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Six Months After Legalizing Marijuana, Two Big Things Have Happened in Colorado

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Re: Six Months After Legalizing Marijuana, Two Big Things Have Happened in Colorado

#81

the graff with the addiction rate vs. drug control spending is misleading. while the addiction rate is constant, the population is growing, meaning the total number of addicted people would be rising. graff graff.

The total number of non-addicted people is also rising, by that logic, which is why % is in there...

Re: Six Months After Legalizing Marijuana, Two Big Things Have Happened in Colorado

#82

The linked data shows 19 murders in the first five months of 2013, 11 murders in the same period in 2014. First, this is very noisy data to make any predictions from. (I guess it's a good thing to have so few murders that it's hard to make generalizations.) March 2014 alone had 5 murders compared to three last year. Second, this isn't a 52.9% drop, even if you exclude May, which makes the drop from 17 to 9. It's a 47…

Disturbing the peace is up over 1000% YoY for all months except May.

The last refuge of scoundrel police, "disturbing the peace" and "disorderly conduct". Who cares?

Re: Six Months After Legalizing Marijuana, Two Big Things Have Happened in Colorado

#83

the graff with the addiction rate vs. drug control spending is misleading. while the addiction rate is constant, the population is growing, meaning the total number of addicted people would be rising. graff graff.

It is misleading only in that the spending should have been per capita. I don't think that changes the point though which is that however much you spend it is just money wasted. As far as I am concerned money shouldn't be thrown away when the approach obviously isn't working no matter how much you think the goal is worth it. For the record I don't agree that the government should ban substances outright, just make sure they are labeled properly for the harm they do.

Re: Six Months After Legalizing Marijuana, Two Big Things Have Happened in Colorado

#85

It's a long stretch to argue a decline in crime is attributed to drug use. Spin the numbers however you wish, it doesn't take a mathematician to figure out the truth... If I were in law enforcement, I'd feel pretty slighted that drug users figured out how to take credit for some of my work.

The next time the police reduce broadly-based crime rates will be the first time. Demographics and environmental effects control this.

Re: Six Months After Legalizing Marijuana, Two Big Things Have Happened in Colorado

#86

I worry about what will happen when the next GOP President takes office. Will there be a sudden federal crackdown? If that happens then I think it is inevitable that the US will devolve into a tyranny --just as Plato said, all democracies ultimately do.

Since the next GOP prez will be Rand Paul, I wouldn't worry about it. "He's cool, bro."

Re: Six Months After Legalizing Marijuana, Two Big Things Have Happened in Colorado

#87
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[deleted]

First, quit referring to it as "dope" since that is heroin, not marijuana. I suspect you know that but, for whatever reason, you've got a beef with people that don't have the iron skull you apparently have. I guess I'd like to know what you think about people on depression/anxiety/bipolar meds since you have such a strong opinion on what a makes up "clear head"?

I've never heard of dope referring to heroin, I think this is a US centric usage.

Re: Six Months After Legalizing Marijuana, Two Big Things Have Happened in Colorado

#88

I live in Denver and work in Boulder, and honestly, I haven't noticed any change in people. The murder rate going down is awesome and having the state earn revenue is awesome, but the biggest misconception people have about Colorado right now (thanks to the media) is that it's a wild west of pot smoking lazy people stumbling around and acting up. But really, there's been no change in how people act. The people that h…

Long time Boulder resident here. In regards to change, the homeless/transient situation in downtown Boulder and beyond has gotten completely out of control [1]. I now see transients/homeless where I did not in the past. I am not certain the marijuana laws are the reason for so many transients coming to Boulder, but it could be a contributing factor.

[1] http://www.dailycamera.com/News/ci_26064136/Boulder-councilm...

Re: Six Months After Legalizing Marijuana, Two Big Things Have Happened in Colorado

#89
post #55

the graff with the addiction rate vs. drug control spending is misleading. while the addiction rate is constant, the population is growing, meaning the total number of addicted people would be rising. graff graff.

I thought the problem with drugs isn't the addiction but the black market. The people get addicted anyway, but now the money needed to cure them goes where it can help and not to the mob.

I suspect it will be like the lottery money that was supposedly destined for the public schools, and it will just turn into a slush fund the legislature and governor can spend as they please.

Re: Six Months After Legalizing Marijuana, Two Big Things Have Happened in Colorado

#90
post #8

This sounds like a great outcome, and I support legalization for basically these reasons. More revenue for state governments, less violence, less law-enforcement time wasted on drug offences, and less crowding of prisons with non-violent drug offenders are all good things. But surely there have been downsides, too, even if they're not the ones that fear-mongerers predicted. Can anyone in Colorado speak to what those…

I'm not in Colorado but I saw one of the downsides the other day which is the manufacture of items like candy bars with multiple serving sizes of THC in the one bar. People aren't paying much attention to the serving sizes and there appears to be no restrictions in place yet on how much can be in a given food item. I'm in favor of legalization but there may need to be some more restrictions in place on how much THC c…

People, especially those in their early 20s, tend to not pay attention to the serving size for alcohol, sometimes to the point of death. Those drinking for the first time often experience a hangover.

People, especially those of retirement age, tend to ignore the serving size for aspirin, to the point of 30k deaths per year.

THC is still rolling with a zero body count.

The patriarchy cannot save us from our own ignorance.

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