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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’

#311

Post by theptip »

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…

Just a suggestion - have you tried tapering your dose down? It is usually easier to stop a strongly formed dependency by gradually reducing the dose, instead of just stopping altogether.

Reduce daily intake by X% every week. If a given step down ends up being too painful you just go back to the previous one for another week and then try a smaller step next time. Optimum X varies by drug but I’m sure there are recommendations specific for cannabis out there.

It sounds like you have the desire to make a change, with persistence and the right technique you can definitely make it happen.

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

#312

Post by johnisgood »

standardUser wrote: post #285
TillE wrote: post #282

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can literally just measure the amount of flower you're consuming before you start, either with a precise scale or by pinching out a tiny amount. Use a good vaporizer or a cheap glass pipe.

Sure, that is something you can say to an experienced marijuana user, but the casual dude who hasn't smoked weed since college and just wants to smoke a joint... that dude just wants to smoke a joint! There is no need for scales or precision to be involved. All that is needed is some low-to-moderate-potency weed, hopefully with some CBD content. "Use a good vaporizer or a cheap glass pipe." You do realize that a lot…

So... let them do it. Once. Let us hope they will learn after their uncomfortable high. That might actually deter them from weed. It did work for me. Is it not how both kids and adults learn? If they cannot learn from other people's experiences that is.

It does not take a rocket scientists to use those devices, but if the average people is really that dumb, then we should seriously take control of their lives if we want them to be contributing to society (because that's what seems to matter the most, right?).

Plus I doubt that many, THAT dumb people who have not touched weed would start doing it out of nowhere.

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

#313

Post by mensetmanusman »

bombcar wrote: post #294
mensetmanusman wrote: post #290

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s a hard problem because any regulations increase cost to consumers and increase the likelihood that the black market still exists. The black market is alive and well in the U.S. where it is legal.

Black markets that are already setup take a bit to knock down, and even just taxes can keep them running for years (there's a moderately strong black market for cigarettes, for example). For things that are NOT in the process of being banned entirely, sin taxes may do more harm than good.

It does take some effort to knock down, but I think the failed war on drugs will mean that there will be little to no effort to knock anything down and therefore we will have the worst of both worlds.

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

#314

Post by cstejerean »

treis wrote: post #216
iinnPP wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

US prisons are absolutely packed with young marijuana dealers/users with effectively lifetime sentences. Many of them are truly good people.

>US prisons are absolutely packed with young marijuana dealers/users with effectively lifetime sentences. No they aren't. Only 20% of inmates are in jail for drug offenses and only a tiny fraction (if there's even one) is on a life time sentence for dealing weed.

Effectively a life sentence I think means they’ll have a hard time finding a job once they get out resulting in likely reoffending at some point and ending up back in jail.

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

#315

Post by cmrdporcupine »

jotm wrote: post #218
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.

A couple of things that I'm sad about: there are medications better than cannabis for anxiety and depression. But no one talks about them. They're on the same level as alcohol and weed when it comes to addiction potential and harm. Just make them legal ffs. I'm really happy I can get them from pharmacies in my country because they're not on a restricted prescription so they just give them to you if you pinky promise…

My impression is that many of the Eastern European states are more subject to Christian religious conservativism than in the west. And so the drugs and law and order thing is more pronounced there in pockets.

Not sure if this is a post-Soviet slingshot effect or if it never went away even under Stalinism. But old "Christian" morality seems to be stronger there, and the separation between church and state not as really as much of a thing as in the west.

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

#316

Post by cmrdporcupine »

wahnfrieden wrote: post #39
coldcode wrote: post #29

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…

Anyone can grow weed and that would cut into tobacco profits, a powerful lobby. You don't honestly think legislation is about health

Anybody can grow tobacco too. I do it most years just because of the pretty flowers.

Much easier than growing cannabis, actually.

The curing process is a bit of work, but for cigarette (as opposed to pipe or cigar) quality tobacco not so hard.

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

#317

Post by tcmart14 »

donkeyd wrote: post #242
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...

Well, it's not about that. It's that one of the reasons the Netherlands never legalized is that the rest of Europe didn't. So we were afraid that we'd become a place where international criminals come to produce massive amounts of weed legally to then export it illegally. When countries surrounding us start legalizing, we have no reason not to. Since growing weed is purely done by criminals right now, we're also afra…

> Since growing weed is purely done by criminals right now, we're also afraid to legalize because legal weed farms might get issues with criminal involvement or threat because the criminals lose a huge income source. If we don't legalize however when Germany does, we'll then get a bunch of trafficking from Germany to the Netherlands.

Oregon legalized weed and this hasn't been a huge problem. But if people fear it is, the solution to this is simple. Make it easy to become a legal grower.

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

#318

Post by johnisgood »

dylan604 wrote: post #263
cainxinth wrote: post #231

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

"but once you get locked into a serious drug collection, the tendency is to push it as far as you can." ― Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas I've always liked that quote as I have seen it over and over again in people I know. Those that can use and moderate to just a recreational use vs committing to a full on daily use (addiction by most acceptable use) is very small. I love to partake when I have th…

Yeah. I wish that we determined who the actual "junkie" is on a case-by-case basis, not by the fact of consumption alone. I medicate for the same reasons mentally sick people do, but I actually have a physical brain damage and my limbic system might be the region affected along with many others. I am able to treat the mental issues, and the same medication happens to help with the incontinence I have. If I told anyone about it, they would consider me a junkie. I do not even get high from it, for fuck's sake. It makes me more neutral, otherwise I'm an emotional wreck, full of suicidal thoughts that I end up acting on eventually as I used to.

I go through intentional withdrawal every N months to reduce my tolerance. I tend to keep the dose as low as possible. Sometimes I fail, sometimes I do not. I might buy that box that has a lock with a timer on it or something. ^^

I do not consider myself a junkie just because I am dependent on it, similarly how people are not junkies for depending on beta-blockers. They need it, and I need it too. It just happens to be something some people tend to abuse. Well, I do not wish to suffer because of them. Again, I do not get high, I do not get any of those feelings that would make me crave it. Many people might, but many people do not have the same medical condition as I do, I guess.

As I said, I am not "100% with daily use". I sometimes fail at controlling the dose, because sometimes my issues are worse, but... I wish I did not have to depend on it. It fucking sucks. I do not want to depend on it, but I have tried every psychiatric medications there is during my years... None of them helped one bit. I had no idea that what I am taking would work either, I stumbled upon it by accident. Again, I wish I did not need this, but I am afraid I will die taking it unless they find a proper treatment or cure for what I have. But yeah... it sucks. I could talk about it more, like how I cannot even get out of bed and do my damn job without it and such, but welp.

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

#319

Post by MaKey »

gallexme wrote: post #197
romanovcode wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True, I know a guy from Berlin who had exactly same situation. I wonder if you can call a lawyer and refuse to give your hair/urine in this case.

If you refuse, then you under arrest and get driven to the police station where a Amtsarzt(approved police office doctor) will draw your blood and check if you are roadworthy

The police can do that - however, they need reasonable suspicion for it. I have refused to be tested for alcohol successfully in the past. I didn't drink anything, I just don't like such tests being routinely used when there is no indication that alcohol or drugs were consumed.

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

#320

Post by elif »

For context, the proposed limit of 10 euro / gram taxation is the average total price in Amsterdam coffeeshops. So it would be an effective 100% tax rate. California taxes at 15% and still only manages about 60-70% control of the market.

If their goal is regulation, I think they will need to chill a little on the taxes.

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