Drugs

[Keef]

Ah yes, I forgot to factor in the NHS. I can see that causing people to despise smoking with the idea that smokers cost the NHS more money, thereby costing all the taxpayers more money. That's the reason they want to banish all questionable behavior.

I see it as yet another reason why health care should not be controlled by the government.

 

[ExigeEvan]

Ah yes, I forgot to factor in the NHS. I can see that causing people to despise smoking with the idea that smokers cost the NHS more money, thereby costing all the taxpayers more money. That's the reason they want to banish all questionable behavior.

I see it as yet another reason why health care should not be controlled by the government.

No, that's nothing to do with it.

Personally, as a non smoker I selfishly think the smoking ban indoors is great! I don't smell like an ash try after the pub, the club or the restaurant.

But because of the smoking ban it's made non smokers hyper sensitive to even the smallest amount, like the whiff as you walk past the smokers at the front door, or the stench from a smokers clothes.

 

[Joel]

The smoking ban in restaurants and bars here bothers me. If a restaurant wants to let people smoke on their property, they should be allowed to. I'm not a smoker, and I would simply not enter a restaurant with smoking. In my hometown, there were two breakfast places that were considered to be the "smoker's restaurants". They reeked of cigarettes, and I didn't eat there. There were plenty of other restaurants for me to go to that didn't have smoking, so it didn't bother me. I don't see why the government should be telling people they can't let others smoke on their own private property.

Sure, it's nice to be able to go to those restaurants that were otherwise disgusting before the law changed, but the bottom line is that's no justification to restrict what people can and can't allow on their private property. It's extremely hypocritical in my opinion to ban smoking in restaurants, yet let McDonalds stay open for business. Eating McD's every day is just as bad for you as smoking every day.

 

[Keef]

I also think our smoking ban is great, in that I don't have to sit there and smell it like I have to at home.

But, I also believe it's a decision that should be made by the property owner, not the government, and therefore I think the government ban should not exist.

 

[Joel]

I also think our smoking ban is great, in that I don't have to sit there and smell it like I have to at home.

But, I also believe it's a decision that should be made by the property owner, not the government, and therefore I think the government ban should not exist.

Exactly, it's good for me as a non smoker, but ultimately it's private property and it's wrong to restrict what people can allow on their property.

 

[DK]

According to some former leaders, the war on drugs has failed.

 

[tejsodi]

I love DRUGS

 

[S.Kobayashi]

I live in Amsterdam so drugs are an everyday thing for me. One of my best friends works in a coffeeshop so I see my fair share of stoned people. I personally don't like it and haven't used any drugs in a year.

Weed is legal in Holland but now the government wants to make coffeeshops 'private clubs' where only Dutch people can come to stop the drug tourism. You'll need a Club ID card and a passport to get in one if they introduce this. I think it sucks because I like all the doped out tourists here in the city and it will only give big problems with illegal dealers with bad ****.

I also think tourism will decrease dramatically if they go through with this. So I'd like to know from non-dutch people if you would still come to Holland if you couldn't get legal weed?

 

[Kiddir420]

I live in Amsterdam so drugs are an everyday thing for me. One of my best friends works in a coffeeshop so I see my fair share of stoned people. I personally don't like it and haven't used any drugs in a year.

Weed is legal in Holland but now the government wants to make coffeeshops 'private clubs' where only Dutch people can come to stop the drug tourism. You'll need a Club ID card and a passport to get in one if they introduce this. I think it sucks because I like all the doped out tourists here in the city and it will only give big problems with illegal dealers with bad ****.

I also think tourism will decrease dramatically if they go through with this. So I'd like to know from non-dutch people if you would still come to Holland if you couldn't get legal weed?

A figure I saw was that in Coffeeshops in Amsterdam, only around 10% of the clients are actually Dutch, the rest are tourists. So they really are shooting themselves in the foot if they were to go ahead with this plan.

I mean, as a young adult, I wouldn't really consider visiting Holland as I like smoking pot, and they have a policy over there which works, and should be implemented over here in the UK.

 

[Type S Tony]

So I'd like to know from non-dutch people if you would still come to Holland if you couldn't get legal weed?

No,

Have been once before & I enjoyed my massive 4 day bender, Basically no 4 day bender = No trip to Amsterdam

 

[Keef]

I just witnessed a drug deal happen right in front of my house. Two cars raced up and pulled along the curb, one a ratty old Corolla, and one a spanky new Dodge Avenger. The guy in the crappy old car - himself looking like some white trash weirdo - got out of his car and into the passenger seat of the Dodge, which was driven by somebody in a wife beater, leaned way back and talking on their cell phone. They chatted for about a minute behind the tinted glass until I came to my front bay window and started checking them out. Trashy guy got out and back into his car, and they both raced off, running the stop sign at the end of my street.

Why post it in here? Because sketchy crap like this wouldn't happen if they could just go to the store and get some drugs.

 

[DOUQA]

According to some former leaders, the war on drugs has failed.

Ha ha. Reminds me of some old Bill Hicks:

"That means that there's a war going on and people on drugs are winning it."

"I feel like my flank is covered"

 

[lbsf1]

Personal opinion here is that cannabis should be legalised.

I come from a school where drugs are pretty common. Drugs havent done anything bad to anyof them medically. Its no worse than smoking or drinking.

You will very often have seen antisocial drunks, but never an antisocial drugy on canabis.

The government could save money fighting it and make money taxing it. And now as in england the youth vote is so very important then this policy would effectively be a free ticket into power, as every 18-25 year old would probably vote for them.

 

[MatskiMonk]

Personal opinion here is that cannabis should be legalised.

I come from a school where drugs are pretty common. Drugs havent done anything bad to anyof them medically. Its no worse than smoking or drinking.

You will very often have seen antisocial drunks, but never an antisocial drugy on canabis.

The government could save money fighting it and make money taxing it. And now as in england the youth vote is so very important then this policy would effectively be a free ticket into power, as every 18-25 year old would probably vote for them.

Yeah, I would say drugs are mostly a youth thing in my experience, though I've never done any form of drug other than alcohol (and entirely pointless prescription anti-depressants), many of my friends did at college, carried on for a few years then mostly they grew out of it, having realised that in some fashion it was having a negative impact on their lives -- in many ways it parallels alchohol.

However, saying that it's okay because fags and booze are legal is a bad excuse... the system already struggles to cope with problems related to those legal drugs, introducing a whole new raft of social, legal and health complications really wouldn't help.

Legalisation would probably lead to a big uptake in use. People that hadn't done it would try it, and people that did it in moderation would probably do it more. And legalising it would probably send out the message that "actually despite what we've been saying all these years, smoking and doing drugs are OKAY!", more people doing drugs means more people likely to try harder drugs.. which would probably be a bad thing...

I'm not too sure really... my initial reaction to legalising drugs is a negative one, but it is a difficult argument to have without me being hypocritical - since I do have somewhat of an habitual addiction to alcohol..

 

[DOUQA]

...more people doing drugs means more people likely to try harder drugs...

I disagree. People say that cannabis is a gateway drug and that it leads to harder drugs. They are correct, but only beacause you have to buy cannabis from a drug dealer, so you are already breaking the law and you are already in with "the wrong crowd".

Alcohol, in my expert opinion, is a much harder drug than cannabis. Its has a much stronger affect and is very addictive. Despite that you never hear alcohol being called a gateway drug. Only because most bar staff dont offer you a couple of cheap pills when you get a drink.

I also totally agree with everything lbsf1 said.

 

[MatskiMonk]

I disagree. People say that cannabis is a gateway drug and that it leads to harder drugs. They are correct, but only beacause you have to buy cannabis from a drug dealer, so you are already breaking the law and you are already in with "the wrong crowd".

Alcohol, in my expert opinion, is a much harder drug than cannabis. Its has a much stronger affect and is very addictive. Despite that you never hear alcohol being called a gateway drug. Only because most bar staff dont offer you a couple of cheap pills when you get a drink.

I also totally agree with everything lbsf1 said.

Well it is a valid point, although from what I've seen the guys my friends got their cannabis off wasn't really your typical hard-core drug dealer, and certainly wouldn't have pushed anything serious on them (just as I never had to decline anything more than once from them)... but it did mean that when they were looking for the next step up, they had already taken the moral, ethical and (il)legal step.. it was more a question of "well why not"...

.. I'm not saying it would turn us into a junkie state, or that all of my friends became crack addicts.. for the most part they tried a few things once or twice and never took it up.. (except one, but he was a few ice-cubes short of a cocktail anyway).. but, with legalisation, we could face an explosion in the amount of cannabis consumed as a nation... and 1% of a massive number may well be worse than 20% of a small number.

I did once hear a funny analogy.. about legalisation of 'lite' drugs vs. Alcohol, and the legalisation of prostitution vs. marriage.. can't find it on youtube


btw, I did once eat some weed, I sat on the floor in the corner with two pairs of shades on watching the silhouettes of my friends talking.. it was a rubbish night!

 

[lbsf1]

This situation is completely hippotetical anyway, since the uk government will NEVER legalize it. They never make u turns (just look at the student fee's arguement).

I do agree that if it was legal I would try it, but since it is arguably less dangerous than alcohol then is that to much of a problem.

I agree with you on how saying that cause fags and booze are legal meaning cannabis should be to doesn't make sense, since they are all bad for you health, however to what measure compared to each other is what people question.

This is always going to be a problem with teenagers do our "rebelious" nature. That is something which we can't change. People tellling us that smoking is bad and stuff doesn't go into our heads. I know some people will start on how todays teenagers are so bad. However bear in mind my granddad went down the park when he was a teenager he flew little planes he made with mini jet engines, getting to "play" with the explosives and such that made them, and that was the norm back then, God how I wish I could do that. The reason most teenagers do drugs is lack of other things to do (that we actually want to do).

Now days health and safetly stops everything, we built a massive treehouse in the forest near my house with zip wires and everything, we then got a letter from the council telling us we had 30 days to take it down, or face a £2000 fine. We then tried to make some bike jumps. Came down there one day and found them bulldozed and now anyone who makes bike jumps in our area faces prosecution. Then the council wonder why they find us down the park smoking and doing drugs?

I'm not saying that health and safety cause's drug problems in teenagers, but it could be a factor in my mind.

 

[Hollidog]

Just like to chime in on one of the arguments of a page or two ago; I agree that the burden should be on the patron, in the case of underage entrance into pubs and clubs. When I used to be underage, I used an ID of a friend of mine who looked similar to me. So did everyone else I knew, almost all of my friends went to clubs underage, and the only one who used a fake ID never got let in to any of them. At clubs it is hard for bouncers to be able to identify when a person is who theyre credentials say that they are. Like someone said, there are also a number of factors that allow you to get in easier than others, being well dressed, polite and presenting yourself well all contribute to your ability to get in. Having a pretty girl on your arm also helps.

At bottle stores and supermarkets they are much more strict. It is the law that the checkout operators have their supervisors come and authorise the sale of all alcohol, irrespective of age. That being said, I was never once questioned or rejected while on my fake ID. In fact I get questioned incredibly frequently now that I am on my own ID, as when the photo was taken for it, I had a beard and long hair. I now have a skinhead and a clean shave and get questioned everywhere I go!

Also on the topic of legalisation of cannabis, personally, I am for it. Where I live we had a dispensary that was only recently shut down. The place was run like a legitimate business, paying GST (VAT) and company tax. The police knew about it but for some reason didnt shut it down. They would often set up check points to see if you were DUI'ing but wouldnt search your car if you werent. At least in my experience. This was strange when it happened because you could drive 15 minutes from your house and go and buy weed, and walk out like you had just bought lettuce.

If it were to be legalised then I can see it being similar to one of three scenarios. In a Utopian society it would be available just as easily as cigarettes and alcohol. Next to least likely is decriminalisation. But the most likely, and least useful for me, would be making it medicinal. Guess I would have to fake glaucoma... Seriously though, illegal or no, I dont think my usage would change that much. Im not an idiot, I recognise that inhaling smoke of any sort cant be good for your lungs, but thats as far as I take the detrimental health risks.

Other drugs Im not sure on, but I cant imagine anything other than cannabis being legalised in the future.

 

[Nurburgthing.]

Cannabis is a gateway drug? Piffle.
What about alcohol, caffine, nicotine and pharmaceuticals?

All humans have an override function called "willpower". This allows us to say NO to crack, smack and coke. I guess that in some people, it doesn't work very well.

I can safely say that weed is pretty damn harmless, I still have all my belongings, I haven't pimped out my GF for a rock and, I haven't even been remotely tempted by other mind and soul destroying drugs.

Mushrooms are fine as well. Not too many though.

"Making cannabis illegal is like saying God made a mistake" - Bill Hicks (R.I.P)

 

[Villain]

All humans have an override function called "willpower". This allows us to say NO to crack, smack and coke. I guess that in some people, it doesn't work very well.

It's a disease called "addiction" and it's very, very serious.

 

[Keef]

Your brain's function is dictated by various chemical reactions. That's all it is. You don't control your brain - your brain is you, it and does as it sees fit. Drug use and addiction are products of chemical imbalance and there's not a darn thing "you" can do about it. That's just how it works.

 

[AudiPro]

Ok Im not gonna lie here. If you dont think drugs have done some great things I want you to take all your CD's, casettes, and Albums and I want you to burn em. You know why? Cause the musicians that created that music that has enriched and enhanced your lives......they were real 🤬 high on drugs.

 

[Crispy]

My personal opinion, don't flame me for it.

How is a law going to stop people who are going to do something stupid? Its not! If drugs were illegal, than there would be something like an under 21 law banning people under 21 from purchasing drugs. How do kids get drugs? By illegal drug dealers who usually make their own drugs, or in the case of Marajuana, grow their own. If drugs were legal, then these drug dealers wouldn't make a profit off the streets for small money, but instead get large corperations, lets say Walgreens, to pay them hundreds of thousands of dollars. Meaning drugs on the street would be signifigantly redused.

If people want to screw up their lives with crack or cocain, then allowing them to legally do it would mean more money to the government. Which brings me to something else. Taxing. If the US government puts a tax on drugs, it would do wonders for the economy.

And then there's DUI's. Well simply, if your going to smoke Marajuana, are you really going to leave the house anyway? And if you do, well, we have drunk drivers too, so give them the same punishment.

Drugs would bring cartells down. Think about it. The dealership being the Cartell. The private seller being the Walgreens. (odd isn't it?) And the BMW X5 being the drugs. The dealer sells the X5 for 30,000. But the private seller sells it for 18,000. Same features and everything, except this one comes with warranty!. And the private seller is selling it with 0 miles, straight from the dealer. Why would you pay the cartells if you could go to the Walgreens across the street and buy your drugs for a cheaper price, knowing you will get an unaltered product. This means effectivly making cartells go out of buisness.

Back in the early 1900's, they put a ban on alcohol similar to the ones on drugs today? Did it work? No!

Again these are just my opinions, flame me, ban me, do whatever you want to me. Well except for, I'd rather not say!

 

[Hollidog]

I dont think that drugs will ever be completely legal - or to the point of legality similar to that of alcohol and cigarettes. If any of these will come close it will only be marijuana. I certainly cant see crack or heroin becoming legal. Also, if they were to be legalised, they would be taxed so heavily that the price would most likely increase. If, however, there was some way to prove, via receipts, that you purchased your drugs from a legitimate source, and not from a "private dealer" then you could go unpunished. Thus incentivising payment for legitimate drugs, as they would not carry a prison sentence.

Also, your argument about car dealers doesnt really work, if that was the case, then all car dealerships would be out of business.

 

[Keef]

Thus incentivising payment for legitimate drugs, as they would not carry a prison sentence.

Drugs currently do carry a prison sentence. Explain to me how well that has convinced people to avoid using them?

 

[Hollidog]

I meant if they were to be legalised.
EDIT: I see what you mean though. I am saying if weed was "legal" (you could buy it from an authorised seller and use it), then I, certainly, would buy it from the authorised seller, rather than the random drug dealer. Regardless of the cost. Prison isnt really worth it just for one nights entertainment.

 

[ell470]

I hope drugs will not ever be legal! I used to think that weed was ok, then I saw what it was doing to my brother.

 

[Blitz187]

Cannabis is a gateway drug? Piffle.
What about alcohol, caffine, nicotine and pharmaceuticals?

All humans have an override function called "willpower". This allows us to say NO to crack, smack and coke. I guess that in some people, it doesn't work very well.

I can safely say that weed is pretty damn harmless, I still have all my belongings, I haven't pimped out my GF for a rock and, I haven't even been remotely tempted by other mind and soul destroying drugs.

Mushrooms are fine as well. Not too many though.

"Making cannabis illegal is like saying God made a mistake" - Bill Hicks (R.I.P)

I agree with you... Living in Holland where weed is tolerated I can admit that I've smoked quite a bit of grass/hasj over the years... Especially through high school and college. I was definitely a daily user for long stints... but the wonderful thing about weed is you can smoke AS MUCH AS YOU WANT and you'll never OD.... Its just not going to happen. So I can also say its a lot safer than most hard drugs.

It is also easy to get off of it if you are willing too. At this point in time I do not smoke grass anymore and don't have the urge to at all... I've turned out fine as well... have a steady job which pays well, live together with my GF in a nice apartment and everything is fine an dandy.... So I am quite sure that marijuana is not a life destroyer... It really depends on the person who uses it... Harder drugs like cocaine and heroin is a totally different story altogether though.... Luckily I have not wondered on to those types of drugs at all.

 

[Hollidog]

Agreed. I go through periods of use where it is 2-3 times a week. But I havent smoked green in 3 weeks. It's non addictive. I think what is addictive is the habit. It just becomes part of your routine, like when you go to bed.

 

[Blitz187]

Agreed. I go through periods of use where it is 2-3 times a week. But I havent smoked green in 3 weeks. It's non addictive. I think what is addictive is the habit. It just becomes part of your routine, like when you go to bed.

Very true imo... The main thing that is difficult to get over when you quit is the affects of the tobacco when I look back at it (I know in the US, for example, they just smoke pure). Dutch smokers roll with tobacco and thats even more addictive than the marijuana itself imo. Ive had plenty of friends quit smoking weed only to be stuck smoking cigarettes instead to get the nicotine fix theyre so use to. The moment I quit I just went cold turkey and quit altogether, so no cigs for me either luckily