Legalisation of Cannabis

Pigeon · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 Sep 2012 Karma :

I've often thought that ALL drugs should be legal but under license.

By that I mean, similar to a driving license, you have to pass some tests on knowledge around each drug you want to enable your license for.
This would prove (in theory) that the person understands what the effects are, what the overdose treatments are, long term use dangers etc
Then there would be a period of quantity control you'd be allowed to buy.
eg you pass the alcohol test. It permits you to buy booze at 14 units a week. After a period of time (6 months maybe), it increases to 28 units a week.
If you get busted for D&D or drink driving. Your limits are busted down to 5 units per week or something.

There would be a base annual cost to maintaining this license. Let's say £25 per annum for a license with zero points on it.
Then if a person had an illness, visited NHS to get stomach pumped, or got fired for turning up to work stoned. The cost would go up.
This tax revenue would go direct into police, NHS etc

In short, saying fine, you want to do meth in the comfort of your own home, fine. But you need to prove some level of understanding, self control / responsible use. If you can't use it without causing harm / problems to others, then the increased cost on society will be brought onto those who consume those things.

I'd love it if people could just have the freedom to do whatever. But time has proven we can't be trusted and there should be accountability and sustainability.

Polarbear · Super Spammer Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Karma :

^^^ Pointless^^^

So much hassle for so little gain.

The drug lords would just add illicit booze to their portfolio.

If they think I am going to spend money on a license and then not be able to buy my bottle of rum, they can take a flying f. I'll just buy it from the local underground supplier.

https://bayourum.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/The-Next-Generation-of-Spiced-Rums-720x720-article-720x500.jpg

Wub

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chickenstrip · Super Spammer Joined: 06 Dec 2013 Karma :

I don't agree with making all drugs legal. I'm only saying for cannabis and psychedelics, which are relatively safe and don't tend to cause problems in society.
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Shaft · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 Dec 2010 Karma :

chickenstrip · Super Spammer Joined: 06 Dec 2013 Karma :

As I said, it depends more on the user than the substance. I smoked weed for years without problems. Equally to your tale of horror, I've known many cannabis users who have and cause no problems. Alcohol is the same. Some folks have no problems with it, others become a menace. If cannabis is illegal on the basis of what you are saying, so too should alcohol be.

Note also I said "relatively" safe.
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Lord Percy · World Chat Champion Joined: 03 Aug 2012 Karma :

I'm not a fan of cannabis at all, it makes me feel dull as dishwater.

It should be legal though. It's blatantly not any kind of public menace, and if legalised there would be no black market or 'gang' aspect either.

Hell, the world should go the way of Portugal. All drugs legalised for about 15 years over there, and if you get caught with any you're recommended to a rehab clinic (if needed). Needless to say, things have improved greatly over there.

Polarbear · Super Spammer Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Karma :

Ste · Not Work Safe Joined: 01 Sep 2002 Karma :

They have not legalised any drugs. Portugal decriminalised possession for personal use quantities which they define as 10 days supply,. Dealers still go to prison.

If you're caught with a personal use quantity then they'll take your drugs and you have to go to some discussion place about drug addiction. If you want help stopping then that what you get and if you don't want to stop then they'll help you with harm reduction. The people running those discussion places can impose penalties for possession but that only happens in a minority of cases.

Use has gone down, their approach has massively reduced the number of deaths and they've big reduction in the spread of HIV and the like from dirty needles. Generally speaking, the bad things from drug use have decreased, the number of 'new users' has decreased which is an important measure of drug policies.

They treat drug use as a medical problem rather than a criminal problem. It's about harm reduction above everything else and they accept the fact the criminalising drug use doesn't help.

Lord Percy · World Chat Champion Joined: 03 Aug 2012 Karma :

My bad, it's not legalised, but is treated very differently to what most of us are used to.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/06/05/why-hardly-anyone-dies-from-a-drug-overdose-in-portugal/

MCN · Super Spammer Joined: 22 Jul 2015 Karma :

Sister Sledge · World Chat Champion Joined: 17 Aug 2018 Karma :

Or like a bloke I know who really doesn't have a problem - he simply enjoys cannabis.
He and a bunch of us were in Bakewell in the middle of summer. We'd parked in a large open and busy car park at mid day which was heaving with visitors. This bloke needed a fix. He climbed from the car, shoved a bud into some contraption he'd made from a drinks can and ignited his fix to inhale. Dozens of people stood there with jaws on the floor watching him. I questioned his sanity. His response was classic: "Yeah but I only smoke buds and none of that horrible tobacco stuff". I reminded him that he'd just inhaled the plastic lining from inside the drinks can too. It was like talking to a brick wall.
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Polarbear · Super Spammer Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Karma :

Whether a good or bad thing no government is going to start legalising drugs in my view.

The opposition would have a field day saying crime will soar and anti social behaviour will become the norm and there are enough anti drugs people who will believe that for it to be political suicide.

It won't happen unless all the major partys come out with a joint policy and that aint going to happen either. Laughing