Smoking cannabis is now legal in Germany • Hacker News Board

Re: Smoking cannabis is now legal in Germany

#231

Post by Longhanks » Mon, Apr 01, 2024, 1:49 PM UTC

thinkingemote wrote: post #135

Meanwhile Thailand is rolling back it's legalisation of cannabis. Even though the industry brought in over a billion USD, it will be banned at the end of the year, citing protection of health of the youth. The population seems to approve of the reversal (medical use is kept). I think a few countries will be watching carefully after seeing how the experiment goes. Whilst the majority of users seem to be fine, it can a…

Germany's largest party, the CDU/CSU union, has already announced that they intend to revoke the law ("make cannabis illegal again"). It is only a matter of time until they run the state again, and I'd say whether they actually work on the revocation depends on the junior political party they will need to form the government.

For example, if in 2025 the CDU/CSU and SPD form the new goverment (a constellation that has happened already a few times), I'd say chances are high that cannabis is going to be illegal again. And this turnout is a relatively probable scenario.

Re: Smoking cannabis is now legal in Germany

#232

Post by temporarely » Mon, Apr 01, 2024, 1:56 PM UTC

hayst4ck wrote: post #199

jll29 wrote: post #103

I watched other people smoke cannabis, and after producing some foul fumes, they were just passively lying on the floor with a stare of apathy. I decided to NEVER try this, and to this day I have no regrets; I enjoy being in full control of my senses (I also do not drink alcohol and do not smoke). The only thing hallucinating in my place is neural language models that I do research on. However, I do support the legal…

I've watched a fair number of weed smoker's lives (~10) and they fall into two distinct categories. One set smoke weed and then partake in creative, explorative, or otherwise effort filled pursuits. Generally I feel that weed has likely improved their lives. The other set smoke weed and consume... consume tv, consume video games, consume food, consume music. These people seem to fall into a slump that weed seems to p…

Insightful & accurate imo.

Re: Smoking cannabis is now legal in Germany

#233

Post by yunohn » Mon, Apr 01, 2024, 1:57 PM UTC

treprinum wrote: post #19

yunohn wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my experience in Europe, the primary roadblock is the controlling moralistic conservatism exhibited by critics like those quoted in the article.

How about the horrible smell produced by those who smoke? It's super reckless to expose others to negative side-effects by somebody who can't control themselves and must smoke.

> How about the horrible smoke produced by those who drive cars? It's super reckless to expose others to negative side-effects by somebody who can't control themselves and must drive alone on the highway back and forth to work.

Re: Smoking cannabis is now legal in Germany

#234

Post by WHYLEE1991 » Mon, Apr 01, 2024, 2:07 PM UTC

hayst4ck wrote: post #199

jll29 wrote: post #103

I watched other people smoke cannabis, and after producing some foul fumes, they were just passively lying on the floor with a stare of apathy. I decided to NEVER try this, and to this day I have no regrets; I enjoy being in full control of my senses (I also do not drink alcohol and do not smoke). The only thing hallucinating in my place is neural language models that I do research on. However, I do support the legal…

I've watched a fair number of weed smoker's lives (~10) and they fall into two distinct categories. One set smoke weed and then partake in creative, explorative, or otherwise effort filled pursuits. Generally I feel that weed has likely improved their lives. The other set smoke weed and consume... consume tv, consume video games, consume food, consume music. These people seem to fall into a slump that weed seems to p…

I think we overstate how interesting people are in general. Maybe those people would've just been boring and consumed media in ways you don't seem to approve of sober otherwise?

Re: Smoking cannabis is now legal in Germany

#235

Post by goykasi » Mon, Apr 01, 2024, 2:10 PM UTC

thinkingemote wrote: post #135

Meanwhile Thailand is rolling back it's legalisation of cannabis. Even though the industry brought in over a billion USD, it will be banned at the end of the year, citing protection of health of the youth. The population seems to approve of the reversal (medical use is kept). I think a few countries will be watching carefully after seeing how the experiment goes. Whilst the majority of users seem to be fine, it can a…

This is the first that I am hearing about the reversal. I am a bit disappointed, but I did see news about the rollout. It was pretty intense and probably not much regulation. So, is this a reactionary response to minority issues or was there a consistent issue?

> Whilst the majority of users seem to be fine, it can absolutely and seriously ruin some people's mental health.

I never doubt that marijuana can negatively affect certain people with the potential for mental health issues, but are there any hard science about the affect on mental health? You mention "majority" vs "some". Is that 51/49? 99.99/.01? The former sounds significant; the latter sounds like a stat to push an agenda.

Re: Smoking cannabis is now legal in Germany

#236

Post by dorkwood » Mon, Apr 01, 2024, 2:11 PM UTC

bingbingbing777 wrote: post #144

simonswords82 wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don’t knock it until you try it. You might like it!

Why not say this about something like self-harm, they might like that too. Both seem to cause damage to the self

I feel like we've all accidentally dabbled in self-harm enough to make up our minds on it. I've stubbed my toe and wacked my elbow on enough sharp objects to know it's not for me.

Re: Smoking cannabis is now legal in Germany

#237

Post by hkwerf » Mon, Apr 01, 2024, 2:12 PM UTC

pinkgolem wrote: post #216

hkwerf wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My comments were based on the expert opinions given during the legislative process. I personally don't plan to grow. Good to hear that it's okay for you. :)

Not sure which experts you are referring to, the ones I heard about it are pretty happy

I believe this video had the comments iI'm referring to. However, it has been a while since I watched it:

https://www.bundestag.de/dokumente/textarchiv/2023/kw45-pa-g...

Re: Smoking cannabis is now legal in Germany

#238

Post by GaryNumanVevo » Mon, Apr 01, 2024, 2:24 PM UTC

I've lived in California, now Amsterdam. Both places where weed has been legal for a while, but because it's legal there's an incredible economic pressure to grow the most potent weed possible. I'm like a 2 joint a year kind of guy, and it's nearly impossible to find "ditch weed" that doesn't put me on the floor for 4 hours.

Re: Smoking cannabis is now legal in Germany

#239

Post by goykasi » Mon, Apr 01, 2024, 2:25 PM UTC

nextlevelwizard wrote: post #192

tdudhhu wrote: post #72

While I think freedom is good, I also think there are more people destroying their lives with drugs than people who can regulate their use. I've seen so many people waste their life on weed and alcohol that I can't be very happy about this news.

In my mind either you are for legalization of all drugs or you are for criminalization of tobacco, alcohol, and sugar. Either we have the freedom to consume what we like and deal with the consequences or state has to nanny us and prevent us from consuming harmful substances altogether. People are fast to point out that prohibition don’t work, but if there were no legal ways to obtain sugar a lot less would be consume…

Just imagine if harm and healthiness were actually the determining factor for what is and is not legal. Your comment made me imagine what the political parties might look like in the US. Would conservative and liberals move towards meats vs carbs vs veg?

I wonder if big-Keto would push for harsh penalties to illegal bakers? Maybe a 3 (bread) slices law would rise?

Re: Smoking cannabis is now legal in Germany

#240

Post by GaryNumanVevo » Mon, Apr 01, 2024, 2:25 PM UTC

zug_zug wrote: post #212

Reading this thread there are clearly a lot of HN users who are fairly out-of-touch with weed. Which is totally fine, but in case you do decide at some point you want to try it here's what I'd throw out there for you: I think almost everybody can enjoy it, perhaps in the top 5% of safest drugs of all (cannot die from any amount, no interactions I know of, no hangover). I think it will replace alcohol as people learn…

It's getting harder to find very small dosage weed in places where it's legal. There's an arms race to produce the most potent weed because it can be sold to the top 10% of weed buyers.