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Government reason for marijuana to be illegal

TheOtherBloke

Right. What is the Goverments actual reason for making marijuana illegal?. And no I DONT smoke it. Some of my friends do and they always have the conversation but never agree on opinions. They say they cant think of a good enough reason.. also alot say it does less harm than booze and that it doesent harm you like all the other drugs.. is it financial reasons? Economical? Let me know

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Mesrine65

catallus wrote: »

Well that's debatable. I mean we all remember that ad with the little girl who says you could kill here going at a speed even under the speed limit.

But if you go slower then you wouldn't kill her?

Right?

So, imagine if you were stoned and killed her, even if you were under the speed limit? What then?

You'd be up shoite creek without a paddle

TINA1984

Valetta wrote: »

They didn't "make it illegal".

It was never legal.

Only made illegal in 1977.

TheOtherBloke

Valetta wrote: »

They never legalised fags or booze.

They were never illegal.

You don't seem to get that.

Ill rephrase that then. I meant to say tgey have never been illegal.. so why weed. Apologies

Riskymove

Valetta wrote: »

They didn't "make it illegal".

It was never legal.

Of course they have made it illegal

there is a law which outlines that is an offence to have certain drugs and marijuana is one of them

things are generally "legal" to possess unless there is a law to say otherwise

TheOtherBloke

Valetta wrote: »

They never legalised fags or booze.

They were never illegal.

You don't seem to get that.

Ill rephrase that then. I meant to say tgey have never been illegal.. so why weed. Apologies

TheOtherBloke

Valetta wrote: »

They never legalised fags or booze.

They were never illegal.

You don't seem to get that.

Ill rephrase that then. I meant to say tgey have never been illegal.. so why weed. Apologies

man98

Weed causes cancer, like anything where you inhale smoke. Booze and fags are legal because the law is there supporting it for far too long, if you told anyone they wouldn't be allowed drink and smoke for the rest of their lives? Imagine the riots and black market.

Dr. Mantis Toboggan

No Dewey, you don't want no part of that sh1t!

AboutaWeekAgo

man98 wrote: »

Weed causes cancer, like anything where you inhale smoke. Booze and fags are legal because the law is there supporting it for far too long, if you told anyone they wouldn't be allowed drink and smoke for the rest of their lives? Imagine the riots and black market.

*smoking weed causes cancer.

There are many ways to consume it without smoking it.

grindle

Valetta wrote: »

They didn't "make it illegal".

It was never legal.

They did and it was.

We don't live in France, we don't wait for things to be legalized - everything is legal until it's made illegal, hence the laws that were brought in against mushrooms and "research chems" and our practically non-existent laws on bribery/corruption until 1995.

Billy86

Valetta wrote: »

They didn't "make it illegal".

It was never legal.

Quite sure that's not true, for example it was legal in the US until the 1920s. Before that, George Washington grew hemp and many Americans did since King James had ordered that every colonist grow 100 plants specifically for export. Elizabeth I also not only encouraged it to be grown in England, but fined anyone who could grow it but didn't. Cannabis was also legal in the UK until 1928, meaning it more likely than not was legal in Ireland until that time or not long before it.

Billy86

catallus wrote: »

Well that's debatable. I mean we all remember that ad with the little girl who says you could kill here going at a speed even under the speed limit.

But if you go slower then you wouldn't kill her?

Right?

So, imagine if you were stoned and killed her, even if you were under the speed limit? What then?

You're also aware of what a straw man is? Nobody mentioned people taking marijuana and driving.

There was also an ad a few years back that showed the difference in damage done and ability to brake in time going 20mph vs 30mph on a pedestrian street. They don't just pluck speeding numbers for that kind of stuff out of the air an leave it at that with zero reasoning nor questioning.

Karl Stein

'Legal Pot In The U.S. May Be Undercutting Mexican Marijuana'

"Two or three years ago, a kilogram [2.2 pounds] of marijuana was worth $60 to $90," says Nabor, a 24-year-old pot grower in the northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa. "But now they're paying us $30 to $40 a kilo. It's a big difference. If the U.S. continues to legalize pot, they'll run us into the ground."

www.npr.org

More evidence that the prohibition of weed is an idiotic way of trying to reduce harm.

pueblo

TheOtherBloke wrote: »

Yeah okay smart arse. So why is weed illegal. That is my question.

As I understand it 'weed' is not illegal. Cannabis is a controlled substance, and unlicensed possesion etc is an offence under Irish law.

lazybones32

It's not illegal to consume mary j or other narcotics but it is illegal to buy, sell or posses them.
Why? The reasons would have been cited during whatever Parliamentary debate took place before the Act was passed and these 'minutes' don't seem to be available on-line.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1977/en/act/pub/0012/index.html

It's not illegal to have controlled substances in your bloodstream, unless you're operating a car/machinery in Public, etc.

Littlekittylou

Valetta wrote: »

They didn't "make it illegal".

It was never legal.

Actually before it was made illegal it would have been. They don't make a law declaring something legal.

nxbyveromdwjpg

Valetta wrote: »

They didn't "make it illegal".

It was never legal.

Valetta wrote: »

They never legalised fags or booze.

They were never illegal.

Booze and fags were never illegal so are legal, and marijuana was never legal so is illegal.

I mean i... You have to be trolling.

braddun

http://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2014/01/21/5-reasons-marijuana-should-remain-illegal-n1782086/page/full

Tigger

Valetta wrote: »

They didn't "make it illegal".

It was never legal.

dope has only been illegal in ireland since 1977 before then it was legal

Bobking

The government and many others say that marijuana is illegal because it is harmful and causes problems for society.

This may be incorrect.

There are some problems with consuming large amounts of marijuana and not taking precautions (like eating and taking your time). Balance for some people, or overtiredness maybe for others.
This also applies to alcohol, prescription and non prescription medicine and fatty foods.
There is no precaution for cigarettes, you just gotta cross your fingers and hope they dont kill you.

So death.
There are no known deaths from consuming too much marijuana.
This cannot be said for many things mentioned above.

As for the potential public disturbance marijuana might cause, that phrase public disturbance has become synonymous with alcohol. And I dont know what might happen in the future but the current public disturbance issues with marijuana are related to the black market and all that intails. A market directly enabled by prohibition. See the quote below.

Now for the real issue, why might it be a good reason to make marijuana legal, the health benefits for marijuana have long been ignored by the Irish govenment and many others. Just as the opium has been refined for use as the pain killer morphine marijuana will most likely be refined into another product for people to buy.

Of course it is claimed by medical users that the pain relief provided by vaporising or eating the raw plant (in cakes and brownies usually but anything that person likes) is superior to the marijuana products available to them, many citing side effects as the main reason. That is that the raw plant didnt have any where the tablets did, the plant curing nausea and the tablets causing it.

Money, the language the government speaks. What can be saved by not wasting garda time on chasing people who produce, distribute and supply marijuana?
What tax can be accrued by bringing this commodity back into the legal market? Hopefull they wont raise the tax high enough to reinforce the illegal market like they have with cigarettes.
How will this affect alcohol related issues for accident & emergency on Saturday nights and garda resources? Remember consuming too much marijuana puts them on the ground asleep.

Some experts say that the internet enabling the availability of information about how marijuana was lumped in with more harmful drugs when these laws were made, will change public opinion towards making it legal.

The Portuguese government decided that the fact that prohibition was not working and the fact that jailing users simply didnt work and was unsustainable, was sufficient reasons to decriminalise any drug use with all the money saved on enforcement being used instead to offer treatment to any users who wanted it. 12 years later its allegedly a success.

TLDR; FOR DEBATE:
I would propose that tomorrow the Irish govenment adapt the same laws and tax that are currently applicable to alcohol to also apply to marijuana.

Key argument for, if you want to keep weed out of the hands of children then make it legal.

Karl Stein wrote: »

'Legal Pot In The U.S. May Be Undercutting Mexican Marijuana'

More evidence that the prohibition of weed is an idiotic way of trying to reduce harm.

PLL

Revenue from Weed Tax... So I overheard from a group of stoners at a party.

I don't smoke, but I'm yet to meet a person who is truly against it, even those who don't smoke it.

It's like weed is weed, and everything else is drugs which if taken often causes judgement and is kept quiet.

It seems like many people smoke weed, even those you think would be against it.

Aspiring

PLL wrote: »

Revenue from Weed Tax... So I overheard from a group of stoners at a party.

I don't smoke, but I'm yet to meet a person who is truly against it, even those who don't smoke it.

It's like weed is weed, and everything else is drugs which if taken often causes judgement and is kept quiet.

It seems like many people smoke weed, even those you think would be against it.

The only people I have met who are against it are elderly/reasonably old and some young people who have been heavily influenced by what they were told growing up.

It boils down to a lack of education on what weed does really. I have only smoked weed once in my life, but some of the backlash I got from some friends at the time shows that some people really have no clue whatsoever. They were told by their parents weed will make you an addict who will rob your granny to get your next hit, it'll make you stupid, etc.

Nothing will change in this country regarding laws until a lot of education is provided on the effects / the US makes a big move. 2016 will be a year a lot more US states will be voting on legalising, with most of the states who will vote on it looking like they'll have a majority. That's still a far way away from full legalisation across the US. Then, and only then can I see Ireland begin to think about making a move on the topic. I'd say it'll be 10-15 years at least.

strobe

Because they believe it is politically beneficial to have that policy. They believe reversing policy on the prohibition of cannabis would cost them more votes at election time than it would gain them.

[Deleted User]

Stoners don't vote!

Little CuChulainn

It's pretty simple. When drug laws were passed, marijuana was considered by many to be as harmful as the other drugs. There hasn't been the political will or pressure to change that since ten.

phater phagan

Because it competes with other taxable mind-altering legal products, and also because we have had very conservative governments running the country.

Wez

The fact that researching this plant was also outlawed, just shows how thick and ignorant they were when banning it.

The sooner it's legal for recreational use (again) the better. I'm delighted to hear about the US and preventing federal money from being wasted on shutting down medicinal dispensaries any more, when the states are in control of it already.

We have centuries of experience with it, no known over doses ever, lack of aggression when using it etc. Much more stable than those "Spice Gold" mixes too.

The one downside seems to be, if you have an underlying mental condition such as being schizophrenic, then there's a possibility that it can trigger it. But the state wouldn't even be that honest/straight forward about it, or let us try find out more about preventing that through research.

I literally can't take anything a government says seriously, when they still parade on about the dangers of pot.

The worst thing that can happen when smoking pot is, getting caught!!

TallGlass

I dunno but most people I know not people on here who I don't no personally smoke weed all day if they are smokers. I mean they will have a joint before work, a joint on there lunch, a joint on the way home and then get pure smoked for the night and do it all again the next day. Yet they don't have an addiction or a problem.

If I was to add in alcohol to the above instead of weed and joint, I would be TOLD I have a problem and rightly so.

No idea, but maybe it is some reason why it is banned as some people lose the run of themselves on it added into the mix with people who lose the run of themselves on the drink/smokes/food and you've added another problem in there to the health service, not allowing people smoke cannabis is somewhat limiting it's reach, easiness to gain and useability, I say the market is losing out on about 30/35% of people who would be interested in smoking it but don't because there not bothered dealing with the underworld and the powers that be want to keep it that way. If the government really wanted there way they would ban drink also but can't cause it would cause uproar. So by the government not allowing the sale of the stuff there limiting the market for it from a 100% open market becomes about 65/70% limited market, reducing and future problems in that area on the health service by 30/35% that translates to money for the government.

Only reason I can see. It's as sociable drug just like a few drinks, it wouldn't bother me if it was legal leased that way it could be taxed as a lot people smoke it.

Interestingly enough, the rise of cocaine use is truly alarming to me. It's like the Snowblow times are back but this time the drug is cocaine but no one will care cause it is illegal yet just as available as the legal high drugs back a few years ago. Cocaine is around years I know and popular too, just seems it's gained more so in popularity.

nxbyveromdwjpg

The USA is continuing to make strides towards legalisation as further to all the states that have already legalised recreational use, Congress ends war on medical marijuana by pulling the federal funding to fight it.

Ireland is a backwards and slow to change country though, I mean being gay was a criminal offense here until 1993(!). I wouldn't hold my breath for any real change on any drug laws despite the better working models being rolled out elsewhere all over the world.

I'd say when the UK does it, Ireland will probably follow suit about 40-50 years later. The government will continue wasting money and effort fighting the useless and harmful fight in the meantime.

Wez

TallGlass wrote: »

Not allowing people smoke cannabis is somewhat limiting it's reach, easiness to gain and useability, I say the market is losing out on about 30/35% of people who would be interested in smoking it but don't because there not bothered dealing with the underworld and the powers that be want to keep it that way.

Over the years I have found that older people tend to stop smoking, because it's more difficult for them to get any. They tend to ask their kids to source some for them, from what I've seen. I think it's that you're more likely to be suspected of being a gaurd when you're older, and so wouldn't get as many offers.

Young people tend to have a much easier time finding it through friends etc.

I don't think this is the way it should be.. Legalise it and make it harder for young folk to get their hands on, but older and wiser folk can have free reign.