Taxing Marijuana

[eroticartist]

Should the new government legalise and tax marijuana? Or decriminalise possession for personal use as in the Netherlands?
Mike Freeman.

[andy ide]

They should be grown-up and bold about it. They need money. Legalise and tax. They're going to be very unpopular by the end of this term and they know it so they'd have little to lose. Decriminalising dope would probably tip the balance back in their favour a bit. Many people, from the baby boomers down, dope smokers and non dope smokers alike, would see it as a rational and practical move, and refreshing. It would be nice to see this picked up and debated further now across the media.

[alicia_fan_uk]

Government should only legalise/decriminalise something because it believes it is the right thing to do, NOT because it could raise money from it when times get tight.

The article you link to implies money is the motivating factor, so that being the premise of the proposal I would say no.

alicia_fan_uk

[randyandy]

eroticartist wrote:

>
>
> Should the new government legalise and tax marijuana? Or
> decriminalise possession for personal use as in the
> Netherlands?
> Mike Freeman.

NO

[KazB]

Legalise and tax. It would free up a lot of cash for the nhs and also cut the governments spending out on the useless war on drugs which also happens to target little old ladies using cannabis for their MS!

In my opinion alcohol is responsible for more diseases, accidents and deaths than most other drugs put together, yet the government tax it and gladly sell it to the masses. Why not legalise something that just makes people veg out on their playstation and eatimg pringles!

[vickipeachx]

100% true kaz:) although i prefer to munch chocolate and play xbox:)

the war on drugs has been a complete cockup,making criminals out of peeps who just want to party,or kill pain without perscription drugs that often are worse.

alas though,i i dont see all the narrow minded anti drugs ,pro booze nutters and mothers groups moving on this issue. it gives them something to moan about........think they need sex more often!

[KazB]

Hee hee hey gorgeous hope you're good babe!


Good point babes....They say that replacing one addiction for another is bad, but swapping booze for sex would do the world a lot of good or at least make people smile a lot more!

[eroticartist]

Andy Idle said:"They're going to be very unpopular by the end of this term and they know it so they'd have little to lose"

I think that they are going to be very popular! They have already started to look at laws to repeal that were passed by the Labour Party and infringed civil liberties.
Mike Freeman.

[Essex Lad]

The war on drugs hasn't actually been a cock-up. It was never fought in the first place.

It's a specious argument to claim that drug laws make people criminals. Their behaviour makes them criminals. You could equally argue that the "war on burglary" makes criminals of people who don't want to buy stuff.

There are of course people who smoke dope all their lives and claim that it has no long-term effect on them. However, the strength of dope today is greater than it was, say, in the 60s so we don't actually know whether the long-term effects on people today will lead to more psychosis. Actually, it's logical to link any mind-altering drug with mental illness, since by its nature it messes around with the delicate and little-understood functions of the brain, and must therefore be risky at the very least.

Do you really want to be responsible for even one person becoming mentally ill by legalising marijuana?

[vickipeachx]

you cant compare burglary to using a substence on ones self as burglary has a victim...........tell me then.....whos the victim of smoking grass?

also if you can ''link any mind altering drug with mental illness'' then i imagen perscription painkillers would be right out:) how could the dentist get you high before pulling a tooth if there was a chance it would make you go crazy?

the war on drugs happens and has happend for the last 60 odd years
but its more a war on people then a war on drugs:)

peaceout peeps and big hugs to kaz hope your good hunni,
must meet up soon:)


vicki peachx