Is the current legal status of drugs working?

[fivebob]

as a mate of mine told me a few years back after visiting the local AOG, relegion is for people who can't handle drugs.

Actually the saying goes...

Religion is for people who can't handle reality, reality is for those that can't handle drugs

Relaxing the rules can make it better, because prohibition does not make it any less prevalent, it just makes it go underground and encourages criminal behaviour.

The problem of drug abuse will still be there, just as the problem of alcohol and tobacco addiction is even though they're legal. However it will be much easier to treat it because there will not be the fear of prosecution attached to admitting you have a drug abuse problem.

It will also free up a lot more police resources to deal with real crime, and cut off a big source of income for criminals.

Increasing the punishment for users will just make the problem worse, it will not discourage use, in fact it's likely to have the opposite effect. It will make abuse harder to treat and will increase the income for those dealing in drugs. In short it's very much a lose, lose situation.

Decreasing punishment for users and increasing it for dealers etc is a win, win situation. Less money and greater risks, along with increased policing will make drug dealing far less attractive and there will be less dealers, less dealers in the long term will lead to less users.

[pc]

Umm... lets say I sit on the fence and don't smoke pot because it is illegal. Then smoking pot is decriminalised, so I go look for a source... doesn't this increase gang revenue, addiction rate, crime related to paying for the drugs etc?

It may free up some police time in that they don't arrest as many users... maybe, but how does it decrease any of the real problems?

As far as i'm aware if you smoke pot at home with some mates you are unlikely to get busted by the cops, because they will never see you, and never know it is happening.
If you are smoking in the middle of a shopping centre, then what is wrong with being arrested for it anyway?

[snwtoy]

I'm all for decriminalization of all drugs (surprise surprise).

I would go as far as saying that legalization and taxation is my preferred approach, but that appears to be too much for society at large to swallow right now.

[fivebob]

You will still get arrested for it, but as it's not a criminal offence, it's just a matter of issuing an instant fine and it's all done with.

As for increasing the revenue of the gangs etc, part of the cost is based on the illegal nature of the drugs, remove this as people will pay less for it, more people will grow their own and less people will associate with the criminals to buy the stuff.

[B1NZ]

God, the imaginary friend for adults!

[h8wrxs]

im not sure on the matter

i dont do drugs but i wont pretend i havent.

weed just makes you hungry and lazy, and turns you into a useless idiot, which is why i think it should be illegal, to stop people destroying their brains, but then again theres that many stoners already, may as well tax em for it since we get taxed on everything else...

i personally think alcoholics are as bad as crackheads, the only difference is booze is socially acceptible. i think booze is worse than weed...

B1NZ wrote:
IMO if you need to turn to drugs to make you happy then your life must be pretty sad!

happy people do drugs, and believe me they can be awesome, its all about moderation. ive tried quite a few drugs and enjoyed all of them, but it doesnt mean ill ever touch them again or do any more

[sergei]

God, the imaginary friend for adults!

Actually:

God, the imaginary evil boss from hell.

[fivebob]

God, the imaginary friend for adults!

Actually:

God, the imaginary evil boss from hell.

I couldn't think of a better example of irony

[sergei]

God, the imaginary friend for adults!

Actually:

God, the imaginary evil boss from hell.

I couldn't think of a better example of irony

recursion

[tsoob]

my sister lives in amsterdam, and she says that most of the drug use over there is by the tourists.

I feel that rather than making it illegal for anyone to smoke or what ever, they should register as a drug taker and go to a controlled place to buy them (kinda like the heroin addict clinics) the government could put in place taxes on the sale of drugs, they could controll the quailty (a lot of pills are sold as extascy and are not) they would know who was taking what and how much. if there looks like there is a problem (i.e. junkie) they could suggest services such as counselling etc. This will also put the gangs out of business cos the competition would be too strong (they are controlling supply as well) Im sure there are a lot of people out there with the skills to make all these drugs that would benefit from some kind of employment. Any drugs that are manufactured outside of the goverment controlled labs are illegal and woudl carry SUPER tough penaltys. The main thing i belive is to controll quailty and offer health services to these people who get mixed up in drug taking and it has a negative effect on their lives.

As far as weed goes, you could allow up to 5 plants for personal use anything over that is worthy of a criminal charge.

[shihad]

im on the legalize weed bandwagon for reasons already stated.

[Adamal]

The problems with a lot of drugs out there is lack of self control from the users.

Eg, MDMA is not a physically addictive drug, and is not as harmful as the media would have you beleive (the only deaths in NZ related to MDMA usage have been MDMA RELATED over-hydration. There have never been any deaths in NZ where MDMA was the sole cause of death).
However, some people lack the ability to take it in moderation, and prolonged heavy use will have a detremental effect. Used in moderation, its fine.
I've seen people spiral out of control first hand though, popping every weekend. Some people even a couple of times every weekend.

Of course, there are the harder drugs out there like P and heroin, which are more physically addictive. The body feels dependant on them, and whether or not you make the mental descision to shoot up, or smoke up or not, the body craves. You may not feel like taking it at the time, but you have this inexplicable urge. Anyone who has been a smoker before should understand what thats like. Its just on a much more intense scale.

I like tsoob's idea, but obviously, a lot of planning would need to be put into it, and it would be hard to control an individuals usage.
Its a touchy one really, because alcohol is sold so freely throughout and it can have the same sort of psychological and physical addictive properties of other drugs out there, as well as detremental effects.

[79rolla]

everything in moderation... including moderation

legalizing and taxing would be good idea... as stated above... but we would need a government that could actually make effective laws first...

even if they came in with low prices to put gangs out of busness and then increase them later with taxing ect it could reduce usage and reduce underground activity significantly...

[Adamal]

Problem is that there are some drugs that aren't taken in moderation because of the physical dependancy that the body develops with them so quickly.

Of all the people I've met who have been regular P smokers, only one was able take it in moderation. The rest have had problems.

[geishaboy]

Cannabis is bad for people, it makes them stupid and they get addicted to it and it ruins your memory

How do you know that?

A police officer told me

Ok...

Did you know that cannabis is 7 times worse for you than tobacco?

Well maybe, but people don't typically smoke 20 joints a day, so...

And did you know that cannabis is a gateway drug? If you use it you will get introduced to other even worse drugs?

Most people who get into weed normally drink alcohol first, wouldn't that make alcohol a gateway...

And! Did you know that everyone who smokes cannabis turns into a lowlife loser because I know this one guy who smokes weed and he does nothing but sit on the dole and get baked

You sure he wasen't a dropkick before he...

AND! Did you know that when you buy weed your money goes straight to gangs so they can buy guns and kick kittens

Well, if it were legal to grow your own that wouldn't even be a probl...

AND DID YOU KNOW!~ If they decrimilised cannabis that heaps of young people and older people alike would start smoking it and it would destroy their lives?

I think you'll find that half the country is already...

AND GUESS WHAT?! Did you know that anyone who supports cannabis in anyway is a criminal and should be treated like such? Lock them up and throw away the key!

...

Wanna go get drunk?

[pjay]

..

Best Lol I've had for a bit. Love it. Make it into a comic

[Dell'Orto]

Make it into a comic

+1

[tsoob]

Problem is that there are some drugs that aren't taken in moderation because of the physical dependancy that the body develops with them so quickly.

Of all the people I've met who have been regular P smokers, only one was able take it in moderation. The rest have had problems.

hence the reason to register as a user, give them a chance to get help, some of the users actually know they have a problem but don't know what to do about it.

[Timmo]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3218470 ... nationwide