Time for a rethink?

Exactly the same as me then RT, take the money out of the criminals pockets and put it into the economy.

I really don't have a problem with anyone who uses cannabis on a casual basis. My concern is that some individuals have been known to go on to experiment with stronger drugs ie heroin, cocaine etc etc.

I do think there is genuine concern that habitual cannabis users ( every day ) may be doing untold damage to their brain. Again, regulation under medical guidance and supervision would seem to be the only logical way forward. It seems to work quite well in Switzerland and the coffee bars where you can smoke a joint in Amsterdam appear to be very popular with locals and tourists alike.

BWFC71 may have some experience of this because he used to live in Holland and is pretty knowledgeable on Dutch affairs.

bwfc1874 wrote:I liuthink you've gone senile.

There's fuck all wrong with my state of mind! I'm not the one smoking weed!!  
You are so easy it's untrue. Cannabis must fuck the humour side of your brain up? 

Reebok Trotter wrote:I really don't have a problem with anyone who uses cannabis on a casual basis. My concern is that some individuals have been known to go on to experiment with stronger drugs ie heroin, cocaine etc etc.

I do think there is genuine concern that habitual cannabis users ( every day ) may be doing untold damage to their brain. Again, regulation under medical guidance and supervision would seem to be the only logical way forward. It seems to work quite well in Switzerland and the coffee bars where you can smoke a joint in Amsterdam appear to be very popular with locals and tourists alike.

BWFC71 may have some experience of this because he used to live in Holland and is pretty knowledgeable on Dutch affairs.

Cake is a more preferable way for some I believe? It's been stopped for tourists I think?

Soul Kitchen wrote:
Cake is a more preferable way for some I believe? It's been stopped for tourists I think?

I'm watching my figure so cake is a no no for me.

As for The Netherlands.

Officially cannabis is illegal, but it is tolerated and people can grow it in small amounts.  Business can only grow in small amounts in any one patch,  The sale of the weed is only permitted in licensed coffee shops which cannot be more than 400m from a school.  The duty on weed is about 70% and on top of that is the usual 25%BTW (VAT).

The licensed coffee shops are not permitted to sell alcohol and when smoking the weed it cannot be infused with tobacco.

As for the no-longer selling to the tourists - there was talk of it and they did actually experiment with the idea near Eindhoven, but in the end the Government collapsed and the new coalition Government knocked the idea on the head - the only change was the distance from school and tighter regulation on the licences - but they are still allowed to sell to tourists!

Don't get me wrong there are still drug dealers in Amsterdam and they are as prevalent there as they are here - but they just do not sell the weed but all other drugs.   It is a losing battle the police have - just the same a here!

bwfc71 wrote:

  The sale of the weed is only permitted in licensed coffee shops which cannot be more than 400m from a school. 

That's a very liberal-minded approach.

I hope the kids appreciate the gesture.

They've only got little legs and would probably get tired if they had to walk too far to buy their drugs.

bwfc71 wrote:
The licensed coffee shops are not permitted to sell alcohol and when smoking the weed it cannot be infused with tobacco.

I always thought that was the case but on Stratumseind in Eindhoven there was the Begijntje and the Bakkerij which sold both (although the Begijntje had the coffee shop upstairs so reckoned on that it was separate).

I also thought that you couldn't smoke ganga in a pub but both of them places and the Noordsprung which isn't on Stratumseind you could, and it wasn't like it was all hush hush.

I know you can't smoke tobacco or otherwise in any pub now since the ban but I'm talking ten years ago and more.

Copper Dragon wrote:

bwfc71 wrote:
The licensed coffee shops are not permitted to sell alcohol and when smoking the weed it cannot be infused with tobacco.

I always thought that was the case but on Stratumseind in Eindhoven there was the Begijntje and the Bakkerij which sold both (although the Begijntje had the coffee shop upstairs so reckoned on that it was separate).

I also thought that you couldn't smoke ganga in a pub but both of them places and the Noordsprung which isn't on Stratumseind you could, and it wasn't like it was all hush hush.

I know you can't smoke tobacco or otherwise in any pub now since the ban but I'm talking ten years ago and more.

But laws are made to be tolerated

Officially smoking in bars is illegal, but they can have well ventilated smoking rooms for people to smoke in.  But as the local council officers do not work after 5pm on a Friday, then most bars allow smoking in them at weekend, but only certain areas.

Also unofficially a lot of coffee shops do allow cigarette smoking as well as weed smoking.

Police do have powers but very rarely use them, and if they do they have to get the information from Council officials only.

Breadman wrote:

bwfc71 wrote:

  The sale of the weed is only permitted in licensed coffee shops which cannot be more than 400m from a school. 

That's a very liberal-minded approach.

I hope the kids appreciate the gesture.

They've only got little legs and would probably get tired if they had to walk too far to buy their drugs.

Not sure what he's on about.

The new law is coffeeshops can't be within 250 metres of a school.

Finally starting to gather pace, no longer taboo for politicians to discuss a new approach other than the 'war on drugs' - 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29824764

bwfc1874 wrote:Finally starting to gather pace, no longer taboo for politicians to discuss a new approach other than the 'war on drugs' - 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29824764

This report points out that there is no link between tough sentencing and a reduction in usage levels.
The issue with marijuana though is that around half of the population have tried it at least once so imagine what would happen if the police adopted a more rigorous prosecution policy....

According to the "Breadman Bible" cannabis possession already accounts for 67% of all police recorded drug offences in the UK.

I don't condone drug use or anything like that but doesn't it make sense to regulate it seeing as people will do it anyway if they want to. I would much rather the money flow back into the government to put back into our countrys health, education etc instead of drug dealers pockets. Or am I missing something here?

Bwfc1958 wrote:I don't condone drug use or anything like that but doesn't it make sense to regulate it seeing as people will do it anyway if they want to. I would much rather the money flow back into the government to put back into our countrys health, education etc instead of drug dealers pockets. Or am I missing something here?

I agree with what you are saying but I feel it would be very hard to regulate it IMO.

It's all well and good saying that the government could pump money back into other things but it could take it's toll due to the long term and short term side effects of drug use on the NHS like the issues the NHS is now facing with alcohol related incidents

karlypants wrote:

Bwfc1958 wrote:I don't condone drug use or anything like that but doesn't it make sense to regulate it seeing as people will do it anyway if they want to. I would much rather the money flow back into the government to put back into our countrys health, education etc instead of drug dealers pockets. Or am I missing something here?

I agree with what you are saying but I feel it would be very hard to regulate it IMO.

It's all well and good saying that the government could pump money back into other things but it could take it's toll due to the long term and short term side effects of drug use on the NHS like the issues the NHS is now facing with alcohol related incidents

That's assuming that drug use would rise if drugs were decriminalised. The evidence from Portugal suggests the complete opposite - 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2011/07/05/ten-years-after-decriminalization-drug-abuse-down-by-half-in-portugal/

It's a perpetual cycle with our current system, if you're a drug addict you get sent to prison (where you're likely to find drugs), get out with even less chance of getting a job and most likely nothing going for you. What do you think most drug addicts do then? Find God and change their ways? Or Think fuck this and get high?

karlypants wrote:

Bwfc1958 wrote:I don't condone drug use or anything like that but doesn't it make sense to regulate it seeing as people will do it anyway if they want to. I would much rather the money flow back into the government to put back into our countrys health, education etc instead of drug dealers pockets. Or am I missing something here?

I agree with what you are saying but I feel it would be very hard to regulate it IMO.

It's all well and good saying that the government could pump money back into other things but it could take it's toll due to the long term and short term side effects of drug use on the NHS like the issues the NHS is now facing with alcohol related incidents

I get what you're saying kp but surely it is already affecting the NHS anyway so at least it could go someway to paying for itself by putting money back into the system through taxation.

The "Breadman Bible"......?

Razzle..........?

Breadman wrote:The "Breadman Bible"......?

Razzle..........?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Razzle

Not quite sure what that means but according to the Bible there are a number of options. I'm hoping you aren't referring to option 4 as I have no interest in Mrs B in the buff