Legalise some drugs, outlaw others?

PRAGUE ”” The Czech Senate Wednesday approved a bill allowing for the medical use of marijuana by an overwhelming margin of 67-2. The measure had already passed the lower house of parliament.

The bill passed with support from all the political parties represented in the parliament. Newly-elected Czech President Milos Zeman is expected to sign it into law.

But while medical marijuana advocates are pleased that their government has moved to legalize the use of the herb for medicinal purposes, they are less happy with a provision that says only imported marijuana will be allowed to be sold for the first year “to ensure standards.”

That will make medical marijuana too expensive while enriching the black market and the few companies that will be selected as official traders of it.

“It’s legal, pharmaceutical and economic corruption,” said Dusan Dvorak, a medical-cannabis activist who leads the nonprofit organization Marijuana is Medicine. “The result of the law should be access to cannabis for research and medical uses. But the real result is that it won’t be made available, it’ll be more expensive, it’ll bolster the black market and the mafia.”

Click to expand...

Almost 40 drug arrests at music event

Police have made 36 drug arrests at an electronic music event in Melbourne.

Drugs including ecstasy, amphetamines, cocaine, cannabis, GHB and MDMA were seized at the Above & Beyond music event at Hisense Area on Saturday night.

Thirty-two of the arrests were referred to a drug diversion program, one received a cannabis caution, one received a summons and two were charged and bailed.

Senior Sergeant Mark Pilkington said police were concerned a large number of people continue to attend such events while possessing drugs, despite warnings.

"These drugs are extremely dangerous. They are manufactured by criminals and therefore people have no idea what they are taking or the real risks involved," he said in a statement.

Sen Sgt Pilkington said police would continue a presence at these events to try and minimise risk to those using illicit drugs.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/sitecore/content/news/news/national/2013/02/03/09/00/almost-40-drug-arrests-at-music-event

Click to expand...

Pot Legalization Could Save U.S. $13.7 Billion Per Year, 300 Economists Say

More than 300 economists, including three nobel laureates, have signed a petition calling attention to the findings of a paper by Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron, which suggests that if the government legalized marijuana it would save $7.7 billion annually by not having to enforce the current prohibition on the drug. The report added that legalization would save an additional $6 billion per year if the government taxed marijuana at rates similar to alcohol and tobacco.

That's as much as $13.7 billion per year, but it's still minimal when compared to the federal deficit, which hit $1.5 trillion last year, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/17/economists-marijuana-legalization_n_1431840.html

Click to expand...

Medical Marijuana Brings $10 Million in Revenue for Michigan

LANSING, MI ”” An annual report to the state Legislature as required by the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act shows that over $10 million in revenue was collected from administration of the state’s medical marijuana program in 2012, more than double the cost of running the program.

Click to expand...

The global war on drugs has cost billions and taken countless lives -- but achieved little. The scant results finally have politicians and experts joining calls for legalization. Following the journey of cocaine from a farm in Colombia to a user in Berlin sheds light on why.

Click to expand...

In 2010, about 200 million people took illegal drugs. The numbers have remained relatively constant for years, as has the estimated annual volume of drugs produced worldwide: 40,000 tons of marijuana, 800 tons of cocaine and 500 tons of heroin. What has increased, however, is the cost of this endless war.

In the early 1970s, the Nixon administration pumped about $100 million into drug control. Today, under President Barack Obama, that figure is $15 billion -- more than 30 times as much when adjusted for inflation. There is even a rough estimate of the direct and indirect costs of the 40-plus years of the drug war: $1 trillion in the United States alone.

In Mexico, some 60,000 people have died in the drug war in the last six years. US prisons are full of marijuana smokers, the Taliban in Afghanistan still use drug money to pay for their weapons, and experts say China is the drug country of the future.

Click to expand...

DB008 said:

Our Right to Poison: Lessons from the Failed War on Drugs

Click to expand...

prawn_86 said:

http://www.theage.com.au/technology...road-seller-does-a-runner-20130226-2f36q.html - Aussie Silk Road sellers sentenced and scamming...

Click to expand...

"Nevertheless, while there is a demand for its products and there are vendors willing to sell, there will likely continue to be some Australian buyers willing to take the risk, whether that is on Silk Road or any other dark-web marketplace," she said.

Click to expand...

Harvard University professor Jeffrey Miron has advocated the legalization of drugs for decades. In a SPIEGEL ONLINE interview, he explains why prohibition is more dangerous than selling drugs in supermarkets.


SPIEGEL: Mr. Miron, why should heroin, cocaine and marijuana be legal?

Miron: The prohibition of drugs is the worst solution for preventing abuse. Firstly, it brings about a black market that is corrupt and costs human lives. Secondly, it constrains people who wouldn't abuse drugs. Thirdly, prohibiting drugs is expensive.


SPIEGEL: How expensive?

Miron: If it legalized drugs, the United States could save $85 billion to $90 billion per year. Roughly half that is spent on the current drugs policy and half that is lost in taxes that the state could have levied on legal drugs.


SPIEGEL: On the other side of the equation, there are many people who would become addicted to drugs.

Miron: Let us assume that the consumption of drugs would increase as a result of legalization. Would that be a bad thing? If we apply the standards of economics, that is (at least partially) a good thing. Any policy that prevents me from doing what I'd like to do impairs my happiness.


SPIEGEL: Drugs lead to addiction. They impair people's happiness.

Miron: Addiction isn't the problem. Many people are addicted to caffeine and nobody worries about that. Many people are addicted to sports, beer or food. That doesn't bother the state either.

Click to expand...

It's up to state representatives to decide whether to decriminalize marijuana in Hawaii.

Tuesday senators unanimously passed a bill that would make marijuana possession a civil fine, not a crime.

Hawaii senators took a big step towards erasing the crime out of marijuana possession.

But made one thing very clear.

"Smoking marijuana is still illegal," said Sen. Clayton Hee, (D) Kaneohe, Laie, Waialua.

On the senate floor today, unanimous approval of the bill that would make it a civil violation if you're caught with an ounce or less of marijuana.

"What it does is save the court backlog system, according to a study done, of $9 million," Sen. Hee said.

Those caught would be hit with a $1,000 fine.

"So why not send a measure to the house with the highest, hoping the house would now have something to work with," said Sen. J. Kalani English, (D) Hana, Upcountry Maui.

Click to expand...

POLICE have issued a warning about a bad batch of LSD imprinted with an image of pop icon Psy doing a 'Gangnam Style' dance - after five teenagers were hospitalised at the weekend.

A 15 year-old-girl was rushed to hospital after taking the drug at a birthday party in Boambee East, near the NSW North Coast town of Coffs Harbour, on Saturday.

At 11pm the same night, police were called to another party in nearby Toormina because a 15-year-old boy who had taken a tab of acid had become violent.

Police have launched an investigation into the drug as it is believed a batch of the drug is circulating. An 18-year-old man was charged with the offence of supplying a prohibited drug after being interviewed by police today. He is expected to face Coffs Harbour Local Court on April 29.

Four Sydney teenagers were also rushed to hospital after overdosing on LSD at a beach party on Friday night.

Police and ambulance were called to Balmoral Beach, about 9pm, when four 17 year olds became violently ill from what is believed to have been a bad batch of the drug.

Click to expand...

Absolutely shocking article. LSD is active at the microgram scale whereas 'most' drugs are active at the milligram scale, so several orders of magnitude smaller. Therefore the risk of having something dangerous with the acid is lower as you only need consume a very small amount of whatever it is stored on. The quote about brain damage is BS in regards to acid as it has a low toxicity.

Just imagine if it were regulated. Those kids would likely have not got hold in the first place, and if they had it would have been pharmaceutical grade of known/measured quantity. Instead we have a police officer who is ignorant to medical knowledge spouting public health advice on a policy he helps perpetuate and make worse.. 'drug war logic'

Click to expand...

chops_a_must said:

Acid is awesome.

Once a year, gets mays hit sorted.

Same with dmt.

Click to expand...

chops_a_must said:

Acid is awesome.

Click to expand...

CANNABIS should be approved for medicinal use to help people suffering chronic pain, advocates have told a NSW parliamentary committee.

Cancer survivor Sally Crossing told a public hearing at parliament house on Monday it appeared self-evident that cannabis relieved pain for many sufferers.

"It's just a matter of being kind and helpful to people who need help," said Ms Crossing, who is the deputy chair of the volunteer advocacy group Cancer Voices NSW.

The committee is inquiring into the feasibility and safety of using cannabis as a medicine, the legal implications and how cannabis could be supplied to patients.

Ms Crossing said her group was in favour of medicinal cannabis use with the proper legal and medical protocols and assurance of safe delivery.

She said stronger drugs classed as illegal had long been approved for medicinal use without problems.

Click to expand...

DB008 said:

I have tried LSD (in Australia) and Mushrooms (in Amsterdam) a few times in my life. A while ago now.

My personal option - everyone should try it at least once in their lifetime.



Short Vice doco - The Rise of Psychedelic Truffles in Amsterdam (slow to start, but gets better)




(Skip to about 3:30 for the doco the really get into the Psychedelic Truffle production)

Click to expand...

DB008 said:

I have tried LSD (in Australia) and Mushrooms (in Amsterdam) a few times in my life. A while ago now.

Click to expand...