Weed - should it be legal?

[i-need-a-martini]

Uruguay has just changed its legislation and is now the first country in the wrold to sanction the growing, selling and smoking of marijuana.

They have done it to put the illegal drug trade and drug traffikers out of business.

Personally I think it makes sense. If nicotine is legal than there is very little difference between the 2.

Your thoughts?

http://www.smh.com.au/world/uruguay-becomes-first-country-to-legalise-marijuana-trade-20131211-hv59x...

[polocross58]

The law hasn't stopped production or sale of weed, obviously

Maybe the law appreciates it can't stop it, so only comes down on large scale production/importation, etc ?

[siggie-reported-by-alarmists]

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@punch*drunk wrote:

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@siggie-reported-by-alarmists wrote:

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@punch*drunk wrote:

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@siggie-reported-by-alarmists wrote:

Keep in mind punchdrunk, that pot has a sedative effect, unlike alcohol, cocaine and other stimulants.

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Not at all true for all smokers and for habitual (every day) smokers, the times when they cant get it they often bevome very agitated and aggressive.

Child neglect would be a big problem amongst dope smokers too, many kids miss out on essentials so their parents can buy dope. Dont try and tell me it doesnt happen, I've seen it first hand.

The fact that these problems also exist amongst drinkers does not make it ok to legalise dope. What is needed is more education not more availability.

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The problem does exist among drinkers.  

Lets make alcohol illegal, after all, it is the most abused substance in Australian society.

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Perhaps you could start a thread about that and get some opinions, its a totally different subject to legalising weed. I'm not sure why it keeps raising its head as some kind of argument or comparision.

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Why did you make the comparrison?.......lol.

[colic2bullsgirlore]

Nicholas Richard Cowdery AM QC was the Director of Public Prosecutions for the Australian state of New South Wales. He held the position from 1994 to 2011.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/let-state-supply-drugs-cowdery-20120601-1zn5e.html

In April he was among the prominent people who put their name to the Australia21 report that declared the "war on drugs" a failure and called for renewed debate on ending prohibition.

He said in an interview this week he had long been in favour of changing drug laws, so it had been ''to an extent frustrating to see the law applied'' when he was DPP.

But his views had been ''irrelevant to the conduct of the office''. Changing the drug laws would be a "huge undertaking" which would take a long time because the case for change had to come ''from the electorate to the politicians", Mr Cowdery said.

A strict system of licensing for the manufacture and distribution of drugs including marijuana, cocaine and ecstasy would be needed. ''Licences would be very difficult to get and very easy to lose and would need to be policed," Mr Cowdery said. State-supplied drugs would be cheaper, he said, because the risk associated with illegality dramatically inflated the price.

Pricing was a policy matter but tax revenue from drug sales could be used to fund rehabilitation programs for addicts.

Mr Cowdery stressed that different drugs should be treated according to their associated harm.

[siggie-reported-by-alarmists]

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@punch*drunk wrote:

Bzzzzt wrong Alcohol abuse ie drinking to excess is harmful

One glass of Red wine a day has been proven to be extremely therapeutic

Stupid me!! I thought that went without saying. Must remember to be clearer from now on.

Is that one glass a day of red wine still considered acceptable? My last health check up the nurse gave me a hard time about having roughly 4 drinks a week. Didnt matter to her what it was, apparently it was excessive and bad for my health and weight.

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Yet another reference to alcohol.....your substance of choice.......I see why you are defensive......

[punch*drunk]

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@siggie-reported-by-alarmists wrote:

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@punch*drunk wrote:

Bzzzzt wrong Alcohol abuse ie drinking to excess is harmful

One glass of Red wine a day has been proven to be extremely therapeutic

Stupid me!! I thought that went without saying. Must remember to be clearer from now on.

Is that one glass a day of red wine still considered acceptable? My last health check up the nurse gave me a hard time about having roughly 4 drinks a week. Didnt matter to her what it was, apparently it was excessive and bad for my health and weight.

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Yet another reference to alcohol.....your substance of choice.......I see why you are defensive......

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Was I being defensive? I thought I was stating my opinion.

[polocross58]

It's a conundrum unlikely to be resolved, imo

Drugs are a fact of life now.  Maybe the powers that be have decided to retain current laws whilst allowing blind-eyes to be turned to small-scale drug production and selling ?

If the law was seriously determined to eradicate drugs, there would be hundreds of people up on charges each hour.  The legal system would collapse beneath the weight

If the law were to legalise weed, producers and users of other drugs would be leaping up and down seeking legalisation of their particular favourite

Years ago, people used to down Bex and Vincent's APC powders.  Many were addicted.  Don't know if they still produce those little packets of powders any longer.  But Bex users usually wouldn't accept Vincent's as substitute and vs versa.  Have a Bex and a good lie down became a catchword back in the day.  I tried a Bex as a kid - a wetted finger in the stuff.  Bitter as anything.  Never tempted to take a full one.  But people were seriously addicted to them and would drive miles to get their fix if the local store didn't have any.   Knew a man who was addicted to Coke.  When Coke changed their cans, his wife had to drive from the Gold Coast to Brisbane to buy a few cases of the old style cans.  Her husband eventually had to be professionally weaned off the stuff, after which he had major cosmetic dentistry.  Just by the by, but we humans seem able and willing to develop addictions to almost anything

[siggie-reported-by-alarmists]

The hypocrisy from  those who use alcohol.......was expected........

[colic2bullsgirlore]

Those zany backyard dope growing qlders.... always pushing the envelope

http://everything2.com/title/Marijuana+Laws+in+Queensland

 Queensland has a reputation within Australia for the harshest cannabis laws.

Curious, as Queensland also has a reputation for harbouring the biggest cannabis users.

Drug laws in Queensland are governed by the Drugs Misuse Act 1986, possibly one of the most obfuscated pieces of

legislation in history.

The disclaimer still holds, I have no legal training or expertise, if you're in trouble call a lawyer yada yada yada.

It seems that in Queensland all marijuana offences are indictable offences, but some may be treated summarily.

A general rule is that if the maximum penalty on conviction is 15 years or less, then the charge may be made summarily.

A person convicted of a summary offence is liable for a maximum penalty of A$6000 and/or 2 years imprisonment.

All penalties for indictable offences may be supplemented or replaced by a fine of up to A$300,000.

The maximum penalty for simple possession of marijuana is 15 years imprisonment for an amount less than 500g,

otherwise 20 years imprisonment.

Possession of anything for use in connection with consumption of cannabis carries a maximum penalty of 2 years in prison.

Permitting your home, office, warehouse, toilet etc. to be used as a marijuana smoking venue has a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

Cultivation of less than 100 plants with an aggregate weight of less than 500g carries a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment.

Any more than that and it becomes a maximum of 20 years.

Queensland law draws a distinction between normal supply and aggravated supply.

The offence is one of aggravated supply if the offender is over 18 and the person supplied to is under 18, is intellectually handicapped, is within an educational institution, is within a correctional institution or does not know he or she is being supplied with a drug.

Aggravated supply carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment and normal supply carries a penalty of up to 15 years imprisonment.

Carrying on a business of cannabis supply carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment.

Receiving or possessing property from aforementioned business has a maximum penalty also of 20 years imprisonment.

[polocross58]

Oooooo gee.  Well I'm in trouble, retrospectively

Years ago, some people left their rented accomodation in a bit of a hurry.  I noticed a dirty old brown paper bag on the private road, so picked it up.  Heading toward the rubbish bin, I realised the bag felt a bit heavy for just paper.  Inside it was something - I didn't know what it was.  I leaned it was weed, quite a lot.  Was going to toss it anyway, but some of the girls who worked in the local child-care centre had told me they grew weed for private use in their backyard -- so I thought they might like the stuff I'd found, if it was any good, that is.  They were delighted to have it.   In Queensland, lol

[colic2bullsgirlore]

Bex used to contain Codeine and was highly addictive. google Compound Analgesic

Think Hillbilly heroin in powder form and there you have it..

After a couple of Bex you certainly needed a goooooood lie down