Ganja

[Rattman]

why should it NOT me legal?

i would like to see the reasons?

[fable]

Cannibis, neh? Not the Azerbaijani city?

The most important reason to keep cannibis illegal is that it funds a huge criminal underground which can charge exorbitant prices for its product. Just like liquor prohibition in the 1920s in the US, the people who benefit are the most powerful crooks. Ya wanna mess wit' dem?

Besides, they control the direction of so-called "public" opinion on this, and the "anti-drug lobby." They have you outweighed, out-muscled, and out-moneyed.

[KidD01]

I don't think I understand the question

[Beldin]

@Ratty: Read here. .

That should answer some questions...

No worries,

Beldinhttp://www.smilies.org/basesmilies/anim-jjd.gif

[Kameleon]

@Rattman, you might like to venture into the Happy Birthday Beldin thread, as a serious discussion seems to have appeared in the midst of all the virtual drinking (order out of chaos and all that). There's some good links to pro- and anti- legalisation arguments as well as some interesting thoughts (mostly from pro- people, but that's SLURRs for you)

The most important reason to keep cannibis illegal is that it funds a huge criminal underground which can charge exorbitant prices for its product.

@fable, if cannabis was made legal, and you could go down to the video store or the supermarket and buy yourself a packet of spliffs, with all the "competing prices" and "special offers" that such a thing would bring, do you not think that this would spell the end for the criminal gangs that illegally deal cannabis for huge slices of profit? Just as small specialty shops are put out of business by huge consumer chains dropping their prices too far, this is what I believe would happen to the dealers who only deal cannabis. Those who (and there are many) deal harder drugs as well, for which there is no chance that they would be legalised, would be deprived of their starter drug, through which they draw people onto drugs like heroin and cocaine. Personally, although they would survive on dealing hard drugs, I think the legalisation of cannabis would be a great blow to the illegal market - apart from all else, they would be left with stockpiles that they would either find very hard to sell or end up making a large loss on.

EDIT - That'll teach me to include a Rolling Thunder (tm) link along with a long post, Beldin

[Beldin]

Originally posted by Kameleon
[B@fable, if cannabis was made legal, and you could go down to the video store or the supermarket and buy yourself a packet of spliffs, with all the "competing prices" and "special offers" that such a thing would bring, do you not think that this would spell the end for the criminal gangs that illegally deal cannabis for huge slices of profit? Just as small specialty shops are put out of business by huge consumer chains dropping their prices too far, this is what I believe would happen to the dealers who only deal cannabis. Those who (and there are many) deal harder drugs as well, for which there is no chance that they would be legalised, would be deprived of their starter drug, through which they draw people onto drugs like heroin and cocaine. Personally, although they would survive on dealing hard drugs, I think the legalisation of cannabis would be a great blow to the illegal market - apart from all else, they would be left with stockpiles that they would either find very hard to sell or end up making a large loss on.

EDIT - That'll teach me to include a Rolling Thunder (tm) link along with a long post, Beldin [/b]

@Kam: I think fable was being in a jocular mood. (Unbelievable, but maybe true @fable) . His post sounds somewhat satirical.

@the Link : Hey, no worries,they don't call me "Linkmaster" for nothing, mate.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

Those who (and there are many) deal harder drugs as well, for which there is no chance that they would be legalised, would be deprived of their starter drug, through which they draw people onto drugs like heroin and cocaine.

Just so you know (and this is being discussed in the Rolling Thunder), studies so far have failed to show a causal effect between cannabis and hard drugs.

[Kameleon]

Originally posted by Ode to a Grasshopper
Just so you know (and this is being discussed in the Rolling Thunder), studies so far have failed to show a causal effect between cannabis and hard drugs.

I'm there, man, I'm there

I wasn't talking about any physiological connection between cannabis and harder drugs, but there is definitely a psychological link. People like the marijuana high, they get told that the high from another drug is even better, so they try it, and possibly get addicted. I'm not however saying that if you use cannabis you are more likely to become addicted to anything harder.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

True, however this is more likely due to the poeples' personalities than due to the cannabis itself. Laced cannabis is the exception, but we've covered that in the Rolling Thunder too.

[fable]

@fable, if cannabis was made legal, and you could go down to the video store or the supermarket and buy yourself a packet of spliffs, with all the "competing prices" and "special offers" that such a thing would bring, do you not think that this would spell the end for the criminal gangs that illegally deal cannabis for huge slices of profit?

Methinks you missed the sarcastic tone and content of my rhetorical question. Sorry, but I thought the concluding line, plus the eye wink emoticon, was pretty clear:

The most important reason to keep cannibis illegal is that it funds a huge criminal underground which can charge exorbitant prices for its product. Just like liquor prohibition in the 1920s in the US, the people who benefit are the most powerful crooks. Ya wanna mess wit' dem?

[Ned Flanders]

Well, by your argument Kameleon, I'd think legalizing Cannabis would make life easier for the illegal market (i.e. those peddling large amounts of cocaine and heroin, maybe meth). Labeling Mari-Jane as a starter/gateway drug (not something I entirely agree with, never happened to me, but there are plenty of gullible users in the world lest these drug lords wouldn't have multimillion dollars ops) means the big time dealer is forced to move marijuana in order to hook the crowd into buying the drugs that are going to make them the most money. Marijuana is a big loser financially for these dealers. It is bulky and it sells cheap, turning around to say a lot of it gets snatched (and smoked) by the authorities which heavily bites into their profit margins because they really don't make up for it in the quantity they do successfully move.

Now, if the big dealers were able to avoid moving marijuana via legalization, then the government is opening the door for the contraband czars. The government gets 'em hooked and the cocaine and heroin lords reel in the gullible. The prices of the street heavily addictive drugs will go down in end user price as well, beautiful.

I hope McBane sees this thread and gets a whiff of the loot we can make by lobbying for the legalization of Marijuana. I believe Peter Tosh has already written our anthem.

[Beldin]

@Ned: The Netherlands have legalized it some years ago and THEY didn't experience THIS problem..

No worries,

Beldin

[Ned Flanders]

by beldin
@Ned: The Netherlands have legalized it some years ago and THEY didn't experience THIS problem..

Is it legalized and sold throughout the entire country or only in some areas??
Ignorance is bliss????? Perhaps there is something to be said for the resilience and fortitude of the dutch then. Having the sense to stay away from the hard stuff is a good thing. In a country as large as the US, which is an indulgent society to say the least, I see it as a possibility.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

Ah yes, the old "Police burn-offs". There was quite the scandal over here when it was shown that some of the police force were pocketing the confiscated herb for their own use, or selling it on the streets themselves.

[Kameleon]

Ah, sorry about that fable, the idea that you might be joking did cross my mind, but then it was so shocked that you might be being...unserious that it ran and hid

Good points @everyone, Ned I do see your point, it's a good one