What would happen if we legalized drugs?

[Moontanman]

You can eat it, or fry in in butter and bake it into brownies, smoking is not necessary!

[Ganoderma]

yes there are many ways. most are more or less under studied. oral consumption compared to smoked though are quite different in effects and time. much like tobacco in that sense i guess. both plants can be fairly hallucinogenic, especially tobacco, when orally taken. Also slower to respond and more areas of variability when mixed with certain diets i suppose. smoked is fairly instant, at least harder to OD on more dangerous drugs like tobacco as the onset is so fast when you are taking too much you usually realize it and stop, oral consumption its already down and all you can do is puke and hope.

I'm sure weed can eventually be made into an oral pill type medication, but i personally think that at least for what its commonly claimed to help now, lungs are the best route.....which makes me wonder is puffers are a reasonable option. vaporizers are also a grand idea, but are still smoking (vapours) and will likely never be adopted by hospitals....i think anyway.

what do ya think?

[Moontanman]

Smoking may be faster but it is shorter lived, frying buds in butter dissolves the active ingredients and allows the body to take them up much faster than just eating cannabis. The effect is not only longer lasting but it is as quick as any opiate pain pill. dissolving THC in alcohol is also much faster than simply eating MJ and MJ can be used in place of Hops when brewing beer for a very effective treatment. The good thing is no matter how you take it it can't kill you like opiates can and do every day.

[Racoon]

:Aside from pot, that should be legal, IMHO, because its a natural plant.. used for eons and millenium,...There are hypocrisies in other drug usage/legality.

ie Its ok for the government to give Air Force pilots amphetemines to carry out long bomber missions.
But they say its illegal if Joe Schmoe needs to stay up all night on a graveyard shift.

Its OK to give millions kids hard-ass prescription drugs, such as what is basically amphetimenes, But the FDA bans Ephedra, a natural herb used to help weight loss and increase energy.

Its OK to give Junkies methadone, which is just about as bad as Heroin itself, and the relapse rate is very high. (no pun intended) .. at least w/ Methadone, the junkies have to pay the state for it, instead of drug peddlers..

You name it, theres a Hypocrisy behind it. You name it, and the Pharmaceutical giants want a piece of the pie, or to eliminate the competition.

My philosophy is if its Natural, ie a Plant; mushrooms, pot, whatever South American herbs, even Coca, should be legal.
Coca is used by the native indians to help stave off hunger and to work more in the fields.. they chew on the leaves.
If you process it, cut it with chemicals, then you change the nature and peoples connotations of said "herb"..

Its a lot more of Politics, Propoganda, and Economics than it is Common Sense..


Its basically a reason to helps keep prisons full, and people in the "system" and in Check.

The War on Drugs.

If drugs were Legal, the Money wouldn't be going to dangerous Cartels, Gangs, and Bandits with automatic weapons.

[Moontanman]

Damn Raccoon you make a lot of sense, way too much sense, if I was you I'd be on the look out for those black helicopters. They can't let some one who actually thinks run free!

[Ganoderma]

i totally agree with that. Some countries are getting more and more harsh on owning plants now as well. Probably the most recent are state laws in the USA outlawing a Salvia species wish is hallucinogenic.

Its kind of neat to think though, that i can order castor beans online no problem, and even label them on the package, and get them just fine. pretty cheap i might add. though a long list of non-lethal plants are not allowed and i can go to prison for growing them, or even ordering them.

Even poppy seeds from P. somnifera are controlled in canada, despite being able to buy them at the grocery store for food (i have grown them out, every time thus far they have been the opium poppy).

Racoon. There seems to be a lot of people that understand these hipocracies, but why are they (lawmakers/enforcers) still being allowed to prosecute something such as this? Not only are they doing this against the populations will, in some cases, they are quite literally going against the basic freedoms certain countries hold (ie. constitution).


PS. A hypography drum circle seems like it would be a blast

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Ganoderma

...
Racoon. There seems to be a lot of people that understand these hipocracies, but why are they (lawmakers/enforcers) still being allowed to prosecute something such as this? Not only are they doing this against the populations will, in some cases, they are quite literally going against the basic freedoms certain countries hold (ie. constitution).


PS. A hypography drum circle seems like it would be a blast

I'm no Racoon, but I impersonate one when convenient. In short, "they" are allowed because "we" allow them, and we allow them by not disallowing them. But, take heart, things can & do change if even only at a slow pace. To whit:

California Bill Would Legalize Marijuana

Speaking at a landmark press conference today, California Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) introduced comprehensive legislation to tax and regulate the commercial production and sale of cannabis in a manner similar to alcohol.

"With the state in the midst of an historic economic crisis, the move towards regulating and taxing marijuana is simply common sense. This legislation would generate much needed revenue for the state, restrict access to only those over 21, end the environmental damage to our public lands from illicit crops, and improve public safety by redirecting law enforcement efforts to more serious crimes", Assemblyman Ammiano said. "California has the opportunity to be the first state in the nation to enact a smart, responsible public policy for the control and regulation of marijuana."

The proposal is the first marijuana legalization bill ever introduced in California.

[Michaelangelica]

24 August 2009
Portugal's drug laws

listen now | download audio

Ten years ago Portugal had one of the worst drug problems in Europe.
Heroin use was out of control and the rate of HIV infections in drug users became a humanitarian crisis.
So what did Portugal do? They decriminalised all personal drug use in that country, crack, heroin, LSD, you name it. Drugs are still illegal, but it's no longer a crime to use them.
Instead of jail, users and addicts are offered treatment and education. In this Health Report special feature Nicky Phillips looks at how Portugal transformed their drug laws and whether this worked.
. . .
Nicky Phillips: It's been eight years since Portugal decriminalised drug use, so why the sudden interest? Well a recent review of Portugal's drug laws by the CATO Institute, that's a think-tank, has sparked significant attention because the report found decriminalisation a success, and it suggests other countries with drug problems give it a go.
Portugal's drug laws - Health Report - 24 August 2009

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IMHO,The USA is unlikely to go down this road due to its' rabid Christainty and there is too much money being made by too many people with the present system (Including private jails).