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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’

#91

Post by [deleted] »

lucideer wrote: post #75
selfmodruntime wrote: post #3

I think the legalization of cannabis in Europe has a lot of potential. I just wish that we would take measures to avoid the ever increasing levels of THC dosage in weed to insane levels, like you see in the US or California specifically. I firmly believe that cannabis can do a lot of good, but the poison is in the dosage. It has been shown in the past that increasing THC while decreasing CBD leads to an increase in n…

While I'm not proposing "doing nothing" about this problem, how much of this is likely to be a "hangover" from prohibition. Based on absolutely no data whatsoever, my instinct would be that demand for high-THC/low-CBD products would decrease as access to cannabis becomes less novel.

[deleted]

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

#92

Post by wahnfrieden »

CoastalCoder wrote: post #87
wahnfrieden wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You strongly agree that they should regulate weed to be weaker so that you don't have to check potency before purchase? ok

I didn't get that from the GP comment. IIUC, they're just saying that they prefer less potency, but have trouble finding it in the current market. That doesn't necessarily mean they want only weaker weed to be sold.

excuse me for interpreting "I just wish that we would take measures" as promoting regulation

edit to reply to below: California already has accurate labeling and is being called out as a problem

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

#93

Post by rbinv »

Findecanor wrote: post #59

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.

Cannabis is not "supposed to be" consumed in any specific way. Smoking it is one way to consume it, but so are vaporizing and eating it, both very popular and with almost no harm (if any).

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

#94

Post by pcthrowaway »

hobs wrote: post #90
bitxbitxbitcoin wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Generally they do not. The ones that are also medical dispensaries are more likely to but it isn’t a guarantee.

Most California dispensaries I have been to absolutely have low dosage 5mg options, they also stock 100mg options, but stores listen to the market and stock based on what they can get and what people want. It was very typical to see older folks and very light smokers to request the smaller dosages. They also seemed to trend towards vapes in the younger lighter smokers because the dosage can be fairly small.

Yeah, I've bought weed in Cali once, didn't have any problem at all finding CBD strains which are low THC (most would consider it trace amounts). Finding a strain with 0 THC (since I'm pretty sensitive and don't enjoy THC at all) is a bit harder.

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

#95

Post by lbotos »

mellavora wrote: post #73
kzrdude wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cigarettes are stimulating in a way similar to coffee - weed is not, so the lutheran morals dominated cultures (admittedly a quite outdated generalization) look very disapprovingly upon it.

No, sorry. Study history. Weed was criminalized as a mechanism for white people to control black people, because weed was a Mexican and black person drug when those laws were enacted. It's all in the arguments in favor of the criminalization laws when they were passed. nothing to do with the Protestant Work Ethic. Sorry if the phrase "black person" is offensive, none is meant.

I think you missed the point. Protestant work ethic does not want people "being lazy". In that era when workers were Black and Mexican and smoking, protestant work ethic is what is making white people in power want to stop people from having a little escape.

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

#96

Post by nerdponx »

lucideer wrote: post #75
selfmodruntime wrote: post #3

I think the legalization of cannabis in Europe has a lot of potential. I just wish that we would take measures to avoid the ever increasing levels of THC dosage in weed to insane levels, like you see in the US or California specifically. I firmly believe that cannabis can do a lot of good, but the poison is in the dosage. It has been shown in the past that increasing THC while decreasing CBD leads to an increase in n…

While I'm not proposing "doing nothing" about this problem, how much of this is likely to be a "hangover" from prohibition. Based on absolutely no data whatsoever, my instinct would be that demand for high-THC/low-CBD products would decrease as access to cannabis becomes less novel.

My intuition is similar, especially as older and less "drug oriented" users continue to enter the market. In Massachusetts, a lot of dispensaries show the THC level, and I usually just buy the one with the lowest content.

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

#97

Post by danielbln »

wickedsight wrote: post #40

The Netherlands will be especially impacted by this. We refused actual legalization for many reasons, many of which will be invalidated by Germany decriminalizing. Our current stance on weed is so confusing that it's hard to explain to any foreigner, but strictly speaking weed isn't legal and not even decriminalized... But yes, Amsterdam is in The Netherlands.

Nitpick: Germany is poised to legalize and not just decriminialize, which is an important distinction.

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

#98

Post by iinnPP »

subpixel wrote: post #71
Tade0 wrote: 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…

I have a high-school friend in prison for 20+ years for marijuana-related charges. I now live in a recreationally legal state, the irony is not lost on me.

US prisons are absolutely packed with young marijuana dealers/users with effectively lifetime sentences.

Many of them are truly good people.

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

#99

Post by nicoburns »

numerik_meister wrote: post #74
darkerside wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

s/*/That's interesting. I've never thought about what positive effects there might be. Can you expand?/g

I did not intend to ask a question. I know for sure that a lot of potheads really want to push their recreational drug as a miracle do all drug, while ignoring all the negative effects. The negative effects are well documented science. The positive effects are all vaporous claims from questionable studies. Really goes to show the objectivity of HN, that I get downvoted for this.

It's worth noting that almost all medicinal drugs have negative effects. Certainly there are people who promote cannabis as a cure-all, and that's pretty ridiculous. But it's equally ridiculous to assume that it has no medicinal uses. You even mention one (pain relief) in your comment!

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

#100

Post by jgtrosh »

lucideer wrote: post #75
selfmodruntime wrote: post #3

I think the legalization of cannabis in Europe has a lot of potential. I just wish that we would take measures to avoid the ever increasing levels of THC dosage in weed to insane levels, like you see in the US or California specifically. I firmly believe that cannabis can do a lot of good, but the poison is in the dosage. It has been shown in the past that increasing THC while decreasing CBD leads to an increase in n…

While I'm not proposing "doing nothing" about this problem, how much of this is likely to be a "hangover" from prohibition. Based on absolutely no data whatsoever, my instinct would be that demand for high-THC/low-CBD products would decrease as access to cannabis becomes less novel.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6312155/

> without any clear guidelines or regulations from government officials, the cannabis industry has taken a page from the tobacco and alcohol industries’ play book and developed strains of marijuana and concentrated marijuana products with much higher concentrations of THC, the psychoactive component that causes addiction. The more potent a drug is, the stronger the possibility of addiction and the more likely the person will continue to purchase and use the product.

Doesn't seem like there's any incentive to reduce potency.

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