The irish government and the legalisation of marijuana

SHADOW

I know the argument over whether or not hash should be legalised was done here not so long ago..and done it was, to death in fact.

What I'm wondering is how long do ye think it will be before it is legal in ireland??

Personally I only know one person (actually two) my age that I am friendly with that have never smoked. Surely in a democracy, if this is even remotely close to a preportional representation then it cannot be long before the law is changed?

This is an opinion question, PLEASE DONT start off on a "marijuana is good/bad" argument..

N

---

If the bottom falls out of your world, drink Andrews and the world will fall out of your bottom!!
games?

Zapper

Aye, a lot of people do smoke it thats true, however not all those who do believe it should be legalised..

amp

The biggest argument against legalising the weed is that it's a gateway drug. That by smoking it, you then crave getting higher and move on to crack cocaine and heroin.

Which is complete nonsense of course and more of an argument for legalising it. But there are other factors, like medical companies losing out their massive profits on morphine and similarly addictive painkillers that people might stop buying when they could just go down to the coffee shop and buy a spliff.

Of course these companies employ a lot of people in Ireland. And they lobby quite a lot.

One of the main reasons it was first banned in the states was due to lobbying by the powerful logging industry because the hemp plant made better quality paper (still made on a small scale in France I think) and cheaper too.

I think there's hope though. The public is beginning to see through the propaganda.

---

Lunacy Abounds! Play GLminesweeper!
art is everything and of course nothing and possibly also a sausage

gandalf

**** marijuana I want broadband

Gandalf.

neuro-praxis

Amp, perhaps the best reason for not legalising it, is that the current hard drug-pushers will then a have a very legal smokescreen to hide behind?

Surely then the heroin dealers, etc., will never be able to be tracked?

Winning Hand

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by amp:

But there are other factors, like medical companies losing out their massive profits on morphine and similarly addictive painkillers that people might stop buying when they could just go down to the coffee shop and buy a spliff.
</font>

Love to know where you manage to buy your morphine, seeing as its more controlled than scud missiles.
Also morphine costs nothing to make or sell, the expensive stuff is the medications they use to take you off said drugs

---

Some say the end is near.
Some say we'll see armageddon soon.
I certainly hope we will.
I sure could use a vacation from this....
bull****

Paladin

Heya neil man.

I rekon it will be well over a decade if not much more. Ireland in its ultra conservative stance will always lag behind the likes of netherlands.

the fnj

I would hate to see it legalised in Ireland at the moment. We would have so many undiserables in the country. Look at Amsterdam. People go over all the time to smoke hash. Do we want these same people in our country every week. Wait till England and other europian country's do it first and then we can follow.

It's no big deal to most Irish hash smokers anyway. We can get it easily and the police turn a blind eye to it ninety five percent of the time.

Cake Fiend

Could be a good while - people have been arguing the case of legalization for decades, without a budge from the government. IMO our government wouldn't dare legalize until a good few other european countries did.

As it is though, it's not exactly difficult to get your hands on some blow (although government control might bring in some sort of quality assurance and better prices) and it's rarely taken very seriously (e.g. I doubt that a record of possession would have hindered my chances at getting my current job )

PHB

Its still a dangerous drug, partly due to the fact that its not controlled in any way, granted its not as dangerous as other drugs but hey we live in a catholic country, i know i know, were gona have to live with it.

Drugs are bad

Shinji

I give it 20 years. By that stage a great number of the "hardcore" religious/conservative will have passed away, and kids being born now will have the right to vote - while todays 20 year olds will be the "sensible middle ground" 40 year olds, the vast majority of them perfectly fine with the concept of marijuana.

I'm not arguing right or wrong. I'm simply stating my opinion as to a timescale.

I think that in 10 years time, canny politicians will start counting the legalisation of cannabis as one of the elements of their manifesto, not as a single-issue type of thing but as a small part of a wider set of policies. Set in the light of freeing up Garda personnel to work on more damaging crime, and of introducing a tax on cannabis similar to the tax on tobacco and alcohol (which contributes greatly to the national tax fund), it will be a very popular policy indeed.

Shiminay

All I can say is "VOTE FOR MING!" Mad wh00re that he is!

Anyway - 20 years - maybe more - this is still "Holy Catholic Ireland"...

There are far too many red-necks who don't know any better and until they get educated, there's no point in trying

---

All the best,

Dav
@B^)

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Prepare yourself - The Beefy King stirs from his slumber...</font>

[honey i] violated [the kids]

LegacyUser

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by neuro-praxis:

Surely then the heroin dealers, etc., will never be able to be tracked?</font>

and u think they are now ??

the fnj

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Kharn:
, there's no point in trying

</font>

Now there's the voice of a stonned generation!

Shiminay

haahaahaa - played Tom!!!!

---

All the best,

Dav
@B^)

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Prepare yourself - The Beefy King stirs from his slumber...</font>

[honey i] violated [the kids]

Frodo@work

i would say that within the next 10-15 years ireland as part of the eu will have no choice but to legalise it.i mean the fact that the home of the eu, Belgium, has recently dercriminalised/legalised it is pointer enough on how the eurocrats feel.already in countrys like france and spain you will noyt be charged for possesion of small amounts. Already in england many police groups and police chiefs have complaned about the complete futility and waste of there time that criminalisation costs them.

try the following links for more and better informed info:
http://www.paston.co.uk/users/webbooks/http:/

/www.paston.co.uk/users/webbooks/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/talkback/101000_cannabis.shtml

www.lca-uk.org/media/about/00-04-06.html

www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00.n194.a04.html

as these show its not just 'stoners' that belive in the legalisation

Evil Phil

I'd say in about 20 years time when the powers that be are a little less fundamental and a bit more liberal. Unless it becomes the main stream before then

amp

Neuro-praxis:

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Amp, perhaps the best reason for not legalising it, is that the current hard drug-pushers will then a have a very legal smokescreen to hide behind?</font>

Not likely cos they'd probably have to get a licence to sell hash. And then they'd have to answer some awkward questions. No doubt some of them would anyway but in my experience of Amsterdams wonderful cafes I never was asked did I want anything "stronger". Indeed I got the feeling that if I did ask then I'd be swiftly ejected.

Look at pubs for example. They're licensed to sell two drugs: alchohol and nicotine. But in most pubs if you asked the barman for a joint you'd probably be barred.

The Netherlands like any other country with a large population has a problem with the hard class a drugs. But it's only slightly above the European average. That and the fact that it is home to the largest ports (which the majority of Europes drugs come in through) in Europe means, imo, that they've cut or at least reduced the link from hash to the harder drugs.
Then there's the absolute fortune they must be making from the hash tourist trade.

Personaly I smoke hash, but I'll never touch heroin or cocaine. I'm not really interested in E as it seems to take you far too far from reality. Hash just makes a reality a bit more interesting. But like anything in life it's best to take it in moderation.

---

Lunacy Abounds! Play GLminesweeper!
art is everything and of course nothing and possibly also a sausage

mewso

Holland, as far as I know, only recently legalised Canabis. It was always one of the great myths that Holland was where all these things, prostitution&drugs, were legal when they weren't. The police actively ignored it. Anways off point a bit. I'm with the extremists here and always have been. Legalise all drugs, control them, stop the dangerous element making millions on it and be able to keep a more careful eye on the consumers.

M

Ronan|Raven

I feel that it should most definitly be legalised.but of course Ireland will be the last as usual to do it.Hopefully itll become legal evrywhere then we can get some decent blow in the country!

Clintons Cat

<OFF TOPIC WARNING>
heres a little anecdote for you
it happened yesterday,
The marketstall next to mine was one of those lame hippy ethnic stalls selling leather charms,dreamcatchers,crystals,other new age cwap,and Bongs,Tobacco tins with lame "Legalise it" slogans and a variety of wooden and metal dope pipes.
Anyway a group of about half a dozen kids came up to the stall and after some discussion as to which was best bought a metal dope pipe.
OK the thing was the oldest was about 14 and the youngest was between 11 and 12.
Do you think adults should encourage kids to smoke dope like this? her veiw was that if she didnt sell them one some one else would.
Personally i think she was a mercenry bit<h.
BTW I laughed my a$s off when they came back later and nicked half a dozen more pipes when her back was turned.
Kids these days eh,whats wrong with good old fashioned solvent abuse?