Germany’s move to legalise cannabis expected to create ‘domino effect’ • Hacker News Board

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

#231

Post by cainxinth » Fri, Jul 01, 2022, 2:02 PM UTC

ssfhsfhdjs wrote: post #205

snarfy wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I lived in Arizona before it was legal, the vast majority of weed came from Mexico. A quarter pound cost $200 and was a mix of male and female plants, full of seeds, grown in fields. I was a daily user for about 20 years. I moved to coastal state where it was legal. Now it's all hydroponically grown, all female and all seedless. I was a daily user for about 12 years and had to completely stop using it. It would…

I'm struggling with this now. Daily cannabis user for 15 year or so, started puking not long after I'd switched primarily to concentrates. I've landed in the ER several times, and been hospitalized a handful of times for dehydration. Usually once an episode starts, a cocktail of ativan, reglan, and pepcid is about the only thing that'll get me out of it. I've tried to quit cannabis several times now, but usually brea…

This is why I’ve avoided concentrates. I’ve tried (and enjoyed) them all, but I was already concerned that my tolerance to plain old weed was too high. I knew if I got too into wax and shatter, I’d end up chasing the dragon (or at least the weed version of that) and potentially worse (i.e. cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome).

Concentrates are something I treat myself to just a few times a year. Everything in moderation… including the occasional excess.

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

#232

Post by gigaflop » Fri, Jul 01, 2022, 2:03 PM UTC

dmix wrote: post #223

cheschire wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suspect there's some truth here. Like how not everyone goes for the 80+ proof drinks, many just go for drinks that are 5% ABV or less.

Same with nicotine vape pens, 35-50mg salt ones have a comparable dosage to cigarettes (and are pretty gross) but it's easy to slowly move down to 5mg. This was impossible before with just cigarettes [1], which only had a 'lite' option which I doubt had any less nicotine. The only option was to quit. Weening off via 5mg is way easier. [1] Besides maybe the nicotine gum which is even grosser

I'm not sure where you're getting those numbers from. The vape shop near me sells nicotine salts in 25mg/ml to 50mg/ml ranges, which roughly translates to 2.5% and 5% strength. I've never seen something so low as 5mg/ml.

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

#233

Post by flycaliguy » Fri, Jul 01, 2022, 2:05 PM UTC

tommit wrote: post #122

htkibar wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In all fairness, it isn't like we want people to come as tourists here to smoke weed or something so should be fine no? For anyone else wanting to know more about the Dutch policy on this: https://www.government.nl/topics/drugs/toleration-policy-reg...

Quick question for our Dutch neighbors: why not? I never understood why it is exactly that The Netherlands were kind of against the drug tourism. I mean, I'm sure your average pot head tourist is not that much trouble and leaves quite a bit of money, no? I studied in The Netherlands and always thought I'd be proud as a country to be that "progressive" in a sense -- especially once it became clear that other countries…

Personally, in 2010 I definitely walked across 8 lanes of traffic the wrong way on my first day in town… Must have been an actual highway. I have a vivid memory of cars revving their engine at me.

In Canada the crossing signs with a countdown display how much time you have left to cross not how long the wait will be.

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

#234

Post by mytailorisrich » Fri, Jul 01, 2022, 2:09 PM UTC

olabyne wrote: post #215

mytailorisrich wrote: post #160

> " European countries that have a much bigger problem with illegal cannabis use, like France, are watching very closely what Germany is doing at the moment. " The criminal activities and gang wars linked to cannabis trafficking in France are huge. It's a shame that France never took action either on legalisation or on crime... I am not sure that whatever Germany does will have much impact in France, though.

I live in Marseille, famous for being home of the illegal traffic. In the poorest suburbs, there is dozens of 'drive through' spots, where the criminals are very friendly to the customers, almost like regular business, while being well alert for any police raid. It is a cat and mouse game, where the police only manages to catch kids, and the sell spot just spawns at another appartment-building. IMO, the french govern…

I know, 'cousin' ;)

> It is a cat and mouse game, where the police only manages to catch kids

They only 'manage' to catch what they want to catch considering government's policy over several decades... If they actually wanted to end this it would be ended in under a month. That's one of the big problems in France: Many of those neighbourhoods and criminal activities have been left to fester for decades without anything being actually done, so things just keep getting worse, politicians keep being 'shocked' without doing anything, and round we go.

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

#235

Post by dmix » Fri, Jul 01, 2022, 2:14 PM UTC

gigaflop wrote: post #232

dmix wrote: post #223

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same with nicotine vape pens, 35-50mg salt ones have a comparable dosage to cigarettes (and are pretty gross) but it's easy to slowly move down to 5mg. This was impossible before with just cigarettes [1], which only had a 'lite' option which I doubt had any less nicotine. The only option was to quit. Weening off via 5mg is way easier. [1] Besides maybe the nicotine gum which is even grosser

I'm not sure where you're getting those numbers from. The vape shop near me sells nicotine salts in 25mg/ml to 50mg/ml ranges, which roughly translates to 2.5% and 5% strength. I've never seen something so low as 5mg/ml.

maybe you're only using a disposable brand like Juul? You could go down to 3mg here in Canada with the one I used.

Picking a salt liquid at random, this one lets you go down to 1mg, since they probably add the nicotine to a 0mg product:

https://www.dashvapes.com/products/e-juice/24/grappleberry+i...

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

#236

Post by wickedsight » Fri, Jul 01, 2022, 2:19 PM UTC

tommit wrote: post #122

htkibar wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In all fairness, it isn't like we want people to come as tourists here to smoke weed or something so should be fine no? For anyone else wanting to know more about the Dutch policy on this: https://www.government.nl/topics/drugs/toleration-policy-reg...

Quick question for our Dutch neighbors: why not? I never understood why it is exactly that The Netherlands were kind of against the drug tourism. I mean, I'm sure your average pot head tourist is not that much trouble and leaves quite a bit of money, no? I studied in The Netherlands and always thought I'd be proud as a country to be that "progressive" in a sense -- especially once it became clear that other countries…

It's a bit of a mixed bag, but usually the tourists that visit for drugs aren't the ones that spend money on good food, hotels and museums. This is a broad generalization, I know, but may just come for the weed, get hella stoned, drink too much and cause issues in the city. British stag parties are the worst example of this. These groups treat Amsterdam more like a theme park than a city... But that's just Amsterdam.

A lot of the drug tourism isn't the stuff like that, that you're probably thinking about. A lot of it happens in border towns and is essentially trafficking by criminals. They come to the Netherlands, buy quite a bit of weed and go back to their home countries to sell it. In those countries it's illegal, hence the criminal part. These are not the types of people we like to have visiting our country.

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

#237

Post by donkeyd » Fri, Jul 01, 2022, 2:21 PM UTC

danielbln wrote: post #97

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.

No problem. I read another comment that said it would not be legalized. But now that I read the responses to that comment I feel like I probably shouldn't have taken that comment as the truth.

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

#238

Post by Semaphor » Fri, Jul 01, 2022, 2:23 PM UTC

dmix wrote: post #223

cheschire wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suspect there's some truth here. Like how not everyone goes for the 80+ proof drinks, many just go for drinks that are 5% ABV or less.

Same with nicotine vape pens, 35-50mg salt ones have a comparable dosage to cigarettes (and are pretty gross) but it's easy to slowly move down to 5mg. This was impossible before with just cigarettes [1], which only had a 'lite' option which I doubt had any less nicotine. The only option was to quit. Weening off via 5mg is way easier. [1] Besides maybe the nicotine gum which is even grosser

Funnily enough, a law in Germany just went into effect today that makes it far cheaper (assuming you vape less with more nicotine, certainly holds true for me, I’m on 0mg nowadays) to vape with a lot of nicotine. The law is essentially a tax per ml. But doesn’t care what ml, pure propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, flavor concentrates, nicotine, whatever, as long as the intended use is for vaping.

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

#239

Post by mschuster91 » Fri, Jul 01, 2022, 2:25 PM UTC

2-718-281-828 wrote: post #201

mschuster91 wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed on the idiocy of the SPD ("wer hat uns verraten? Sozialdemokraten")... but this time, the Justice Ministry belongs to the FDP. They have alienated an awful lot of voters with their effective denial of reasonable covid measures, they'd be completely done for if they would not manage to get cannabis legal-ish enough that people can buy cannabis products in stores and smoke on the streets without fearing arrest.…

> They have alienated an awful lot of voters with their effective denial of reasonable covid measures they also won a number of sympathizers ... and "reasonable measures" - what a funny moment to write that nonsense.

> they also won a number of sympathizers

LOL, they lost massively in all elections since the Bundestagswahl - mostly because of their disastrous performance during covid, with NRW's education minister Gebauer being the most obvious example. They may have gained some people from the AfD, but lost so much more instead.

Basically the FDP is now learning the hard way what Söder's CSU learned after the clusterfuck in the 2018 Bavarian elections: copying the far-right and ultra-libertarian demands may earn you some votes from there, but alienate so much more of the moderate vote that it can even threaten your existence.

Germany is not the US - ultra-libertarian attitudes may give you applause from Twitter crowds but not from voters.

> and "reasonable measures" - what a funny moment to write that nonsense.

The FDP vetoed anything to reasonably deal with the pandemic - they were the reason tests were cut down, they are even opposed to mask mandates, and forget about a vaccination mandate.

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

#240

Post by hocuspocus » Fri, Jul 01, 2022, 2:25 PM UTC

_fat_santa wrote: post #230

aikah wrote: post #199

It's crazy we are still having these kind of debates in Europe. 20 years ago most youth around 18/20 thought Cannabis would have already been legalised by now, I don't believe one second that any of the European elected official under 50 never smoked pot. The only possible explanation I see is heavy lobbying from big pharma groups or wine interests.

> or wine interests. As an American, we are well familiar with Big Pharma but the wine lobby? Is that really a thing in Europe? How influential are they around these kinds of policy? Edit: Sorry for the barrage of questions, you've really piqued my interest.

They definitely have some weight. For instance in a few countries they fight campaigns like Dry January.

Fun fact: one hundred years ago the wine lobby successfully killed absinthe using bogus scientific claims, and today Pernod Ricard are on their side of the lobbying.