Legalising Marijuana

[Krusty the Klown]

Something I had forgotten, but remembered recently when a friend suffered very ill effects from drinking.

Marijuana is THE most effective cure for severe hangovers that involve nausea or vomiting.

Something in it numbs the part of the brain that commands the stomach to throw up, so in the case someone cant stop retching, an infusion of cannabis smoke works excellently.

I suppose thats why it is used medicinally for nausea from chemotherapy etc, and was used extensivly as a tincture in the 19th century.

It seems to alleviate many other hangover symptons as well

said person was amazed and thankful

I would have no hesitation recommend it to anyone as an anti-emetic.

Will you be my personal physician????

I tip well!!!!

 

[kotim]

Why worry about it, workplace health and safety and its partner Mr law suit will put a stop to various ‘recreational’ and long term drug use for many current users.

Simple fact is that it is only a matter of cheap enough technology, before EVERY person working in a ‘workplace' will have to be tested for alcohol and drugs in their system when they go to work and when they leave from work. So if you want to maintain a job then you will have to be going to work with no alcohol or drugs in your system.

So it will come down to how long various drugs stay in your system.

The government reguales commerce becasue it can very easily control corporations through regulation, harder to control a sole trader, however where the individual will be stuffed is in controlling who the corporation can deal with.

 

[DB008]

Rhode Island Gov Signs Marijuana Decriminalization Bill Into Law

Came across this on Reddit. Interesting. I wonder how much could be saved here if we changed our laws?


CBS News - Efforts to relax pot rules gaining momentum in US

Rhode Island is poised to become the 15th state to decriminalize marijuana possession. The state's General Assembly passed legislation last week that would eliminate the threat of big fines or even jail time for the possession of an ounce or less of pot. Instead, adults caught with small amounts of marijuana would face a $150 civil fine. Police would confiscate the marijuana, but the incident would not appear on a person's criminal record.

Minors caught with pot would also have to complete a drug awareness program and community service.

Link


AND


USA - Rhode Island General Assembly overwhelmingly decriminalizes possession of small amounts of marijuana

Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron estimated that this proposal could save the state of Rhode Island up to $11 million dollars annually. In addition, allowing law enforcement to issue a simple citation as opposed to making an arrest for marijuana possession will free up law enforcement time to prevent, investigate, and solve crimes of violence and against property.
Finally, by ending the draconian practice of criminalizing simple possession, many Ocean Staters will be spared from being labeled criminals for non-violent behavior – a label that carries a host of terrible collateral consequences.

Link

 

[prawn_86]

Its nice that we are (slowly) beginning to see some rational, fact based debate about drugs, as oppossed to peoples opinions and perceptions and/or politiking.

The 'war on drugs' has been a complete and total failure. The sooner we realise it, the better.

 

[Glen48]

I think the jails are filling up and costing to much to keep the bad guys locked up,once they depression kicks in they will look at taxing it to get some loot in for their pension.

 

[Garpal Gumnut]

Its nice that we are (slowly) beginning to see some rational, fact based debate about drugs, as oppossed to peoples opinions and perceptions and/or politiking.

The 'war on drugs' has been a complete and total failure. The sooner we realise it, the better.

+1

gg

 

[Glen48]

As the World taxpayers are paying troops to guard the poppie fields of all the Stan's so the CIA can sell the Heroin then nothing wrong with growing and sell Hemp.

Maybe we can get a few boat people to show how it is done.

 

[Smurf1976]

Not too many troops guarding the poppy fields around here. Apart from a sign or two and flimsy wire fences there's not much security at all so far as I can see when driving past.

 

[Glen48]

Smurf:
Most likely to much government red tape and council restrictions to be profitable.

 

[DB008]

Uruguay aims to legalize, oversee marijuana market

Uruguay aims to legalize, oversee marijuana market

(Reuters) - Uruguay's government unveiled a proposal on Wednesday to legalize and monitor the marijuana market, arguing that the drug is less harmful than the black market where it is trafficked.

President Jose Mujica's leftist government will send a bill to Congress shortly on this as part of a package of measures to fight crime in the South American country.

The government will also urge that marijuana sales be legalized worldwide, Defense Minister Eleuterio Fernandez Huidobro said, adding the measure could discourage the use of so-called hard drugs.

Marijuana consumption is already legal in Uruguay.

"We want to fight against two different things: one is drug consumption and the other is drug trafficking. We think the ban on certain drugs is creating more problems in society than the drug itself," the minister told a news conference.

"Homicides related to settling scores have increased and that's a clear sign that certain phenomena are appearing in Uruguay that didn't exist before," he said.

The bill would legalize and set rules for the production and sale of marijuana but would not allow people to grow the plant for their own personal use. The government did not give details on how the new system would work.

In Uruguay about $75 million changes hands each year in the illegal marijuana trade, according to official estimates.

As of last year, 20 percent of people between 15 and 65 years old reported they had smoked marijuana at least once and about 5 percent of respondents were habitual users.

The proposal to legalize the marijuana market is one of 15 crime-fighting measures that include tougher penalties for police corruption, crack-cocaine trafficking and juvenile offenders.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/21/us-uruguay-marijuana-idUSBRE85K04R20120621

I did not know that marijuana consumption is already legal in Uruguay.

 

[Spongle]

All drugs should be legal (under controls of course)

I'm beaming away on dexamphetamine sulphate right now but since I have a prescription; for a condition that does not exist mind you, it's perfectly ok.

 

[Glen48]

It is legal in California but you get arrested if you sell it. They reckon the market could be worth $5 to 10 B and save about the same on closing jails and law enforcement costs.
The big drug companies won't allow it as it eats into their profits.

 

[Timmy]

The big drug companies won't allow it as it eats into their profits.

Also worthwhile considering the interests of the businesses running penitentiaries in the US - I wonder how much of their business comes from marijuana (& other illegal substances) -related offences?

 

[sails]

... The big drug companies won't allow it as it eats into their profits.

I think you could be right, Glen. I have seen my daughter come off marijuana, seroquel and pristiq. Marijuana seems to be the least damaging and, at least, has some therapeutic benefits. Not recommending any of them, but if something is needed to help with depression, I think marijuana would be the better choice.

Never thought I would come to this, but I have been absolutely shocked (and angry) at the withdrawal effects of seroquel and to a lesser degree, Pristiq.

It wouldn't surprise me if drug companies are behind keeping marijuana illegal - it might dent their sales somewhat especially on anti depressants and pain relief.

With the far more health damaging alcohol and cigarettes being legal, it makes little sense that something that does seem to have some therapeutic benefit is so illegal.

 

[Glen48]

When China spends 3 B building a city in Angola and selling units at 120 to 200K each and the average wage is $2 a day and then China explains no one can buy because credit is tight, when USA spends 800M on anti smoking and a few more M on supporting tobacco farmer's, then allowing people to use dope at home is never going to see the light of day.

 

[DB008]

NY Times

New York Times: What Do You Get From A Drug War Costing $25 Billion Annually?
Cocaine 74 Percent Cheaper Than It Was 30 Years Ago

When policy makers in Washington worry about Mexico these days, they think in terms of a handful of numbers: Mexico’s 19,500 hectares devoted to poppy cultivation for heroin; its 17,500 hectares growing cannabis; the 95 percent of American cocaine imports brought by Mexican cartels through Mexico and Central America.

They are thinking about the wrong numbers. If there is one number that embodies the seemingly intractable challenge imposed by the illegal drug trade on the relationship between the United States and Mexico, it is $177.26. That is the retail price, according to Drug Enforcement Administration data, of one gram of pure cocaine from your typical local pusher. That is 74 percent cheaper than it was 30 years ago.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/04/b...art-with-the-numbers.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all


Blog also here
http://reason.com/blog/2012/07/05/new-york-times-what-do-you-get-from-a-dr

 

[Glen48]

The war on plants is good business , the Police get new equipment, more jails are built,more anti plant forces employed, more Hi Tech equipment developed, more PR for the feds.
It will never stop.

 

[DB008]

Mexican Drug War

Good article outlining the Mexican Drug War

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/07/13/mexican-drug-cartels-spreading-influence-graphic/

 

[Tisme]

Maccas enters the big pharma circus:

http://demicmedia.com/colorado-mcdonalds-offers-first-marijuana-friendly-smoking-section/

Colorado McDonald’s Offers First Marijuana Friendly Smoking S


Colorado continues to blaze major trails when it comes to marijuana.

The first ever marijuana smoking sections will be implemented in 15 of the state’s McDonald’s restaurants. They will use the existing Play Place area’s and convert them over to friendly marijuana smoke zones.

Called “smoking pods”, these area’s will allow joints, bongs and pipes to be smoked, but only marijuana is allowed, not tobacco products or cigarettes.

The pods will contain upper ventilation units, allowing the smoke to filter away from the facility and not enter the actual restaurant. Two restaurants have already launched their marijuana-only smoking pod sections, while 13 other franchises expect completion by the end of the year.

The Colorado McDonald’s will not be selling any marijuana or THC edibles as of now.

Projected McDonald’s earnings are said by analysts to skyrocket in Colorado, due to the appetite increasing effect that marijuana users experience. Marketing experts agree that this was likely a major reason for the chain to get rid of the play area’s and implement marijuana smoking pods.

Source

 

[DB008]

Colorado cracks a billion in annual marijuana sales in record time, generating $200M in tax revenue
​

Marijuana sales in Colorado exceeded $1 billion as of August of this year, with tax revenue from those sales coming in at $200 million, according to a report from the Colorado Department of Revenue and its Marijuana Enforcement Division.

It’s the earliest point in any of the four years Colorado has had legal recreational marijuana that combined medical and rec sales have cracked the billion-dollar mark.

Total combined recreational and medical marijuana sales through August hit $1,022,245,511, according to the MED, setting the state on a trajectory to break last year’s record of more than $1.5 billion in sales.

State officials highlighted the industry’s growth in a news release Thursday. The release also shared findings from the Marijuana Enforcement Division’s 2018 Mid-Year Update, released Sept. 10.

The quarterly report found Denver, Boulder, El Paso and Pueblo counties are the industry’s hot spots, growing 80 percent of all plants in the state as of June.

It also found that while sales of marijuana flower remained relatively steady, sales of edible products and concentrates like hash oil and live resin grew significantly. Between January and June, edibles sales shot up 13.8 percent over the first six months of last year, and concentrates sales skyrocketed, growing 94.6 percent over the same period.

That growth comes as little surprise to Nancy Whiteman. She’s the founder and CEO of Wana Brands, the leading infused products and edibles brand in the state. After clearing $14.2 million in sales last year, Whiteman said her company — led by its marquee gummies — is on pace for 25 percent growth in 2018. Wana is in the process of ramping up production of a new disposable vaporizer line that Whiteman said uses high-end mechanical components and high-end concentrates.

Continuing sales growth in Colorado can be linked to the shifting demographics of who is buying, in Whiteman’s view.

“I think there has been sort of a stereotype that the cannabis user is a young male,” she said. “The total pie is growing because new people are entering the market.”

Who are those people? More women and more older folks, Whiteman said. They are being drawn in by diversifying options including more products containing cannabidiol, or CBD, the non-psychoactive marijuana ingredient that many people embrace for physical relaxation and pain management.

More on link below...
​

https://www.denverpost.com/2018/10/18/colorado-cracks-billion-marijuana-sales-record/​

From Reddit....

What's the total when you add in:

• Money not spent on prohibition policing
• Freeing up the courts and legal system
• Money saved by not locking up offenders
• Economic effects of people working instead of being incarcerated

This part might not be easily quantifiable, but I want the profits going to legal small business owners instead of drug lords.