đźš« Prohibition

The Sotonians position on..
#1

Prohibition is not an archaic concept. Though permanently tied to gangster stories from the 1930s, it happens every single day in this country. Fair dos, alcohol is legal enough - but many other things that people choose to put in their bodies are not. It has been thirty years since Reagan declared his war on drugs. To borrow a quip, “the people on drugs are winning”. Perhaps Obama has heard it.

That same country now offers legal marijuana for recreational purposes in some of its states. As soon as the dollar value is properly understood, I’m sure we’ll see more states going green.

What’s the Sotonians position on prohibition?

#2

Having seen first hand where drug use can lead - I am happy with the status quo. Why open that particular pandora’s box.

#3

I’m all for the legal, controlled use of marijuana.
The value of it will no doubt open it up over time, as you mention above, becase everybody loves a profit!

I would imagine (part of me wants to say hope) that it will start to carry a lot of tax. I say hope because for every person who can use marijuana safely there will be those who can’t or for whom it creates mental disorder or health challenges thus putting pressure on healthcare.

With cannabis plants having a strong rate of photosynthesis I would imagine it may have some environmental benefit too

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#4

I’m finding they thing they do now in shops where they put the cigarettes behind a hidden panel v.annoying. I’m not a smokes bro myself, but I was queueing in petrol station the other day behind a bird, and it was like this:

Bird: Have you got 10 Sterling Superking light (or something)?

Bro: No, we do not have those.

Bird: Oh. Have you got 10 Sterling Superking not-light, then?

Bro: Sorry, no.

Bird: How about 10 Sterling non-Superking non-light?

Bro: No.

Bird: Hmm. How about Benson & Hedge bros?

Bro: How many?

Bird: 10

Bro: No.

Bird: *checking purse* Oh, 20 then.

Bro: Sorry, no stock.

Bird: Oh, forget it. *fucks off*

Bear: Jeez you had a big run on smokes or something?

Bro: No, she just looks underage. It’s easier to do that, than ask for ID.

Bear: Maybe for you! I’ve been standing here like a CUNT!

Bro: Fuck you!

Bear: Fuck you!

Bro: What do you even want?

Bear: 10 Superkings whatever, I’m gonna run after that bird, see if she wants to swap them for handjob tks.

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#5

Originally posted by @SaintZamboni

I’m all for the legal, controlled use of marijuana.

Me too, but I wouldn’t make it mandatory.

#6

Just to confirm bear, you do get hand jobs from underages?

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#7

Dunno, I mean we do ID checks, but we’re not suspicious by nature. I.e. if teenage bird produces the ID of a 40yo man, we don’t ask questions.

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#8

It has been open throughout. The status quo criminalises people for doing stuff which is in many cases, far less harmful than existing legal substances. For me, the question revolves around whether we waste all the money on enforcement, when we could be using revenues from taxation to address the social issues it creates, just as tobacco is a “net earner” for the NHS.

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#9

What about the other way around i.e. Bletch?

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#10

Yeah, if beltch had the ID of a teenage girl, I would accept that + let him tug me off

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#11

Again!

Anyway, back on subject.

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#12

I appreciate the argument that its no more harmful than booze or ciggies is used, but that is no reason to legalise it. I would suggest that if tobacco was introduced to the world today, it would be banned.

The key difference for me is the psychological effects - some of the stronger strains of cannibis have a greater propensity to cause the negative side effect (paranoia etc) due to their chemical make up.

Plus you have the old arguement of it being the first step to harder substances - while I appreciate most people can restrain themselves, some cannot / do not and get into real difficulty.

Decriminalising it will imo increase the user base which will inevitably lead to a greater number of hard drug users - why take the risk

#13

I still take some drugs i.e. sometimes, but rarely, but I dunno that I would ever of had my first puffs of canabis etc when I was at school, if it was Legal and if i.e. my Dad did it. I wanted to be Cool + Gangsta! They should make drugs legal, but instead make i.e. Apples illegal, and then i.e. the Kids Would Be much more Health, cos they’d be round the back of the Science Labs, mainlining Apple that is what i think.

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#14

I was about to post a similar thing, but without th lols.

Weed is not so much a gateway drug to harder drugs as it is a gateway to illegal activity. If pot smoking were within the law,it would be much less of a gateway, just like alcohol, IMO

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#15

Originally posted by @CB-Saint

I appreciate the argument that its no more harmful than booze or ciggies is used, but that is no reason to legalise it. I would suggest that if tobacco was introduced to the world today, it would be banned.

The key difference for me is the psychological effects - some of the stronger strains of cannibis have a greater propensity to cause the negative side effect (paranoia etc) due to their chemical make up.

Plus you have the old arguement of it being the first step to harder substances - while I appreciate most people can restrain themselves, some cannot / do not and get into real difficulty.

Decriminalising it will imo increase the user base which will inevitably lead to a greater number of hard drug users - why take the risk

Both ciggies and alcohol carry a heavy amount of duty that is in part, designed to pay for the health and policing problems that both create. Illicit substances cause just as many social, health and budgetary problems. More, probably. We’ve got enough regressive taxation so some of that money undoubtedly makes its way back into the economy, so I’m not for a minute pretending that the narcotics trade isn’t making any money for the exchequer. It’s just not happening directly; instead, we’re spending money on enforcement, imprisonment and all the other side effects that causes, like kids getting fucked up because they’ve got a parent in jail, etc.

Additionally, I think the newly politicised elected Police Commissioners aren’t helping. Nobody wanted them in the first place, so they’ve got to be seen to justify their roles. The vast majority of crime detection featured in our local rag are cannabis farm busts, at great cost to the taxpayer and apart from the redundant criminality it creates, causes no harm to the general public.

I completely accept that it just isn’t for some people, and I am particularly constant in warning youngsters to stay off any mind-altering shit until they are at least 21. I’ve seen too many people sectioned after doing too much weed in their developing or formative years to have any other opinion. Same goes for any adult that develops psychosis after trying weed, but then the same also applies to alcohol on a much much larger scale. Personally, I’ve known three people, lifetime, to be fucked up because of weed. I know shitloads of people that are twats after a bevvy, and met plenty of strangers in that category too. I’ve been one myself.

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#16

Hold on. elected police commissioners? Oh shit. The uk is screwed.

#17

Yup. Not “what’s best for the public?”.

“What will look good in front of the public?”

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#18

When I was school our Science teacher sat us all down and told us that Weed was good for you, and the only reason it was illegal was cos the American Government asked the British Government to make it illegal because, I forget the details, it was some whole conspiracy or something. Pap probably knows.

Possibly not the best bit of teaching tbf, although it scared me straight for a while, cos the Science teacher was a grade-A Twat. If he told me whacking off was good for you, I’d prob have quit that too.

#19

I had a biology teacher at school who told us about oral sex! She recommended it!

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#20

The theory goes that hemp was outlawed to make the introduction of newly patented nylon a lot easier.

I don’t know if I buy it myself. Top Google link is a debunk.

Probably makes total fucking sense if you smoke a lot of hemp.

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