slash car and household insurance premiums.

[Presty On Tour]

Most of you probably seen this on the news today.

link