RiotNrrd:Here in Oregon, of course, weed is now legal and will be sold in stores as early as this October.

The government is rubbing their hands with glee in anticipation of the high tax revenues. Which I bet will be pretty good at first.

However, although there are restrictions (cannot be seen from a public street, etc.), the amounts people are legally allowed to grow themselves of a substance which grows literally like a weed are enormous. I believe each household can have up to four adult plants, and quite a few more immature plants, and can possess (I believe) up to eight ounces (i.e., half a pound, although I might be wrong and it's only four ounces; I don't remember the details) of dried material at any given time.

The thing is, adult marijuana plants can easily provide half a pound *each*, and up to two pounds each if you know what you're doing.

The math works out such that I predict marijuana in Oregon is going to become something akin to smokable zucchini at some point. If we aren't growing it ourselves, we probably will know someone who is. Individuals aren't allowed to sell it, but they *are* allowed to give it away, and it sounds to me like there's going to potentially be a lot of excess material that people are going to want to get rid of, but not waste (if you know what I mean; simply burning or composting it would be seen amongst these types of growers as wasting it).

Apparently there is a need for trimming the plant; pruning it, I'm guessing. The plant matter can then be ground (e.g. in a coffee grinder) and the resulting powder can be cooked in butter which after straining is then used to bake with. Er........so I've read, anyway.........

orthohawk1:

Alkanadi:What is your opinion about street drugs?

As long as one is not trying to force others to use them and is of legal age, I say, let 'em. If they're stupid enough to take chances with these substances, well, the gene pool will be stronger in the end.

But then they steal and rob people to support their addictions. They try to get others hooked on it so they can create a multilevel marketing scheme.

RiotNrrd:Here in Oregon, of course, weed is now legal and will be sold to the public in stores as early as this October. Medical marijuana has been available for some time already, of course.

The government is rubbing their hands with glee in anticipation of the high tax revenues. Which I bet will be pretty good at first.

That is great news. Now we will know for sure if smoking weed makes criminals less violent.

http://www.oregon.gov/olcc/marijuana/Pages/Frequently-Asked-Questions.aspx

I think all drugs should be decriminalised. Here in the states the criminalisation of drugs has disproportionately effected youths and minorities, not to mention that once introduced into the system the opportunities for leading a productive life is greatly diminished....p.s. I like drugs =)

zesatijose:I think all drugs should be decriminalised. Here in the states the criminalisation of drugs has disproportionately effected youths and minorities, not to mention that once introduced into the system the opportunities for leading a productive life is greatly diminished....p.s. I like drugs =)

Isn't it basically that you just like using drugs? If it disproportionally affects youths and minorities, perhaps youth and minorities are the major drug users? If that is the case then there are likely other underlying issues that won't be solved by simply decriminalising drugs. It may even make it worse.

I actually don't believe drug use is concentrated in those groups. Expensive drugs are used by diverse groups. There's no guarantee that your doctor isn't a drug abuser (I choose the word abuser rather than user).

Vestitor:There's no guarantee that your doctor isn't a drug abuser (I choose the word abuser rather than user).

Doctors can prescribe drugs to themselves. Then they bring them to parties. This is according to a friend of mine who saw it himself. Maybe he is full of BS but he seemed like an honest guy.

Vestitor:

zesatijose:I think all drugs should be decriminalised. Here in the states the criminalisation of drugs has disproportionately effected youths and minorities, not to mention that once introduced into the system the opportunities for leading a productive life is greatly diminished....p.s. I like drugs =)

Isn't it basically that you just like using drugs? If it disproportionally affects youths and minorities, perhaps youth and minorities are the major drug users? If that is the case then there are likely other underlying issues that won't be solved by simply decriminalising drugs. It may even make it worse.

I actually don't believe drug use is concentrated in those groups. Expensive drugs are used by diverse groups. There's no guarantee that your doctor isn't a drug abuser (I choose the word abuser rather than user).

I was ironically jumping on that tree stump, although I do believe that the war on drugs in my country has waged against its citizens is detrimental to the good of the people, and actually creates the economy that funds the drug cartels, I actually put the "i like drugs" comment because that's immediately the conclusion everyone jumps to..I do like weed but its not a drug its a gift el dio =) but I suppose your right, my enjoyment and experience with the devils cabbage most deffinetly guides my oppinions on drug decriminalization

I know this topic is quite old, but I feel like re-opening it because I feel that it's an interesting topic. I believe that the only reason politicians keep marijuana illegal is to continue the School-prison pipeline (at least in the good ol' US of A anyway) and I personally believe using drugs shouldn't be a crime as I don't really see anything immoral about making yourself feel good, as long as you do so responsibly.

According to David Nutt, who was a senior scientific advisor to the UK Government, cannabis causes considerably less harm than tobacco and alcohol.

So it would make sense for cannabis to be legal as long as tobacco and alcohol are also legal.

But there are obvious problems with buying and using street drugs, when they are illegal. If you buy from some drug dealer, you have no consumer protections, and you don't know what else could have been mixed in with drug you buy. So there are additional dangers even if the drugs alone could be considered safe.

For the record: I don't smoke, I have never used cannabis, and I am close to being tee-total.

I remember Nutt saying this in a TV interview (maybe it exists on youtube?), but he also admitted that it related to lower usage of cannabis - as opposed to smoking and drinking alcohol, both of which are consumed on a far wider scale because they are legal and freely available.

I remember saying in further up in this thread: the ones squawking most about legalisation of street drugs are not the most hopeless or directionless with no future. It's those who thirty years hence, when they settle into their natural conservatism, will be horrified about their own kids using it.