Canada to legalise marijuana 'by 2018' - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39411026

I don't agree with it, but at least we get to see the results...

What don't you agree with? In the press just yesterday there was a case of a woman who gave her terminally ill son cannabis and it has not only stopped the symptoms but he's showing signs of recovery.

They haven't done enough testing to know the full medical benefits but it helps a lot of people.

http://metro.co.uk/2017/03/27/mum-expla ... r-6536249/

No problem with medicinal use, but I don't agree with giving it to the wider public. Especially not when drug use of every description is generally falling. Why on earth would you sell something that increases psychosis long term in the average punter never mind someone who had mental health problems to start with?

It's not about containing a problem, it's about not spending money on policing it then outright profiteering from it. Right up to creating addicts for money.

Do you really think keeping it illegal stops people using it? Just because it's no longer illegal doesn't necessarily mean more people would use it.

Drink and tobacco does far more damage that pot ever has.

I'm not saying anything about legality, just that implying it's a perfectly sensible thing to sell is BS. We're told the consumption rate of every drug bar caffeine is going down generally, so why legalise a 'new' one? It's totally illogical in that sense.

I guess one argument is that if it's available from a legal controlled source you cut the link to dealers who may have other drugs to sell that are more destructive.
There is also the possibility of decent quality and strength control. If it's legal and regulated people know what they are getting.

...and don't forget the tax revinue

To be fair, they won't even have to change the flag that much..

I can only guess, but I reckon street dealers will simply up the ante one way or another. Like for any new competition in a marketplace. Maybe even cutting prices if it comes to it. Plus you probably don't want people knowing you smoke dope, so it'll actually be less conspicuous using a dealer.

What's currently on my mind is how it'll affect broader crimes and convictions. Driving whilst stoned? Fatal accident whilst stoned? Manslaughter OR murder because the suspect wasn't totally with it? The government could be looking at a serious backlash with just a stoned driver.

There's other major aspects too. Health and liability insurance, the safety of colleagues and family... It strikes me as a total can of worms.

My American friends who live in States where it's legal are quite happy for people to know they smoke. One of them also brought some over in an e-cig when she stayed with me last year

I guess you can look at the last time something that is (becoming more) broadly socially acceptable become legal – prohibition in the US

When it was made Legal the gangsters moved onto other things (harder drugs etc ) but overall they did reduce in power / turnover

While the average back street dealer may well move onto harder drugs their customers may well not want that and are happy with what they can buy legally from the local “Tesco’s”

The thing is legalisation has been totally ineffective then because the dealers aren't going away and they will likely sell more profitable drugs over time, exacerbating the problem. Meanwhile vthe government legitimses and creates new addicts.

That's the argument of whether soft drugs lead to hard drugs

If I have to buy my weeds from a dealer he will try and get me to try something harder - maybe a free sample to get me hooked. IF I buy from Tesco's they will only try and upsell me some tins of beans

I will therefore never meet a dealer and so have less chance of getting into harder drugs

Not too many dealers will suddenly disappear because of these outlets, there's too much money in it full stop. So all you eventually get are new addicts who might never have met a dealer but will wanna see what the hype is about.

Like any business there will be some “consolidation” within the (dealer) market place – This may take the form of VERY hostile takeovers

While there will always be people who go looking for a harder fix it becomes harder to find it if there is a smaller base

There is also the socially acceptableness – Weed is now becoming socially acceptable, harder drugs less so