Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis

theguardian.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

151–160 of 218 posts

Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis

#151

Post by hkmurakami »

xyzzy123 wrote: post #149
hasenj wrote: post #148

I'm a little bit worried about this, actually. I've been to Vancouver and it wasn't a very pretty sight. The amount of homelessness and crime is 10 times more what I've seen anywhere else in North America. There's an entire section (several blocks) in the Downtown area that's full of homeless people and the streets smell like urine. Shops even in areas far away from downtown put posters on their windows saying they d…

I've also noticed that Vancouver is full of Canadians, unlike similar cities in North America. [edit: sorry, this was a dumb comment, I misread North America as "USA"]

fwiw GP is from Toronto.

Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis

#152

Post by huhtenberg »

NovaS1X wrote: post #64
gerry_shaw wrote: post #42

Canadian News Source http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/philpott-un-marijuana-legisl... I love that they picked this day to make an announcement.

It can't be a coincidence. I hope they pass the bill next year on this day. I'll be booking work off and heading to the Art Gallery for that one.

> the Art Gallery

For those who don't get the reference - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNX2X9nXyIo

Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis

#153

Post by xyzzy123 »

hkmurakami wrote: post #151
xyzzy123 wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've also noticed that Vancouver is full of Canadians, unlike similar cities in North America. [edit: sorry, this was a dumb comment, I misread North America as "USA"]

fwiw GP is from Toronto.

OK, perhaps that was a little too sarcastic; but the post still smacks of hand-wringing to me.

We have inequality, availability of social support, property prices, local culture and climate as possible factors just to start, and post fingers availability of marijuana?

Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis

#154

Post by hasenj »

xyzzy123 wrote: post #149
hasenj wrote: post #148

I'm a little bit worried about this, actually. I've been to Vancouver and it wasn't a very pretty sight. The amount of homelessness and crime is 10 times more what I've seen anywhere else in North America. There's an entire section (several blocks) in the Downtown area that's full of homeless people and the streets smell like urine. Shops even in areas far away from downtown put posters on their windows saying they d…

I've also noticed that Vancouver is full of Canadians, unlike similar cities in North America. [edit: sorry, this was a dumb comment, I misread North America as "USA"]

Not so clever. Calgary is also full of Canadians.

I have no idea what you are trying to say.

Actually I would challenge you to point out other cities in Canada that suffer similar amounts of homelessness, poverty, and crime.

Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis

#155

Post by hasenj »

hkmurakami wrote: post #151
xyzzy123 wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've also noticed that Vancouver is full of Canadians, unlike similar cities in North America. [edit: sorry, this was a dumb comment, I misread North America as "USA"]

fwiw GP is from Toronto.

Toronto has a "marijuana community" so to speak. But it's not so easy to obtain. Not free everywhere in your face.

Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis

#156

Post by paulojreis »

ktRolster wrote: post #134
lee wrote: post #93

One thing that I am disappointed in is that I wish the Liberal government first decriminalized marijuana. For one thing, decriminalization is easy to do. Simply revoke the current criminal laws. The bill would be passed quite quickly. Which would then buy time to figure out a bill for legalization. Why is this important? Despite popular belief, simple possession laws ARE upheld in Canada, but the people charged are d…

>For one thing, decriminalization is easy to do. Decriminalization is a bad idea. It increases demand, which gives gangs and mafia types more money. If you're going to do it, legalize it.

The Portuguese case study says that it's really not a bad idea (though not referring specifically the increasing or diminishing illegal business, just less "street value") [1][2]. But I agree with your corollary.

[1] https://www.drugpolicy.org/sites/default/files/DPA_Fact_Shee...

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_policy_of_Portugal#Observ...

Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis

#157

Post by hasenj »

chrissnell wrote: post #150
hasenj wrote: post #148

I'm a little bit worried about this, actually. I've been to Vancouver and it wasn't a very pretty sight. The amount of homelessness and crime is 10 times more what I've seen anywhere else in North America. There's an entire section (several blocks) in the Downtown area that's full of homeless people and the streets smell like urine. Shops even in areas far away from downtown put posters on their windows saying they d…

I've been to Vancouver, too, and I've seen the street you're talking about. Drove down it with my family and it was shocking. Massive piles of trash everywhere, grocery carts, garbage bag "luggage", mobs of people. It was sad and quite shocking if you've never seen it before. Nothing I've seen in SF or LA compares to this. But...I don't think marijuana caused that. I think it has a lot more to do with a permissive ci…

I had to walk through it with my family. It's difficult to describe the shock we experienced.

The reason I think it's linked to Marijuana is how easy it was to obtain. If these homeless people can get access to it, they probably wouldn't bother working to improve their lives. They can have an "awesome life" in their minds if they get to smoke pot. At least that's my impression of what Marijuana does to people. It makes you feel relaxed and completely care free.

Maybe I'm wrong, and I hope someone can challenge my perspectives, but I think the rest of the world also thinks this way. That's why all countries ban drugs even though they don't ban Alcohol.

Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis

#158

Post by huhtenberg »

hasenj wrote: post #148

I'm a little bit worried about this, actually. I've been to Vancouver and it wasn't a very pretty sight. The amount of homelessness and crime is 10 times more what I've seen anywhere else in North America. There's an entire section (several blocks) in the Downtown area that's full of homeless people and the streets smell like urine. Shops even in areas far away from downtown put posters on their windows saying they d…

> The amount of homelessness and crime is 10 times more what I've seen anywhere else in North America.

Woah. Talk about 4/20. I'll have what you are having.

> I've been to Vancouver and it wasn't a very pretty sight.

Well, I've been to US and it wasn't a very pretty sight either. I am of course talking about the atrocities I've seen on a late Friday night in Walton, Nebraska, but clarifying that would just totally ruin the post, wouldn't it?

What you are referring to is an area of Vancouver called Downtown Eastside, which sits to the East from downtown. More specifically - there's a several-block area around the intersection of Main and Hastings streets, which is indeed an impressive cloaca. It's been there for ages and, put bluntly, it serves as the Greater Vancouver junky area.

Outside of this part you'd be hard pressed to see homeless people and the "10x crime anywhere else in NA" statement is just a random collection of words.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downtown_Eastside

Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis

#159

Post by afterburner »

hasenj wrote: post #148

I'm a little bit worried about this, actually. I've been to Vancouver and it wasn't a very pretty sight. The amount of homelessness and crime is 10 times more what I've seen anywhere else in North America. There's an entire section (several blocks) in the Downtown area that's full of homeless people and the streets smell like urine. Shops even in areas far away from downtown put posters on their windows saying they d…

That street is like that partly because it's in literally the warmest place in Canada, ideal for the homeless. I don't know of any other place like it in Canada.

If you think crime is 10x worse anywhere in Canada compared to the US, you haven't looked at the US's horrible crime statistics closely enough.

Re: Canada to introduce legislation to legalize recreational cannabis

#160

Post by hasenj »

huhtenberg wrote: post #158
hasenj wrote: post #148

I'm a little bit worried about this, actually. I've been to Vancouver and it wasn't a very pretty sight. The amount of homelessness and crime is 10 times more what I've seen anywhere else in North America. There's an entire section (several blocks) in the Downtown area that's full of homeless people and the streets smell like urine. Shops even in areas far away from downtown put posters on their windows saying they d…

> The amount of homelessness and crime is 10 times more what I've seen anywhere else in North America. Woah. Talk about 4/20. I'll have what you are having. > I've been to Vancouver and it wasn't a very pretty sight. Well, I've been to US and it wasn't a very pretty sight either. I am of course talking about the atrocities I've seen on a late Friday night in Walton, Nebraska, but clarifying that would just totally ru…

You are talking in a very defensive tone, like I have said something to deeply offend you.

The mess extends to the surrounding areas as well, such as China-town.

Also, I've mentioned the signs on shop windows (in areas far away) indicating an unusual crime level. Many streets were, not very clean, to say the least. Which is not hard to understand, given the "broken window" theory.

Post reply on HN