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Germany’s move to legalise cannabis expected to create ‘domino effect’

theguardian.com

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Re: Germany’s move to legalise cannabis expected to create ‘domino effect’

#61
post #58

My high school classmate and, coincidentally, my SO's friend from college is currently doing time for "possession of large amounts of marijuana" - 19g to be specific. He used to be a local weed dealer and while he knew what he was getting into and was consciously breaking the law at the time, after his first arrest a few years ago he stopped and got a regular job. He only got involved with the court again because one…

What's the state where this happened?

Re: Germany’s move to legalise cannabis expected to create ‘domino effect’

#62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, but... Basically other parties aren't that different. In the end it doesn't matter which color of the rainbow, or black, is going to fuck the people.

The SPD brands itself as social, pro worker, peaceful, pragmatic and economically-focused all at the same time. They woo young voters, while their core clientel is >65. They actively make policy that works against the youth (serving their main voters, which are old), while presenting themselves as the good guys to the youth . From my point of view, this makes them pure evil, much more so than the other parties. Yes,…

I could make a very strong similar argument for the Greens. They are basically light-conservatives, but they brand themselves on the left side of the spectrum.

Re: Germany’s move to legalise cannabis expected to create ‘domino effect’

#64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, but... Basically other parties aren't that different. In the end it doesn't matter which color of the rainbow, or black, is going to fuck the people.

The SPD brands itself as social, pro worker, peaceful, pragmatic and economically-focused all at the same time. They woo young voters, while their core clientel is >65. They actively make policy that works against the youth (serving their main voters, which are old), while presenting themselves as the good guys to the youth . From my point of view, this makes them pure evil, much more so than the other parties. Yes,…

I know few young people who take them that seriously. My sentiment of them being a "CDU lite" (much more conservative and much less social than they act, generally not very progressive) appears to be widely shared.

In their defense: They are the lesser evil. Which seems to basically be all that they run on nowadays (it's how Scholz became chancellor).

Re: Germany’s move to legalise cannabis expected to create ‘domino effect’

#65

Wording: Germany will not legalise Cannabis. Maybe it will be decriminalized, but there is basically no chance of legalisation (too complex/expensive of a process). I have no reason to trust the SPD that they will deliver on this, they are the infamous poster child for betrayal. They are the kind of party that would sell their entire voting base if it served the acting politicians individual careers. If they will do…

> Wording: Germany will not legalise Cannabis. Maybe it will be decriminalized, but there is basically no chance of legalisation (too complex/expensive of a process). Source?

I was told so from a credible source a couple years ago. What I can recall: legalisation would entail complex legal work, to a degree where that option is essentially not on the table. This is supported by the fact that "Legalisierung" is not part of the political language wrt topic, instead they refer to "Kontrollierte Abgabe" (~'controlled distribution').

Re: Germany’s move to legalise cannabis expected to create ‘domino effect’

#67

I find it crazy to decriminalise a drug in smoked form. It is often through second-hand smoke in social situations that people get addicted to a smoked drug before they start using it themselves. I'm afraid that that would lead to more addiction. Personally, I don't have anything against it being ingested in other forms: such as "magic" brownies or vaping that don't affect other people around you.

> It is through second-hand smoke that people get addicted to a smoked drug before they start using it themselves

Eh? No, that's not generally the major concern about passive smoking; not sure where you got that from.

Re: Germany’s move to legalise cannabis expected to create ‘domino effect’

#69

Wording: Germany will not legalise Cannabis. Maybe it will be decriminalized, but there is basically no chance of legalisation (too complex/expensive of a process). I have no reason to trust the SPD that they will deliver on this, they are the infamous poster child for betrayal. They are the kind of party that would sell their entire voting base if it served the acting politicians individual careers. If they will do…

> Maybe it will be decriminalized I don't know where you are from Germany but cannabis is pretty much decriminalized in Berlin already for quite some time. People buy/smoke at the streets and police does not mind.

I am. Berlin and Germany are in a special relationship, I'll leave colorful elaborations to others :-)

Re: Germany’s move to legalise cannabis expected to create ‘domino effect’

#70

While I have no interest in weed, I never understood why people are against it, since cigarettes are also a drug and are far more damaging to heath and the economy, and in the US kills a couple hundred thousand folks a year, or alcohol, which is a drug, and kills tens of thousands of people a year. Eliminating illegality would save in so many ways, and taxes could help offset other taxes. But no, weed is somehow more…

I don't think we would ever legalize cigarettes and alcohol if they weren't already widespread. You cited the numbers yourself, it would be a terrible decision. But lots of people are already using these substances, and we've seen how well it works to make alcohol illegal... The reason cigs/alcohol are legal has nothing to do with their addictiveness or the harm they do, so a comparison with them.

The anti-legalization thought is simply: Cigarettes and alcohol are already bad enough, let's not add a third substance!

(Note: Personally, I actually support weed legalisation, because it eliminates black markets and other problems that illegality brings. But that's a whole other, more nuanced argument. See the frontpage thread about steelmanning...)

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