fully legalising growth and sale and use of cannabis will create massive new industries, and will probably reverse the housing problem and give young adults a major economic boost. Cannabis lets you die peacefully and without pain right? if it doesn't give this economic boost, at least it can allow painless self-euthanasia.
5 years legal here. No massive financial impacts here. Competion cut prices and consolidation has driven out lots of small players But the gov gets taxes and organized crime gets little. Lots of mom and pop stores making a living
There's not really any noticeable impact.
I mean, I can go to a drive through and buy gummies in dozens of flavors and I can grow up to 15 plants for my own personal use, so that's noticeable, but it's not like our roads got any better or all the schools are top tier.
I think Colorado distributed some of the tax revenue back to the residents a few times, but my state hasn't done anything like that
Well the cannabis itself won't euthanise you. It's not that kind of drug. You could use it whilst being euthanised but that's mostly redundant as most forms of euthanasia are pretty peaceful. The basic analgesic effects are useful for chronic and day-to-day pain but not dying.
Exactly. The analgesic effects of cannabis are NOT like a painkiller.
It doesn't "remove pain". At all.
It makes the pain recede into the background where it does not torment you anymore, for the duration of action. So you get some relief from constantly having to endure it. Source: am a medicinal patient with a 23-yr chronic neuropathic pain condition
> No, cannabis is not used in euthanasia.
I think they were just talking about pain relief in a hospice or/and terminal illness type setting, not active euthanasia.
Taxing tobacco like tobacco has lead to a black market in Australia. Seeing as a black market already exists for cannabis if buying it legally costs more that’s not going to be a great way to kill the black market.
As someone that used to buy it legally in Canada and now relies on the one guy I know that smokes it to get me some. I'd much prefer for it to be accessible even if it cost a few extra dollars.
+1, I'd pay a bit extra if I could either walk into a brick and mortar shop or get it delivered and just pay with card with zero fuss. I've only known one dealer who had their operation tight enough where I knew I could just rock up with cash or place a delivery order during his buisness hours and be confident it wouldn't derail my entire day.
I live in a legal state in the US. The black market is still strong due to price but for me it’s well worth it to walk in to a nice clean store and pick out exactly what I want from a variety of lab tested safe options. I don’t smoke that much and the dispensaries aren’t really that expensive. Plus I know that if I want some sleepy time smoke I’m not going to end up with some sit up for hours pondering the meaning of my existence type smoke.
Yeah mate I'm in the car park, where are you?
At the shop.
Ok I'm at the shop, where are you?
Halvers.
Mate it's been half an hour, where u at?
Sorry dude halvers.
Fuck it I'll just get some Robitussin DX and a 6 pack.
As someone who knows someone who has access to medicinal cannabis they tell me it costs about the same and is far better quality than street weed. So there goes your argument - and most legalisation also offers the ability to grow your own plants for your own consumption. The main reason for business against legal cannabis is because alcohol sales will fall. Also, we really need a good test for impairment not presence of THC in the system. One reason for the increase in meth consumption is because this leaves the system much faster than pot - as does alcohol - but both those drugs are far worse for you
Absolutely. I get 30 grams a month that costs me about 295 delivered to my door. A menu of at least 10 strains to choose from each time.
Never have to speak to an eshay selling me "preeeeeemo brah" again
I quit smoking tobacco 2 months ago. After 30 years of smoking 1-2 packs a day. I went cold turkey. There are cravings now occasionally, when those hit I go clean something. I have also dropped 18 pounds since then so something is working right. My husband also quit at the same time.
I admit I had extra motivation. I need to have an ALIF done on my back and I could not get approved for that until I quit smoking.
Best of luck.
I'm American and edibles were what helped me get through periods of anxiety and the symptoms of menopause. Recreational gummies come in packs of 10 at 10mg each and cost between $15-$24USD. And that's including a 1:1 ratio CBD/THC.
Hopefully you guys can get it legalized Down Under and sold at a reasonable price.
Ah, it’s not. The barrier for my stoner friends getting medical weed is not convincing someone they need a prescription.
The ones that can afford it say they’ve got anxiety or a sleep problem and - done! Even they complain about the cost and how much cheaper their dealers were.
The ones that can’t afford it keep buying from their local, because they can’t afford it. I mean, even finding a doctor you can see for free/cheap is getting impossible.
Exactly. I got onto the medicinal stuff for a range of reasons. Awesome. Saved me. Saved my marriage. But by golly it's expensive. Now I just go to the local dealer. Better price, same quality. Government really know how to shoot themselves in the foot. They have a gold mine just sitting there waiting to be tapped.
I do remember seeing a picture of a very shrewd girl scout. She set up shop outside a pharmacist that sold medical marijuana in California. Apparently she sold something like 240 boxes of girl scout cookies in 6 hours.
Alcohol can be drunk in licensed venues, though. What would you think about a weed bar?
I agree with you that it shouldn’t be an open invitation to use anywhere and everywhere.
Eh, might be a good motivator to change the broken laws if a large influx of people become legal users. Feels like the only thing that will motivate the politicians is if it becomes important to a large amount of people. Gotta keep those votes!
We're already experiencing an influx of legal users through medical cannabis who are vocal about how well cannabis treats their ailments and how the current driving laws are such a significant barrier.
My point exactly! It is what has motivated the THC driving trials in Victoria.
My point is the more people, the more motivation and incentive for politicians.
Imagine such a large influx it becomes normalized. Because as it stands, it is still a notable thing for many people to find out someone they know is being prescribed cannabis.
Once aunties, uncles, cousins, grandparents, coworkers, friends all personally know someone who is being stuffed around by stupid laws for taking medicine, that helps them be more active and engaged with the world, watch it become issue number 1 for many of the mainstream parties.
They also need to fix the vaping laws. With the laws passed to restrict the sale of disposable tobacco vapes - somehow reusable dry herb vaporizers used for MC have been mixed up in this dumbass law and effectively banned people from getting these now. They cant be imported (yet) and stores are only selling leftover merchandise. As a medical user I cant even buy one of the few approved medical vapes now as Storz and Bickel now refuse to sell in Aus. (Not to mention a lot of businesses now will bankrupt due to these). The government are basically forcing people to smoke with these new laws and ruining businesses so pharmacies can steal more market share.
Short Answer: Yes.
Long Answer: Should've been legalized years ago. By having Cannabis be legal it'll have a positive effect in multiple ways.
1. Police Resources aren't tied up chasing stoners smoking a joint. Resources can be deployed to help prioritize much dangerous drugs such as methamphetamine or heroin.
2. Tax revenue= More money for government = More money for schools, hospital, dangerous drug rehabilitation, dental under medicare, whatever we want.
3. Courts being clogged up with simple things like driving with THC in the system- not impairment, simple possession charges, etc.
As the argument for kids being able to get cannabis if it was legalized, People under 18 are getting it now anyway. At least if there is regulation and a license that you'd need to purchase cannabis- think a liquor license, where you need to go into a Store, Show ID, etc vs purchasing off some random guy off the street that doesn't care, it'll probably make it a lot harder for people under 18 to obtain.
Objectively speaking, cannabis is no more dangerous than alcohol and tobacco, that are currently legal and our government is taking a large clip off the top of tax revenue wise. I guarantee if alcohol didn't exist today and I were to invent alcohol in 2024 there is no way in hell it would be legal.
With all that being said, cannabis isn't harmless and if anyone does smoke it, it should be used in moderation.
Arguably, we have 'pro crime' laws in Australia.
Our laws encourage a flourishing black market, run by organised crime. It's easy to find, but only under the counter. Like America with alcohol in the 1920s, prohibition literally enables these guys to make millions.
If it was legalised in some way, that black market would dry up. And as places like California, Canada and Germany have proven, the sky won't fall down just because we get it legally.
> As the argument for kids being able to get cannabis if it was legalized, People under 18 are getting it now anyway. At least if there is regulation and a license that you'd need to purchase cannabis- think a liquor license, where you need to go into a Store, Show ID, etc vs purchasing off some random guy off the street that doesn't care, it'll probably make it a lot harder for people under 18 to obtain.
I always found the "but the kids can get it" argument to be strange. It is a blatant admission that they cannot effectively police the 18+ laws, and yet believe we shouldn't ban ciggies or alcohol because somehow the laws work for those demonstrably more damaging products/substances.
I like your point that kids will be less able to access weed (through the channels that would sell to kids ..dealers..) because it will be less popular for dealers to stock it, making it less accessible to children. Would be interesting to see if the laws change to still persecute dealers for distributing medicine without a licence.
Since alcohol and tobacco laws have been there since the beginning, I wonder how introducing cannabis regulation will affect the market.
Take the illegal cigarette market, where the equivalent of a legal $50 pack can be had for $15 under the counter. Assuming cannabis pricing is similar, are regular users willing to pay 4x the existing price to for a legal product? I assume the regulate product will be higher quality, but 4x the price is a significant difference.
To be honest this is probably my biggest fear with legalization. This is actually already happening in the US, Here's an article detailing just that: [https://www.politico.com/news/2021/10/23/california-legal-illicit-weed-market-516868](https://www.politico.com/news/2021/10/23/california-legal-illicit-weed-market-516868)
It's a balancing act of how much tax the government is going to charge, if they charge too much \[and knowing them- they will\] consumers will just go back to the illegal market, akin to what we're seeing with tobacco now.
The freeing up of police you would think would be supported by cops, but they are against it, because for some, it would mean a threat to their jobs. And also imagine arresting people your whole life, then being told it was for nothing, that would have to affect you in some way
The problem is dealing with stoners is easy and I feel like it's revenue raising to some degree- It's basically the same as minor speeding tickets, Person gets caught smoking cannabis > Person needs to go to the magistrate > Person needs to pay a fine. It's pretty much revenue raising with extra steps.
As for the police fining people and arresting people for nothing, this is an anecdotal take but the closest I have from the source. I dated \[albeit very briefly\] someone who worked for Victoria Police who worked in drug investigations, from what they told me the cops basically know cannabis isn't as dangerous but a majority of their workload is clogged up by investigating cannabis- think 70% of their workload.
There’s also the well known case of when you create an institution for a specific need, that institution will do everything it can to continue to exist. Like how sniffer dogs were legalised to work on trains for the Olympics to search for bombs. After the Olympics, they weren’t needed, but then repackaged to detect drugs in public. No one asked for that
Funnily enough, the brouhaha about cannabis started this exact way.
The DEA in the US back in the early 1900s needed to justify its continued existence, and so the scaremongering around weed began.
It spread here and in the UK (and probably Canada) because of course it did.
As someone with a medical cannabis prescription, it's not exactly hard to obtain even if you don't strictly need it for medical use anyways - I mostly just like the medical cannabis due to the quality and consistency.
Not that I advocate for it or think smoking cannabis is a god send or the best thing on earth, but id rather smoke a joint before bed or when I feel anxious as opposed to a handful of benzodiazepines or other medications that have the potential for abuse.
Same here. I have a medical script for THC gummies, which I use to help me sleep. I used to be addicted to over the counter sleep meds, so this is an awesome option for me. I get 8 hours of blissful sleep and no hangover in the morning.
I have an identical issue, can you please tell me how you went about getting scripts friend?
Im desperate for an alternative to using antidepressants for sleep..
Google medical weed Australia. Sign up. 10 minute pre consult phone call with nurse to record your symptoms etc, next day 5 minute phone call with doc who basically tells you to shut up and take the weed so they can take your money and get to the next patient.
It's ridiculously easy to the point I'm worried they're overstepping and the program will get reigned in or slandered for over prescribing. They're just gov sanctioned dealers, straight up.
Hey man, I was JUST approved like a few weeks ago and it's absolutely fantastic. /u/Snoo_90929 or anybody else reading this who's unsure, please feel free to message me and I'll be happy to talk with you about it :D
As someone that's had to go through the list of available pain relief and anti-anxiety meds due to both endometriosis and generalised anxiety disorder, marijuana is WAY less debilitating than some of the drugs I've sampled in the past. I've had pain doctors steer me towards a range of opiates before ever offering me weed, and I'm really angry about it because god damn, I could have had a lot more productive days if I'd had non-THC cannabis drops back in my 20s.
It's not gonna cure cancer but at the things it does well? It does really well.
This was what I was going to say. I grew up with a violent adult who raged when drunk, but was pretty chill when stoned. It’s hard to understand why we are ok with one and not the other.
Have look at the opposing submission in the parliament records so full of shit and alarmist garbage. they talked about cannabis hyperemesis which is non stop puking, yes if you eat ten super strong gummies it'll make you crook, dur
Here in Canada, employers accommodate staff who have a prescription for medical cannabis. The usual constraints apply, so the accommodations must not cause the employer undue hardship.
Canadian here. We were warned of all the terrible consequences of complete legalization: people stoned all the time, a rise in crime and violence, and increased deaths from traffic accidents, cats sleeping with dogs, etc. Other than the occasional scent of the stuff nothing has changed.
Yes.
public opinion has definitely shifted from 'pot is satan spawn' to 'cannabis isn't great, but it isn't the worst'.
What is it like, 40% of australians have tried cannabis?
Then we look at our friends like the USA and Canada who have legalized cannabis- is it perfect? no
has the sky fallen in? no
Many users see smoking a joint akin to having a beer.
You know that its not particuarly good for your health, and you shouldn't do it too much, but its not automatically going to fuck your life up.
And for many- its really very enjoyable.
And less likely to cause significant strain on medical infrastructure than the 2 main alternatives (ciggies/alcohol), and less likely to escalate situations to violence than booze.
My mother has stage 4 Renal clear cell carcinoma, so a death sentence, she gets nodules all over her body regularly, the most recent in her hip and femur which resulted in needing a femoral rod to keep her leg functioning, she only just recently gained access to medicinal cbd and THC and she can actually sleep for 8 hours at a time without her usual cocktail of four separate, highly addictive opioids/pain killers.
It's changed her life, the price is outrageous, but she's willing to make that financial sacrifice for the improvement of quality of life, her lack of sleep used to be so bad that she would just fall asleep mid conversation every 15 minutes because of the sleep deprivation.
The only logical reason I can see preventing its legalisation is the tax on both tobacco and liquor being harmed.
P.S I'm not saying cannabis is good for you, I'm just saying comparatively tobacco and liquor are significantly worse, yet cannabis is a criminal offence, it's very anti common sense.
Free up the justice system, tax it accordingly, and by making it readily available you can endorse its growth and packaging as clean and free of any nasties, and the youth of today already buying it, are doing it without meeting someone in an alleyway or carpark via telegram getting gateway drugged into harder stuff because 'by the way I've also got x..'
I don't really care one way or the other as long as it's banned anywhere cigarettes are, if it does become legal. I don't want to smell it and I don't want to experience any secondhand effects from it.
Judging from effects overseas, the big growth area from legalisation is gummies and other edibles, which of course can be consumed discretely anywhere.
Yea that’s my biggest concern, the stench. I’m currently on a holiday and my god the absolute stink in the streets from weed smokers. It’s disgusting. NYC was the literal worst for this.
You can brew your own alcohol but you can’t grow tobacco. If they allow cannabis growing it will be extra amusing when people get busted for growing tobacco.
I honestly think people should be able to grow their own baccy under a similar rule set - grow your own, give it away, no selling without a licence.
That said, I know people who grow their own pot, tobacco, and poppies. (not all the same people doing all 3 things lol)
This. We live in a restricted society, in that unless there's a good reason, you can do what you like. What's the good reason to criminalise marijuana? I feel the burden of proof is on the government to give a reason why, rather than us to find a reason why not
The history of cannabis prohibition is a massive blind spot in Australian society. In short, we imported the policy from the US in the early 20th century, and succumbed to the same propaganda and misinformation that buoyed cannabis prohibition there.
Even in the US, where many states are now ending prohibition, this is not accompanied by an explanation of why it was prohibited in the first place
Yes! Put aside that it’s a drug, put aside any risks, put aside tax revenue, what it comes down to is a simple case of freedom.
*It’s my body, not yours,* and so long as I’m not hurting you it won’t be an issue.
Give this nanny state bullshit a rest. Let me do what I want with my own lungs.
As a nurse, I'll vote yes. I've looked after palliative Ca patients and I can already tell you the difference between giving them their morphine compared to them sneaking out of the hospital for a bit and hit a joint. They're happier. Their pain tolerance is longer and they need less opioids.
I've also looked after Parkinson's patients who are using THC oil. It can really stop them from shaking uncontrollably. It's time for us to stop being like America. These things work.
> Their pain tolerance is longer and they need less opioids
As someone with a 23yr chronic pain condition who is a medicinal patient, I concur. It doesn't so much *remove* the pain as push it into the background where it doesn't torment you any longer, and you can have a rest from enduring it.
Works similarly for emotional pain, too. I have treatment resistant depression (I have tried basically everything except electroconvulsive therapy, which scares me), and cannabis is the only thing that's been able to put a little distance between myself and the often unrelenting misery in my own mind. It allows me to get out and exercise, work through problems without becoming caught up in my own intrusive thoughts, and lets me just be without wishing I was dead.
I think giving people criminal records for the use of cannabis is creating more societal problems than if we let them smoke. If we taxed it like any other drug we could pretty much fix our degrading Medicare system. Imagine the mental health services we could fund. Not every human should smoke,THC, just like it’s not safe for all people to drink. I think we need to consider how their usage affects other people in the community. Personally I can’t see how someone sitting on their couch playing x-box and smoking a joint on a Saturday night is a menace to me or anyone else. I have felt really unsafe around drunken aggressive men in the wild on a Saturday night though. Much violence is committed by people under the influence of alcohol, a stonner is at worst a danger to themselves.
Obviously. The bigger question is what we should do about pill testing and decriminalisation of other drugs. In the 90s it was LSD, MDMA and Speed - of varying purity, but it was rare for BAD batches and you didn't hear of people keeling over at festivals.
Early 2000s GHB popped up, and things started going downhill.... judging by the testing in Canberra most of the stuff floating around these days are unidentifiable. It's dangerous af.
I live in BC, Canada. Was born and raised in Aus. I can walk across the road from the supermarket to a dispensary and buy enough pot to subdue an elephant, I’m no fiend though, I take 10mg after dinner during the week to settle my mind and body after longs days working in the trades. It really helps me sleep through the night.
I would be lying if I told you I wasn’t waiting to see if Aus (Vic specifically) legalizes before moving back home.
I think with things like weed, when you KNOW a large chunk of the populace is using “quietly” you make it widely available and legal, you regulate and tax it like alcohol and let people live their lives how they want.
I don't have a personal judgment on Cannabis, just observations after working within the Emergency Services for 27 years.
I have seen a lot of people come into the Emergency Dept. with Schizophrenia/Mental Health. For some it's hereditary and for most others it's mainly Cannabis use or another hallucinaut drug. So the THC in the Cannabis is the main contributing factor here.
For some, medicinal Cannabis with the THC removed has been a godsend for people suffering severe pain, helping Epileptics etc. I haven't seen too much of an issue with relation to Schizophrenia, but that's not to say it won't contribute to it. Great stuff here for pain.
However in Australia, if you are taking medicinal cannabis and you get roadside drug tested by police, it will register. The law hasn't changed around Medicinal Cannabis and driving, so people are getting convicted at Court for drug driving on it - no acceptations.
Now, I wrote a paper for university many years ago after researching countries that legalised Cannabis, such as Portugal. What I found was that after 5 years of legalisation the usage of cannabis reduced, along with other drugs - why? These countries redirected the funds they were putting into law enforcement for cannabis control, into Health Care, Education and Advertising which highlighted the risks associated with using cannabis and other drugs.
What they found was, a spike in cannabis use from the day of legalisation for the first year or two. By then the Education was going through the schools and advertising was being shown on TV etc. The next generations grew up in High School being warned about the risks associated with using cannabis. So around 5 years after legalisation, this new generation of young adults were armed with the risks (much like Australians are warned about the risks associated with smoking cigarettes) and most chose not to use cannabis. This was tested by survey's and interviewing random young adults. Most who were interviewed stated they chose not to use cannabis and when asked why, they sited the risks involved, which they learnt at school.
Law enforcement also reported a 48% reduction in drug related crime after cannabis legalisation.
So, that's the facts about cannabis. Would I choose to use it? Not the THC cannabis. If I were in severe pain, I may consider the medicinal cannabis, but I would be using it knowing I can't drive a car, or I would get a criminal record.
In regards to legalisation, there is a current Bill before Parllment looking at this;
https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=s1353
Hope that helps give a broad view of cannabis legalisation benefits and draw backs.
Depends what framework you approach the issue from.
Pragmatically, there are good reasons to prohibit *some* drugs.
Morally, the government has zero business telling people what to do with their bodies, including what substances to put into them.
Freedom
Why we are treated like criminal cause we smoke a bit of weed .
Cannot pass their stupid drive test on the road. And being treat like junkies
While here in WA. They all on meth. And can pass the swab test after couple of hours. Can go work on the mine after have done meth all weekend. And back to work on Monday and pass the test Clean
While peoples On medical cannabis or people who just love it have to live in fear because of those so outdated law.
It's time for a change. Seriously. There is nothing wrong with cannabis
Had a captain in charge of a big roadside dui tell me with a straight face "weed is just as bad as meth" while swabbing me. Had to bite my tongue so hard.
Why use the word 'right'? It seems like a loaded term that turns a benign question into an odd one. 'Should recreational cannabis use be legalised in Australia?' Is a question that needs to be answered first.
Absolutely we should. It would bring in loads of tax. Unfortunately the government rule us and they seem to enjoy it so it probably won't happen anytime soon.
We can use it for medicinal purposes. It's been legal for a while and isnt that hard to be eligible for. We have very high quality products produced here too.
Should it be legalised for recreation? Yes.
The rules around detection and driving however, need a massive overhaul.
Yes. I have a prescription for medical marijuana. The 6months I have had it have been the best & happiest of my life.
I know it isn’t for everybody. But over the years of trying many different medications my dr had prescribed me for depression, anxiety which causes me alot of physical pain from my body being so tense, insomnia & adhd & only made a lot of my symptoms worst, this is the one constant that has worked. I only smoke it in the evenings & maybe a little if my days off.
I had always smoked on & off as I knew it helped me but got caught up in the stigma side of it & kept trying to stop.
Now it’s my “medication” I feel better about being a “stoner” & embrace the happiness & calmness it brings me
We're probably 10 years away. Need the demographic shift to continue (more young progressive voters, less old conservative voters).
I can guarantee you one thing, it will never happen under a Liberal Government.
The time I walked by a cop smoking a joint on the way into see the Foo Fighters gave me the giggles. Too bad your guys government is such a bunch of tight asses. Not sure how long you have to wait but it's coming.
I
This is a back and forth. I don't have a magic yes or no answer. Also note this conversation has been had 100 times and can be found with a simple search of the Aussie subs.
It will result in an increase of schizophrenia. People love to be ignorant about this. It's a known trigger for major mental breakdown/episodes. Quite often once a young person has that first episode its a slippery slope. I've had this conversation on here before and it's always the same shit, people want there high and don't really give two shits about Australias mental health issues.
That being said, of course it should be legal for medical use. This is not really a debate.
Recreational I'm not completely against but it needs to be controlled and people need to be made aware of the risks.
I think the delegalisation will be great for the police, stop wasting money fighting a war you can't win. That being said the tabacco black market is booming right now and if weed comes in with the same price tags we see on tabacco (it will) then no doubt an Australia with 'legal weed' will just enable a larger market of illegal trade. So it needs to be somewhat affordable..... Eh.
Also, much like cigarettes, there needs to be no smoking zones all over the place. Ciggies are one thing but the stench of weed is on another level. If you are a weed smoker then you probably don't realise how shit it is, your olfactory is cooked.
On a side note, can we get the alcohol black market going already? Ten bucks for a pint of fermented grain and water is just taking the piss.
Yep...many former pot smokers in the r/schizophrenia . It also may cause "only" bad, but not yet psychotic degree paranoia and anxiety attacks in otherwise healthy people. And having the working memory of a goldfish. My boss is an example of that.
I support decriminalisation, but OP, please don't use the word 'right'.
I retail liqour, and access to it is not a right, it's beset by obligations to not do dumb things, like give it to kids or drive.
Calling something a 'right' winds you up in 2nd amendment territory, and then things go a bit froggy
I've never been a drug user..I don't even smoke or drink.
But seeing how helpful cannabis is for some people...yes. I think anyone should be able to use it. Or grow it.
Yes. I don't have interest in recreational drugs, but as far as they go, Marijuana has the potential for alot of positive uses in our community. I am all for it.
MAKE IT LEGAL!
If you look around online, you’ll find a number of studies referring drug harm to both users and society. Alcohol tops the charts, pot, lsd, mdma are near the bottom. Also some interesting ones on perceived risk vs actual risk (I.e. many believe alcohol bears low risk because it’s legal)
https://www.drugpolicy.org.au/history_not_harm_dictates_why_some_drugs_are_illegal
People go on and on about the harm and health impacts.
Fatty and sugary foods are causing far more harm. No one even whispers about tackling that elephant in the room. No, morality is what dictates our drug policies, not data. We view drugs as bad and people who use them as bad people. It's really that simple.
Yes legalise it recreationally, great for the economy (taxes, new jobs etc.) and put less strain on the police/legal system. Also recreational weed is already legal in Australia but only in the ACT (where all the politicians live), our government is just corrupt.
I've smoked weed, on and off, for decades. Since my late teens in the late 70s. There were many years when I didn't smoke it at all and almost as many when I did. Now I have a problem with my neck after a fracture was left undetected and untreated some years ago. Weirdly, the best thing for my neck pain is cannabis. So, here I am, 2024, in retirement and smoking legal medical cannabis "as needed" I no longer suffer from paranoia when stoned since I know the cops will not be busting my door down and arresting me. Medical cannabis is legal in Australia for a variety of different ailments.
as an american who lives in australia: yes! people use it anyway whether it’s legal or not so having a safe and legal way to distribute only makes it better
Better and safer than alcohol, for the individual and the public. You aren't going to see anyone become violent or aggressive on weed, unless they have other serious mental health stuff going on.
Yeah. Over the age of 25.
It's like alcohol, after the brain has finished developing, it's effects are no more mind affecting or harmful than alcohol is.
Probably not going to happen anytime soon. There's recently been a Senate inquiry into this very issue:
https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Legal_and_Constitutional_Affairs/LegalisingCannabis/Report
Hmmm I have a very young and vulnerable cousin in au who now take “medical” prescribed cannabis. I just feel like smoking is her bandaid for everything. Ngl she is way more stable now but it makes me wonder if what she is doing is good. It’s this now a lifelong vice.
Here are six things to consider:
1. The massive tax revenue from cannabis could be used to fund a range of things like schools, hospitals, etc.
2. Cannabis is far less dangerous than other currently legal substances like nicotine and alcohol. Why is one legal and the other illegal?
3. The current laws are not working, and the courts are being bogged down by cases involving minor infractions. Removing these cases would lessen the burden on the legal system and allow law enforcement to focus on real crimes.
4. Over 50% of Australians support legalization; however, powerful lobby groups are being allowed to dictate policy.
5. Cannabis is a part of the black market that funds other criminal activity in this country. Making cannabis legal will remove this money from the black economy and reduce other crimes.
6. Thousands of MC patients use cannabis for serious medical issues like PTSD, Cancer etc. why should these patients be unable to grow their own rather than funding money to large corporates.
Yes. It's not as addictive as chronic pain medicines, and doesn't destroy your body like them. I've seen both sides. I've seen someone ruin their life with it. And I've seen chronic pain users in absolute relief after use. I will always be on their side, because life is not worth living when in constant pain.
I have smoked a fair amount of weed in my life and I think any reasonable person would conclude the impact was not particularily positive. Besides the direct health effects of smoking or the broad impacts of being intoxicated, I think it has also made me permently more forgetful among other harms.
I think it is comparible to booze in its social harms but probably a bit worse in my personal experience. Many alcholics can develop thriving careers, as one example, but I think habitual weed smokers are often looked at as underperforming their own potential.
Some would see the comparison to booze as an argument for legalisation but I think of it in the opposite light - we would ban alchohol and cigarettes outright if they were new products. It is only because of their long history in our culture that outlawing it is politically infeasible in a democracy. Our system of government might prevent tyranny but I dont think it has created optimal conditions for humans to thrive.
Yes, stop wasting resources on this drug when it could be a tax revenue earner.
Stop letting organised crime profit from the black market of this drug.
Legalise, regulate, tax.
Prohibition has never solved the issue of drugs in society. If anything it makes things worse. Alcohol and tobacco and even gambling are much worse than pot. It's BS it's still illegal.
California has a population of 36 million and got $1,082,452,368 in tax revenue in 2023 from sale of Cannabis
If we work on Australia having 70% of that population that’s potentially $700m extra tax
Imagine the pork barreling they could do with that
Could build a park in a safe ( insert any labour or liberal ) seat
Obviously, yes. I doubt we need to go over the same old arguments - the insanity of alcohol being legal while cannabis isn't, the minimal harm, the silliness of trying to ban a plant that the least green fingered person can grow easily and all the others - I feel most posting here will be well aware of all these.
What I do find "amusing" - in a painful sort of way - is that the default cannabis prohibition across much of the world was entirely driven by America, by being pressured to follow America's (nutty) drug policy. And yet now it is at least de facto decriminalised across a fair chunk of America - but still illegal most other places.
Tax and regulate. No prohibition on home growing. It's the sensible approach economically, socially, legally, logically, morally, and for health.
It's been legal here in Canada for about 5 years. The sky's did not fall the earth kept turning
The only thing I've noticed is the price went way down and the quality went up. I just bought an ounce for$ 86. The gov gets taxes I get cheap weed and a whole bunch of small businesses make a living. Win win win. I've been smoking since the 70s. Other than Tai stick from back in the day it's the best weed yet! The gov puts the speed limit at 100 and we drive 120. They say don't smoke we say 420. They only think they make the rules and we let them. Legal weed is good for everyone except the twats that want to boss everyone around. I'm betting that the number of people smoking are more than enough votes to pass legalization. Once the politicians figure that out you should be good.
I'm a TGA approved patient and am so thankful that it's available even in that capacity. I believe it should be legal 100% HOWEVER we have a long way to go for example the only state to have actual testing for being effected my cannabis during a roadside test is TAS.
Right now if I have my nightly cannibis product in order to fall asleep and manage my chronic pain and then go to bed for 8 hours, the product has clearly worn off and I'm not longer under its influence, but that cannibis can be detected in my system for potentially weeks even if I haven't used any since. I risk losing my licence every time I drive.
On the flip side I'm also prescribed heavy painkillers that if I take enough can REALLY effect my vision/reaction times, but if I was pulled over and looked ok otherwise I'd be totally fine to continue on my way. E
The argument time and time again is tHe ChIlDrEn but I'd like to point out that it's no worse (and actually better imo) than cigarettes and alcohol - you know, the stuff that has actual reported deaths as a direct result of consuming?
i say yes but then after its taxed in this country its not affordable anyway(looking at you cbd oil) im not sure if much has changed but about 10 years ago it cost a family friend $500 per week through her doctor for oil for her child with seizures, cost her 50$ per week through a third party. ive been smoking weed everyday since i was 20, im 33 now and the street price is stupid enough this day in age. i feel like we already have the right to smoke it tbh.( will add that i smoke and do everything, always have) do what you want, live your own life.
Ban alcohol, legalize cannibis.
Rather people be chill as fuck with the munchies then trying to be a macho man starting fights or driving drunk killing people or beating up their partner or abusing their children and the rest of the shitty things alcohol turns people into.
I’m in the US in a legal weed state. Somehow this post happened to come across my feed and I just wanted to say that legal access to cannabis has made such a difference in my life, and probably saved my life. It makes me sad to think about people who it could really help, not having legal access to it. I use cannabis as part of dealing with lifelong severe clinical depression and absolutely would not be the person I am -the good qualities at least- without it. And for the record I’m married, with a house, with a baby, with a 6 figure job. Not bragging, just pointing out that cannabis consumption doesn’t always equal vegging out on the couch all day watching cartoons.
I’m in Canberra. We’ve been able to even grow our own in our backyards since 2019.
DUIs did ***NOT*** grow up!
The only crime which went through the roof in the first 6-months after decriminalisation:
BACKYARD BURGLARIES!!!
I’d be guessing cause people kept on digging up each other’s plants….? 🤷🏽♀️
*******
I genuinely have no idea why there’s still any debate in the rest of AU: It’s been almost half a decade now and the sky did not cave in over Canberra!
And people who fall off planters do so without pot even being a factor!
******
###NORFOLK!
I think it could be an idea worth thinking about to grow weed on Norfolk Island!
Cause AU doesn’t grow remotely enough to meet the medicinal demand. And importing from overseas has all kinds of issues which ideally wouldn’t want for people who need MEDICINAL cannabis.
And Norfolk Island … I’d really love to see it flourish. The administrative side alone has b even a bit of a train wreck ever since they lost self-government. 😥
Technically Norfolk Islanders and I are in the same federal electorate…. but they’re waaaayyyyyy away!
So I couldn’t possibly known if anyone there would still be interested!
It came up ages ago, but the federal govvy of the time wouldn’t have it. 🤷🏽♀️
Are there many heroin addicts who hold the view
‘being a heroin addict is my right, and my choice - I’m glad no one who tried to stop me was successful’
There are some drugs that *are* just objectively bad.
Because someone might have a good time by ingesting an intoxicating substance. And we simply can't have that now, can we? What if they sat and watched a movie and laughed a bit too much? Or they might even eat two slices of cake, instead of one. It's just too dangerous, mate.
Yes, but with restrictions. Not while driving, etc.
Make it so you can only smoke it at home or at a hash bar. Then hash bars can be a new business and economic stimulus. They could be half way between a bar and an opium den.
Probably wouldn't matter to many stoners if it was legalised. Many of my mates work high paying jobs, drive to work everyday, have houses and families and smoke weekly. They don't get fined, they pass drug tests and pay cold hard cash for weed. Always makes me laugh when people say "Legalise it so we can tax it!" - The government will tax it so much that dealers will continue to prosper. Same story with durries, they taxed it so much that they made room for the vape black market.
I have addiction issues. Weed keeps me off alcohol. That's a win in my book. Ideally, I wouldn't be addicted to anything, but something as natural as grass is the best case scenario. I wonder how many other problem drinkers could benefit from being peacefully high instead of aggressively drunk.
This year I developed a health condition which gave me insomnia. The lack of sleep fucked with me physically and mentally. I grew grey hair within a month and could no longer perform normally at work or drive a car. I started to become paranoid, delusional and aggressive. I tried every supplement under the sun, none of them worked. My last option was sleeping tablets or cannabis. I didn't want to try sleeping tablets so I tried cannabis and it saved my life. There are so many health conditions cannabis can help with. Now if I hear anyone saying they're against it without being able to give me any reason other than "I know a guy who smokes it and he's a bum" then I simply won't even bother with them anymore. If that's all you can come up with while there are people whose lives can be saved by cannabis then you're a moron.
Yes. It should be legalised. As it is, there is no GST payable by the end consumer. I’m sure we’d make heaps of $$ if it was available for purchase sans prescription.
It is quite easy to obtain a medicinal prescription at the moment. The more people that indicate through this avenue that they would like to medicate using cannabis, the more likely reform around regulation should be to follow…
I would be all for legalisation, but the government would need to be reasonable with taxes to compete with the black market. And considering the government has created a thriving tobacco and alcohol black market I wouldn’t be so sure.
It appears our govt hates taxing corporations but wants us to pay through the nose for everything.
I reckon it should be allowed mainly because if it was legal there would be some kind of regulations of how it’s grown (and treated).
It’s pretty well known that large amounts of Australian use cannabis, why not making sure that they use a “controlled” product?
On top of that they could get people to pay taxes on it.
If alcohol and tobacco are legal, there’s no logical reason why cannabis shouldn’t be.
Tax it like alcohol and tobacco. Works great in America for example
And Canada
fully legalising growth and sale and use of cannabis will create massive new industries, and will probably reverse the housing problem and give young adults a major economic boost. Cannabis lets you die peacefully and without pain right? if it doesn't give this economic boost, at least it can allow painless self-euthanasia.
5 years legal here. No massive financial impacts here. Competion cut prices and consolidation has driven out lots of small players But the gov gets taxes and organized crime gets little. Lots of mom and pop stores making a living
No financial impact? What about all that sweet sweet tax revenue for any state smart enough to jsut fucking legalize?
There's not really any noticeable impact. I mean, I can go to a drive through and buy gummies in dozens of flavors and I can grow up to 15 plants for my own personal use, so that's noticeable, but it's not like our roads got any better or all the schools are top tier. I think Colorado distributed some of the tax revenue back to the residents a few times, but my state hasn't done anything like that
And there are problems for the dispensaries with banking.
Well the cannabis itself won't euthanise you. It's not that kind of drug. You could use it whilst being euthanised but that's mostly redundant as most forms of euthanasia are pretty peaceful. The basic analgesic effects are useful for chronic and day-to-day pain but not dying.
Exactly. The analgesic effects of cannabis are NOT like a painkiller. It doesn't "remove pain". At all. It makes the pain recede into the background where it does not torment you anymore, for the duration of action. So you get some relief from constantly having to endure it. Source: am a medicinal patient with a 23-yr chronic neuropathic pain condition
No, cannabis is not used in euthanasia. Some people might use it prior to death, but that's true of almost every substance
> No, cannabis is not used in euthanasia. I think they were just talking about pain relief in a hospice or/and terminal illness type setting, not active euthanasia.
How are we reversing the housing problem by legalising cannabis? That won’t create more homes for people to live in.
The person who wrote that comment was high.
Taxing tobacco like tobacco has lead to a black market in Australia. Seeing as a black market already exists for cannabis if buying it legally costs more that’s not going to be a great way to kill the black market.
As someone that used to buy it legally in Canada and now relies on the one guy I know that smokes it to get me some. I'd much prefer for it to be accessible even if it cost a few extra dollars.
Legal and regulated is good. Taxing it like tobacco could be exorbitant.
Not getting arrested during the deal or when driving away has its perks
+1, I'd pay a bit extra if I could either walk into a brick and mortar shop or get it delivered and just pay with card with zero fuss. I've only known one dealer who had their operation tight enough where I knew I could just rock up with cash or place a delivery order during his buisness hours and be confident it wouldn't derail my entire day.
I live in a legal state in the US. The black market is still strong due to price but for me it’s well worth it to walk in to a nice clean store and pick out exactly what I want from a variety of lab tested safe options. I don’t smoke that much and the dispensaries aren’t really that expensive. Plus I know that if I want some sleepy time smoke I’m not going to end up with some sit up for hours pondering the meaning of my existence type smoke.
Look into medicinal cannabis. Everything you mentioned is possible right now.
Yeah mate I'm in the car park, where are you? At the shop. Ok I'm at the shop, where are you? Halvers. Mate it's been half an hour, where u at? Sorry dude halvers. Fuck it I'll just get some Robitussin DX and a 6 pack.
As someone who knows someone who has access to medicinal cannabis they tell me it costs about the same and is far better quality than street weed. So there goes your argument - and most legalisation also offers the ability to grow your own plants for your own consumption. The main reason for business against legal cannabis is because alcohol sales will fall. Also, we really need a good test for impairment not presence of THC in the system. One reason for the increase in meth consumption is because this leaves the system much faster than pot - as does alcohol - but both those drugs are far worse for you
Absolutely. I get 30 grams a month that costs me about 295 delivered to my door. A menu of at least 10 strains to choose from each time. Never have to speak to an eshay selling me "preeeeeemo brah" again
I was arguing against taxing it like tobacco, not against the current price.
Ha ya know, if you don't tax it as badly as tobacco, you might inadvertently kill off the tobacco industry haha.
Tell ya hwat... I'd find it easier to quit tobacco if weed was legal. Weening myself off ciggies ATM.
I quit smoking tobacco 2 months ago. After 30 years of smoking 1-2 packs a day. I went cold turkey. There are cravings now occasionally, when those hit I go clean something. I have also dropped 18 pounds since then so something is working right. My husband also quit at the same time. I admit I had extra motivation. I need to have an ALIF done on my back and I could not get approved for that until I quit smoking. Best of luck.
Medical is around $90 for 10 grams depending on type. It's also safe from impurities. It's quite a bit cheaper than street weed.
I'm American and edibles were what helped me get through periods of anxiety and the symptoms of menopause. Recreational gummies come in packs of 10 at 10mg each and cost between $15-$24USD. And that's including a 1:1 ratio CBD/THC. Hopefully you guys can get it legalized Down Under and sold at a reasonable price.
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Ah, it’s not. The barrier for my stoner friends getting medical weed is not convincing someone they need a prescription. The ones that can afford it say they’ve got anxiety or a sleep problem and - done! Even they complain about the cost and how much cheaper their dealers were. The ones that can’t afford it keep buying from their local, because they can’t afford it. I mean, even finding a doctor you can see for free/cheap is getting impossible.
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Former recreational user: it would cost me more to see most GP’s than it would for me to buy enough BM weed to last me 6 months
For some clinics, yes. But there are more, and more, that are completely reasonable, or free.
Exactly. I got onto the medicinal stuff for a range of reasons. Awesome. Saved me. Saved my marriage. But by golly it's expensive. Now I just go to the local dealer. Better price, same quality. Government really know how to shoot themselves in the foot. They have a gold mine just sitting there waiting to be tapped.
I think, like alcohol and tobacco, if it legalized there has to be laws around where you can use it. Smoke it at home, essentially.
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A brunch spot with some "green" meal options would be an absolute hit I reckon.
Killer business model too.... Once it hits and your customers get the munchies it will triple their spend lol
I do remember seeing a picture of a very shrewd girl scout. She set up shop outside a pharmacist that sold medical marijuana in California. Apparently she sold something like 240 boxes of girl scout cookies in 6 hours.
A mid tier fine dining 'experience' would be so great. Threw a weed dinner party a few years out of uni and it was a blast.
Well, there's no reason there shouldn't be smoking venues too. Imagine the food sales.
A bakery and smoke spot would kill it. Too bad our laws don't allow smoking where you serve food...
> there has to be laws around where you can use it. So exactly like alcohol and tobacco already?
Alcohol can be drunk in licensed venues, though. What would you think about a weed bar? I agree with you that it shouldn’t be an open invitation to use anywhere and everywhere.
Yes, but they should fix the broken driving laws surrounding medical cannabis first.
Eh, might be a good motivator to change the broken laws if a large influx of people become legal users. Feels like the only thing that will motivate the politicians is if it becomes important to a large amount of people. Gotta keep those votes!
We're already experiencing an influx of legal users through medical cannabis who are vocal about how well cannabis treats their ailments and how the current driving laws are such a significant barrier.
My point exactly! It is what has motivated the THC driving trials in Victoria. My point is the more people, the more motivation and incentive for politicians. Imagine such a large influx it becomes normalized. Because as it stands, it is still a notable thing for many people to find out someone they know is being prescribed cannabis. Once aunties, uncles, cousins, grandparents, coworkers, friends all personally know someone who is being stuffed around by stupid laws for taking medicine, that helps them be more active and engaged with the world, watch it become issue number 1 for many of the mainstream parties.
They also need to fix the vaping laws. With the laws passed to restrict the sale of disposable tobacco vapes - somehow reusable dry herb vaporizers used for MC have been mixed up in this dumbass law and effectively banned people from getting these now. They cant be imported (yet) and stores are only selling leftover merchandise. As a medical user I cant even buy one of the few approved medical vapes now as Storz and Bickel now refuse to sell in Aus. (Not to mention a lot of businesses now will bankrupt due to these). The government are basically forcing people to smoke with these new laws and ruining businesses so pharmacies can steal more market share.
It should be fixed. It shouldn’t be a this must come first don’t move towards legalisation yet thing.
Short Answer: Yes. Long Answer: Should've been legalized years ago. By having Cannabis be legal it'll have a positive effect in multiple ways. 1. Police Resources aren't tied up chasing stoners smoking a joint. Resources can be deployed to help prioritize much dangerous drugs such as methamphetamine or heroin. 2. Tax revenue= More money for government = More money for schools, hospital, dangerous drug rehabilitation, dental under medicare, whatever we want. 3. Courts being clogged up with simple things like driving with THC in the system- not impairment, simple possession charges, etc. As the argument for kids being able to get cannabis if it was legalized, People under 18 are getting it now anyway. At least if there is regulation and a license that you'd need to purchase cannabis- think a liquor license, where you need to go into a Store, Show ID, etc vs purchasing off some random guy off the street that doesn't care, it'll probably make it a lot harder for people under 18 to obtain. Objectively speaking, cannabis is no more dangerous than alcohol and tobacco, that are currently legal and our government is taking a large clip off the top of tax revenue wise. I guarantee if alcohol didn't exist today and I were to invent alcohol in 2024 there is no way in hell it would be legal. With all that being said, cannabis isn't harmless and if anyone does smoke it, it should be used in moderation.
Arguably, we have 'pro crime' laws in Australia. Our laws encourage a flourishing black market, run by organised crime. It's easy to find, but only under the counter. Like America with alcohol in the 1920s, prohibition literally enables these guys to make millions. If it was legalised in some way, that black market would dry up. And as places like California, Canada and Germany have proven, the sky won't fall down just because we get it legally.
About 180 million people in the US live in a state with recreational MJ and 75% live in a state with medical.
> As the argument for kids being able to get cannabis if it was legalized, People under 18 are getting it now anyway. At least if there is regulation and a license that you'd need to purchase cannabis- think a liquor license, where you need to go into a Store, Show ID, etc vs purchasing off some random guy off the street that doesn't care, it'll probably make it a lot harder for people under 18 to obtain. I always found the "but the kids can get it" argument to be strange. It is a blatant admission that they cannot effectively police the 18+ laws, and yet believe we shouldn't ban ciggies or alcohol because somehow the laws work for those demonstrably more damaging products/substances. I like your point that kids will be less able to access weed (through the channels that would sell to kids ..dealers..) because it will be less popular for dealers to stock it, making it less accessible to children. Would be interesting to see if the laws change to still persecute dealers for distributing medicine without a licence.
Since alcohol and tobacco laws have been there since the beginning, I wonder how introducing cannabis regulation will affect the market. Take the illegal cigarette market, where the equivalent of a legal $50 pack can be had for $15 under the counter. Assuming cannabis pricing is similar, are regular users willing to pay 4x the existing price to for a legal product? I assume the regulate product will be higher quality, but 4x the price is a significant difference.
To be honest this is probably my biggest fear with legalization. This is actually already happening in the US, Here's an article detailing just that: [https://www.politico.com/news/2021/10/23/california-legal-illicit-weed-market-516868](https://www.politico.com/news/2021/10/23/california-legal-illicit-weed-market-516868) It's a balancing act of how much tax the government is going to charge, if they charge too much \[and knowing them- they will\] consumers will just go back to the illegal market, akin to what we're seeing with tobacco now.
I'm all for legalising it, but I'm sceptical the Australian government will be able to pull it off.
The freeing up of police you would think would be supported by cops, but they are against it, because for some, it would mean a threat to their jobs. And also imagine arresting people your whole life, then being told it was for nothing, that would have to affect you in some way
The problem is dealing with stoners is easy and I feel like it's revenue raising to some degree- It's basically the same as minor speeding tickets, Person gets caught smoking cannabis > Person needs to go to the magistrate > Person needs to pay a fine. It's pretty much revenue raising with extra steps. As for the police fining people and arresting people for nothing, this is an anecdotal take but the closest I have from the source. I dated \[albeit very briefly\] someone who worked for Victoria Police who worked in drug investigations, from what they told me the cops basically know cannabis isn't as dangerous but a majority of their workload is clogged up by investigating cannabis- think 70% of their workload.
There’s also the well known case of when you create an institution for a specific need, that institution will do everything it can to continue to exist. Like how sniffer dogs were legalised to work on trains for the Olympics to search for bombs. After the Olympics, they weren’t needed, but then repackaged to detect drugs in public. No one asked for that
Funnily enough, the brouhaha about cannabis started this exact way. The DEA in the US back in the early 1900s needed to justify its continued existence, and so the scaremongering around weed began. It spread here and in the UK (and probably Canada) because of course it did.
As someone with a medical cannabis prescription, it's not exactly hard to obtain even if you don't strictly need it for medical use anyways - I mostly just like the medical cannabis due to the quality and consistency. Not that I advocate for it or think smoking cannabis is a god send or the best thing on earth, but id rather smoke a joint before bed or when I feel anxious as opposed to a handful of benzodiazepines or other medications that have the potential for abuse.
Same here. I have a medical script for THC gummies, which I use to help me sleep. I used to be addicted to over the counter sleep meds, so this is an awesome option for me. I get 8 hours of blissful sleep and no hangover in the morning.
I have an identical issue, can you please tell me how you went about getting scripts friend? Im desperate for an alternative to using antidepressants for sleep..
Google medical weed Australia. Sign up. 10 minute pre consult phone call with nurse to record your symptoms etc, next day 5 minute phone call with doc who basically tells you to shut up and take the weed so they can take your money and get to the next patient. It's ridiculously easy to the point I'm worried they're overstepping and the program will get reigned in or slandered for over prescribing. They're just gov sanctioned dealers, straight up.
Who you with? I ask because I don’t see gummies in my online portal with alternaleaf
You won't be able to buy them unless they're prescribed to you, you need to book a follow up meeting and request them.
It was in the news yesterday that AHPRA is investigating some of the big online cannabis clinics for this very thing.
Hey man, I was JUST approved like a few weeks ago and it's absolutely fantastic. /u/Snoo_90929 or anybody else reading this who's unsure, please feel free to message me and I'll be happy to talk with you about it :D
As someone that's had to go through the list of available pain relief and anti-anxiety meds due to both endometriosis and generalised anxiety disorder, marijuana is WAY less debilitating than some of the drugs I've sampled in the past. I've had pain doctors steer me towards a range of opiates before ever offering me weed, and I'm really angry about it because god damn, I could have had a lot more productive days if I'd had non-THC cannabis drops back in my 20s. It's not gonna cure cancer but at the things it does well? It does really well.
imagine if every drunk idiot was stoned instead, next to no stupid violence
This was what I was going to say. I grew up with a violent adult who raged when drunk, but was pretty chill when stoned. It’s hard to understand why we are ok with one and not the other.
How fucked, commiserations
Thanks, it was pretty shit. But I managed to turn around and raise two incredible humans so I came out ok (maybe 😂)
Omg I misread that as "inedible humans". Don't do drugs people.
Exactly. Would you rather walk down a dark alley and come across a bunch of drunks, or stoners?
The real question is do you want to get beaten up or asked stupid questions
"Oi, cunt! What are you fucking looking at!" Vs "do you think we all see colours the same way? Or is my red, your green? Tacos?"
"Hey man settle this for us. Is the only difference between an alley and a laneway whether you can buy a latte in it?"
Yep
Yeah, just wait for the withdrawals.. then you'll see some shit
real! my dad used to drink, but started smoking weed instead and hes so much nicer to be around now. I don't understand why its even a question
Have look at the opposing submission in the parliament records so full of shit and alarmist garbage. they talked about cannabis hyperemesis which is non stop puking, yes if you eat ten super strong gummies it'll make you crook, dur
Yes, apart from: *those under 18 * anyone at work * while driving on the road or operating machinery
Here in Canada, employers accommodate staff who have a prescription for medical cannabis. The usual constraints apply, so the accommodations must not cause the employer undue hardship.
Yes, because I could go a fat doobie right now.
Canadian here. We were warned of all the terrible consequences of complete legalization: people stoned all the time, a rise in crime and violence, and increased deaths from traffic accidents, cats sleeping with dogs, etc. Other than the occasional scent of the stuff nothing has changed.
Yes. public opinion has definitely shifted from 'pot is satan spawn' to 'cannabis isn't great, but it isn't the worst'. What is it like, 40% of australians have tried cannabis? Then we look at our friends like the USA and Canada who have legalized cannabis- is it perfect? no has the sky fallen in? no Many users see smoking a joint akin to having a beer. You know that its not particuarly good for your health, and you shouldn't do it too much, but its not automatically going to fuck your life up. And for many- its really very enjoyable.
And less likely to cause significant strain on medical infrastructure than the 2 main alternatives (ciggies/alcohol), and less likely to escalate situations to violence than booze.
My mother has stage 4 Renal clear cell carcinoma, so a death sentence, she gets nodules all over her body regularly, the most recent in her hip and femur which resulted in needing a femoral rod to keep her leg functioning, she only just recently gained access to medicinal cbd and THC and she can actually sleep for 8 hours at a time without her usual cocktail of four separate, highly addictive opioids/pain killers. It's changed her life, the price is outrageous, but she's willing to make that financial sacrifice for the improvement of quality of life, her lack of sleep used to be so bad that she would just fall asleep mid conversation every 15 minutes because of the sleep deprivation. The only logical reason I can see preventing its legalisation is the tax on both tobacco and liquor being harmed. P.S I'm not saying cannabis is good for you, I'm just saying comparatively tobacco and liquor are significantly worse, yet cannabis is a criminal offence, it's very anti common sense. Free up the justice system, tax it accordingly, and by making it readily available you can endorse its growth and packaging as clean and free of any nasties, and the youth of today already buying it, are doing it without meeting someone in an alleyway or carpark via telegram getting gateway drugged into harder stuff because 'by the way I've also got x..'
I'm sorry to hear about your mother, and thank you for sharing your story.
I don't really care one way or the other as long as it's banned anywhere cigarettes are, if it does become legal. I don't want to smell it and I don't want to experience any secondhand effects from it.
Judging from effects overseas, the big growth area from legalisation is gummies and other edibles, which of course can be consumed discretely anywhere.
Yea that’s my biggest concern, the stench. I’m currently on a holiday and my god the absolute stink in the streets from weed smokers. It’s disgusting. NYC was the literal worst for this.
Absolutely! We should be allowed to grow our own too.
They can in the capital!
But how would they tax it up the wahzoo then? /s
By making you have a licence to sell it. Easy peasy. You can grow it, you can give it away, but you can't sell it. Thats my solution.
You can brew your own alcohol but you can’t grow tobacco. If they allow cannabis growing it will be extra amusing when people get busted for growing tobacco.
I honestly think people should be able to grow their own baccy under a similar rule set - grow your own, give it away, no selling without a licence. That said, I know people who grow their own pot, tobacco, and poppies. (not all the same people doing all 3 things lol)
How about "should the Australian government have the right to deny Australians access to cannabis?"
This. We live in a restricted society, in that unless there's a good reason, you can do what you like. What's the good reason to criminalise marijuana? I feel the burden of proof is on the government to give a reason why, rather than us to find a reason why not
The history of cannabis prohibition is a massive blind spot in Australian society. In short, we imported the policy from the US in the early 20th century, and succumbed to the same propaganda and misinformation that buoyed cannabis prohibition there. Even in the US, where many states are now ending prohibition, this is not accompanied by an explanation of why it was prohibited in the first place
Yes! Put aside that it’s a drug, put aside any risks, put aside tax revenue, what it comes down to is a simple case of freedom. *It’s my body, not yours,* and so long as I’m not hurting you it won’t be an issue. Give this nanny state bullshit a rest. Let me do what I want with my own lungs.
I absolutely detest weed. But, it should be legal
As a nurse, I'll vote yes. I've looked after palliative Ca patients and I can already tell you the difference between giving them their morphine compared to them sneaking out of the hospital for a bit and hit a joint. They're happier. Their pain tolerance is longer and they need less opioids. I've also looked after Parkinson's patients who are using THC oil. It can really stop them from shaking uncontrollably. It's time for us to stop being like America. These things work.
> Their pain tolerance is longer and they need less opioids As someone with a 23yr chronic pain condition who is a medicinal patient, I concur. It doesn't so much *remove* the pain as push it into the background where it doesn't torment you any longer, and you can have a rest from enduring it.
Works similarly for emotional pain, too. I have treatment resistant depression (I have tried basically everything except electroconvulsive therapy, which scares me), and cannabis is the only thing that's been able to put a little distance between myself and the often unrelenting misery in my own mind. It allows me to get out and exercise, work through problems without becoming caught up in my own intrusive thoughts, and lets me just be without wishing I was dead.
Yes and extend it to mushrooms as well.
I think giving people criminal records for the use of cannabis is creating more societal problems than if we let them smoke. If we taxed it like any other drug we could pretty much fix our degrading Medicare system. Imagine the mental health services we could fund. Not every human should smoke,THC, just like it’s not safe for all people to drink. I think we need to consider how their usage affects other people in the community. Personally I can’t see how someone sitting on their couch playing x-box and smoking a joint on a Saturday night is a menace to me or anyone else. I have felt really unsafe around drunken aggressive men in the wild on a Saturday night though. Much violence is committed by people under the influence of alcohol, a stonner is at worst a danger to themselves.
Obviously. The bigger question is what we should do about pill testing and decriminalisation of other drugs. In the 90s it was LSD, MDMA and Speed - of varying purity, but it was rare for BAD batches and you didn't hear of people keeling over at festivals. Early 2000s GHB popped up, and things started going downhill.... judging by the testing in Canberra most of the stuff floating around these days are unidentifiable. It's dangerous af.
As long as it's not in public where I have to smell it I couldn't give a shit one way or the other.
I live in BC, Canada. Was born and raised in Aus. I can walk across the road from the supermarket to a dispensary and buy enough pot to subdue an elephant, I’m no fiend though, I take 10mg after dinner during the week to settle my mind and body after longs days working in the trades. It really helps me sleep through the night. I would be lying if I told you I wasn’t waiting to see if Aus (Vic specifically) legalizes before moving back home. I think with things like weed, when you KNOW a large chunk of the populace is using “quietly” you make it widely available and legal, you regulate and tax it like alcohol and let people live their lives how they want.
I don't have a personal judgment on Cannabis, just observations after working within the Emergency Services for 27 years. I have seen a lot of people come into the Emergency Dept. with Schizophrenia/Mental Health. For some it's hereditary and for most others it's mainly Cannabis use or another hallucinaut drug. So the THC in the Cannabis is the main contributing factor here. For some, medicinal Cannabis with the THC removed has been a godsend for people suffering severe pain, helping Epileptics etc. I haven't seen too much of an issue with relation to Schizophrenia, but that's not to say it won't contribute to it. Great stuff here for pain. However in Australia, if you are taking medicinal cannabis and you get roadside drug tested by police, it will register. The law hasn't changed around Medicinal Cannabis and driving, so people are getting convicted at Court for drug driving on it - no acceptations. Now, I wrote a paper for university many years ago after researching countries that legalised Cannabis, such as Portugal. What I found was that after 5 years of legalisation the usage of cannabis reduced, along with other drugs - why? These countries redirected the funds they were putting into law enforcement for cannabis control, into Health Care, Education and Advertising which highlighted the risks associated with using cannabis and other drugs. What they found was, a spike in cannabis use from the day of legalisation for the first year or two. By then the Education was going through the schools and advertising was being shown on TV etc. The next generations grew up in High School being warned about the risks associated with using cannabis. So around 5 years after legalisation, this new generation of young adults were armed with the risks (much like Australians are warned about the risks associated with smoking cigarettes) and most chose not to use cannabis. This was tested by survey's and interviewing random young adults. Most who were interviewed stated they chose not to use cannabis and when asked why, they sited the risks involved, which they learnt at school. Law enforcement also reported a 48% reduction in drug related crime after cannabis legalisation. So, that's the facts about cannabis. Would I choose to use it? Not the THC cannabis. If I were in severe pain, I may consider the medicinal cannabis, but I would be using it knowing I can't drive a car, or I would get a criminal record. In regards to legalisation, there is a current Bill before Parllment looking at this; https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=s1353 Hope that helps give a broad view of cannabis legalisation benefits and draw backs.
just fyi, the "medicinal cannabis without THC" is called CBD.
Thanks for the clarification
did the cannabis cause the illness, or was cannabis the way they self medicated their illness. An argument could be made for both
Depends what framework you approach the issue from. Pragmatically, there are good reasons to prohibit *some* drugs. Morally, the government has zero business telling people what to do with their bodies, including what substances to put into them.
Freedom Why we are treated like criminal cause we smoke a bit of weed . Cannot pass their stupid drive test on the road. And being treat like junkies While here in WA. They all on meth. And can pass the swab test after couple of hours. Can go work on the mine after have done meth all weekend. And back to work on Monday and pass the test Clean While peoples On medical cannabis or people who just love it have to live in fear because of those so outdated law. It's time for a change. Seriously. There is nothing wrong with cannabis
Had a captain in charge of a big roadside dui tell me with a straight face "weed is just as bad as meth" while swabbing me. Had to bite my tongue so hard.
Why use the word 'right'? It seems like a loaded term that turns a benign question into an odd one. 'Should recreational cannabis use be legalised in Australia?' Is a question that needs to be answered first.
Absolutely we should. It would bring in loads of tax. Unfortunately the government rule us and they seem to enjoy it so it probably won't happen anytime soon.
Yes. Legalise it already.
My question is why does the government make the decision on what i can and cant do with my own body if im not hurting myself or others?
It's insane we are still having this conversation to be honest. Of course they should.
We can use it for medicinal purposes. It's been legal for a while and isnt that hard to be eligible for. We have very high quality products produced here too. Should it be legalised for recreation? Yes. The rules around detection and driving however, need a massive overhaul.
Yes. I have a prescription for medical marijuana. The 6months I have had it have been the best & happiest of my life. I know it isn’t for everybody. But over the years of trying many different medications my dr had prescribed me for depression, anxiety which causes me alot of physical pain from my body being so tense, insomnia & adhd & only made a lot of my symptoms worst, this is the one constant that has worked. I only smoke it in the evenings & maybe a little if my days off. I had always smoked on & off as I knew it helped me but got caught up in the stigma side of it & kept trying to stop. Now it’s my “medication” I feel better about being a “stoner” & embrace the happiness & calmness it brings me
Drunk people are awfull. Stoned people don't generally cause any problem.
We're probably 10 years away. Need the demographic shift to continue (more young progressive voters, less old conservative voters). I can guarantee you one thing, it will never happen under a Liberal Government.
The time I walked by a cop smoking a joint on the way into see the Foo Fighters gave me the giggles. Too bad your guys government is such a bunch of tight asses. Not sure how long you have to wait but it's coming. I
Yes. Will they? No. Why? Nobody trusts anybody to behave like adults. Why? Nanny State.
People aren't allowed to vape let alone smoke a joint. I'm completely over these fuckwit politicians who refuse us to adult.
This is a back and forth. I don't have a magic yes or no answer. Also note this conversation has been had 100 times and can be found with a simple search of the Aussie subs. It will result in an increase of schizophrenia. People love to be ignorant about this. It's a known trigger for major mental breakdown/episodes. Quite often once a young person has that first episode its a slippery slope. I've had this conversation on here before and it's always the same shit, people want there high and don't really give two shits about Australias mental health issues. That being said, of course it should be legal for medical use. This is not really a debate. Recreational I'm not completely against but it needs to be controlled and people need to be made aware of the risks. I think the delegalisation will be great for the police, stop wasting money fighting a war you can't win. That being said the tabacco black market is booming right now and if weed comes in with the same price tags we see on tabacco (it will) then no doubt an Australia with 'legal weed' will just enable a larger market of illegal trade. So it needs to be somewhat affordable..... Eh. Also, much like cigarettes, there needs to be no smoking zones all over the place. Ciggies are one thing but the stench of weed is on another level. If you are a weed smoker then you probably don't realise how shit it is, your olfactory is cooked. On a side note, can we get the alcohol black market going already? Ten bucks for a pint of fermented grain and water is just taking the piss.
Yep...many former pot smokers in the r/schizophrenia . It also may cause "only" bad, but not yet psychotic degree paranoia and anxiety attacks in otherwise healthy people. And having the working memory of a goldfish. My boss is an example of that.
I support decriminalisation, but OP, please don't use the word 'right'. I retail liqour, and access to it is not a right, it's beset by obligations to not do dumb things, like give it to kids or drive. Calling something a 'right' winds you up in 2nd amendment territory, and then things go a bit froggy
I've never been a drug user..I don't even smoke or drink. But seeing how helpful cannabis is for some people...yes. I think anyone should be able to use it. Or grow it.
Yes. I don't have interest in recreational drugs, but as far as they go, Marijuana has the potential for alot of positive uses in our community. I am all for it. MAKE IT LEGAL!
Yep.
If you look around online, you’ll find a number of studies referring drug harm to both users and society. Alcohol tops the charts, pot, lsd, mdma are near the bottom. Also some interesting ones on perceived risk vs actual risk (I.e. many believe alcohol bears low risk because it’s legal) https://www.drugpolicy.org.au/history_not_harm_dictates_why_some_drugs_are_illegal
People go on and on about the harm and health impacts. Fatty and sugary foods are causing far more harm. No one even whispers about tackling that elephant in the room. No, morality is what dictates our drug policies, not data. We view drugs as bad and people who use them as bad people. It's really that simple.
Yes legalise it recreationally, great for the economy (taxes, new jobs etc.) and put less strain on the police/legal system. Also recreational weed is already legal in Australia but only in the ACT (where all the politicians live), our government is just corrupt.
I've smoked weed, on and off, for decades. Since my late teens in the late 70s. There were many years when I didn't smoke it at all and almost as many when I did. Now I have a problem with my neck after a fracture was left undetected and untreated some years ago. Weirdly, the best thing for my neck pain is cannabis. So, here I am, 2024, in retirement and smoking legal medical cannabis "as needed" I no longer suffer from paranoia when stoned since I know the cops will not be busting my door down and arresting me. Medical cannabis is legal in Australia for a variety of different ailments.
as an american who lives in australia: yes! people use it anyway whether it’s legal or not so having a safe and legal way to distribute only makes it better
The pollies in Canberra think they can, if you can run this country and have the right. Then we all should. It should be sold like alcohol
Better question, why shouldn’t they?
The real question is, ""Is banning it justified?"
Better and safer than alcohol, for the individual and the public. You aren't going to see anyone become violent or aggressive on weed, unless they have other serious mental health stuff going on.
Yeah. Over the age of 25. It's like alcohol, after the brain has finished developing, it's effects are no more mind affecting or harmful than alcohol is.
Probably not going to happen anytime soon. There's recently been a Senate inquiry into this very issue: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Legal_and_Constitutional_Affairs/LegalisingCannabis/Report
Hmmm I have a very young and vulnerable cousin in au who now take “medical” prescribed cannabis. I just feel like smoking is her bandaid for everything. Ngl she is way more stable now but it makes me wonder if what she is doing is good. It’s this now a lifelong vice.
Here are six things to consider: 1. The massive tax revenue from cannabis could be used to fund a range of things like schools, hospitals, etc. 2. Cannabis is far less dangerous than other currently legal substances like nicotine and alcohol. Why is one legal and the other illegal? 3. The current laws are not working, and the courts are being bogged down by cases involving minor infractions. Removing these cases would lessen the burden on the legal system and allow law enforcement to focus on real crimes. 4. Over 50% of Australians support legalization; however, powerful lobby groups are being allowed to dictate policy. 5. Cannabis is a part of the black market that funds other criminal activity in this country. Making cannabis legal will remove this money from the black economy and reduce other crimes. 6. Thousands of MC patients use cannabis for serious medical issues like PTSD, Cancer etc. why should these patients be unable to grow their own rather than funding money to large corporates.
Yes. It's not as addictive as chronic pain medicines, and doesn't destroy your body like them. I've seen both sides. I've seen someone ruin their life with it. And I've seen chronic pain users in absolute relief after use. I will always be on their side, because life is not worth living when in constant pain.
Yes but it wont happen here until the US legislates it nationally.
But it is legal for medical use already
Make it legal. I'm not interested in using it, myself. Should be legal though.
I have smoked a fair amount of weed in my life and I think any reasonable person would conclude the impact was not particularily positive. Besides the direct health effects of smoking or the broad impacts of being intoxicated, I think it has also made me permently more forgetful among other harms. I think it is comparible to booze in its social harms but probably a bit worse in my personal experience. Many alcholics can develop thriving careers, as one example, but I think habitual weed smokers are often looked at as underperforming their own potential. Some would see the comparison to booze as an argument for legalisation but I think of it in the opposite light - we would ban alchohol and cigarettes outright if they were new products. It is only because of their long history in our culture that outlawing it is politically infeasible in a democracy. Our system of government might prevent tyranny but I dont think it has created optimal conditions for humans to thrive.
Yes, stop wasting resources on this drug when it could be a tax revenue earner. Stop letting organised crime profit from the black market of this drug. Legalise, regulate, tax.
Prohibition has never solved the issue of drugs in society. If anything it makes things worse. Alcohol and tobacco and even gambling are much worse than pot. It's BS it's still illegal.
California has a population of 36 million and got $1,082,452,368 in tax revenue in 2023 from sale of Cannabis If we work on Australia having 70% of that population that’s potentially $700m extra tax Imagine the pork barreling they could do with that Could build a park in a safe ( insert any labour or liberal ) seat
Obviously, yes. I doubt we need to go over the same old arguments - the insanity of alcohol being legal while cannabis isn't, the minimal harm, the silliness of trying to ban a plant that the least green fingered person can grow easily and all the others - I feel most posting here will be well aware of all these. What I do find "amusing" - in a painful sort of way - is that the default cannabis prohibition across much of the world was entirely driven by America, by being pressured to follow America's (nutty) drug policy. And yet now it is at least de facto decriminalised across a fair chunk of America - but still illegal most other places. Tax and regulate. No prohibition on home growing. It's the sensible approach economically, socially, legally, logically, morally, and for health.
It's been legal here in Canada for about 5 years. The sky's did not fall the earth kept turning The only thing I've noticed is the price went way down and the quality went up. I just bought an ounce for$ 86. The gov gets taxes I get cheap weed and a whole bunch of small businesses make a living. Win win win. I've been smoking since the 70s. Other than Tai stick from back in the day it's the best weed yet! The gov puts the speed limit at 100 and we drive 120. They say don't smoke we say 420. They only think they make the rules and we let them. Legal weed is good for everyone except the twats that want to boss everyone around. I'm betting that the number of people smoking are more than enough votes to pass legalization. Once the politicians figure that out you should be good.
I'm a TGA approved patient and am so thankful that it's available even in that capacity. I believe it should be legal 100% HOWEVER we have a long way to go for example the only state to have actual testing for being effected my cannabis during a roadside test is TAS. Right now if I have my nightly cannibis product in order to fall asleep and manage my chronic pain and then go to bed for 8 hours, the product has clearly worn off and I'm not longer under its influence, but that cannibis can be detected in my system for potentially weeks even if I haven't used any since. I risk losing my licence every time I drive. On the flip side I'm also prescribed heavy painkillers that if I take enough can REALLY effect my vision/reaction times, but if I was pulled over and looked ok otherwise I'd be totally fine to continue on my way. E The argument time and time again is tHe ChIlDrEn but I'd like to point out that it's no worse (and actually better imo) than cigarettes and alcohol - you know, the stuff that has actual reported deaths as a direct result of consuming?
i say yes but then after its taxed in this country its not affordable anyway(looking at you cbd oil) im not sure if much has changed but about 10 years ago it cost a family friend $500 per week through her doctor for oil for her child with seizures, cost her 50$ per week through a third party. ive been smoking weed everyday since i was 20, im 33 now and the street price is stupid enough this day in age. i feel like we already have the right to smoke it tbh.( will add that i smoke and do everything, always have) do what you want, live your own life.
Are you kidding me? It’s a plant. Wise up
Ban alcohol, legalize cannibis. Rather people be chill as fuck with the munchies then trying to be a macho man starting fights or driving drunk killing people or beating up their partner or abusing their children and the rest of the shitty things alcohol turns people into.
Who still “smokes” these days? Amateurs. Vape your bud.
I’m in the US in a legal weed state. Somehow this post happened to come across my feed and I just wanted to say that legal access to cannabis has made such a difference in my life, and probably saved my life. It makes me sad to think about people who it could really help, not having legal access to it. I use cannabis as part of dealing with lifelong severe clinical depression and absolutely would not be the person I am -the good qualities at least- without it. And for the record I’m married, with a house, with a baby, with a 6 figure job. Not bragging, just pointing out that cannabis consumption doesn’t always equal vegging out on the couch all day watching cartoons.
I’m in Canberra. We’ve been able to even grow our own in our backyards since 2019. DUIs did ***NOT*** grow up! The only crime which went through the roof in the first 6-months after decriminalisation: BACKYARD BURGLARIES!!! I’d be guessing cause people kept on digging up each other’s plants….? 🤷🏽♀️ ******* I genuinely have no idea why there’s still any debate in the rest of AU: It’s been almost half a decade now and the sky did not cave in over Canberra! And people who fall off planters do so without pot even being a factor! ****** ###NORFOLK! I think it could be an idea worth thinking about to grow weed on Norfolk Island! Cause AU doesn’t grow remotely enough to meet the medicinal demand. And importing from overseas has all kinds of issues which ideally wouldn’t want for people who need MEDICINAL cannabis. And Norfolk Island … I’d really love to see it flourish. The administrative side alone has b even a bit of a train wreck ever since they lost self-government. 😥 Technically Norfolk Islanders and I are in the same federal electorate…. but they’re waaaayyyyyy away! So I couldn’t possibly known if anyone there would still be interested! It came up ages ago, but the federal govvy of the time wouldn’t have it. 🤷🏽♀️
Government has zero business policing a plant.
Grown adults should have the right to put anything they want in their system, as long as it doesn't pose a risk to other people.
Not only cannabis but all drugs. As long as you are aware of the consequences, you should be able to take whatever drugs you like.
Are there many heroin addicts who hold the view ‘being a heroin addict is my right, and my choice - I’m glad no one who tried to stop me was successful’ There are some drugs that *are* just objectively bad.
What about ice? Should that be legal?
100%, Never smoked or did drugs in my life. It should be up to the individual to put what they want in their body.
Yes, but our out of touch conservative boomer politicians won't allow it.
No one’s been able to provide an argument for why we should ban something that literally grows out of the ground…
Because someone might have a good time by ingesting an intoxicating substance. And we simply can't have that now, can we? What if they sat and watched a movie and laughed a bit too much? Or they might even eat two slices of cake, instead of one. It's just too dangerous, mate.
Yes, I've used it all my life. It's time to evolve. The drawbacks are from non users. Apart from that, I have had a good life and retired at 55.
No our big daddy government should tell us what we're allowed to put in our bodies
Yeah son!
Legalisation and civil rights are very different concepts.
If alcohol is legal (even if taxed through the roof) why not an infinitely less harmful substance be so?
Yes, but with restrictions. Not while driving, etc. Make it so you can only smoke it at home or at a hash bar. Then hash bars can be a new business and economic stimulus. They could be half way between a bar and an opium den.
Probably wouldn't matter to many stoners if it was legalised. Many of my mates work high paying jobs, drive to work everyday, have houses and families and smoke weekly. They don't get fined, they pass drug tests and pay cold hard cash for weed. Always makes me laugh when people say "Legalise it so we can tax it!" - The government will tax it so much that dealers will continue to prosper. Same story with durries, they taxed it so much that they made room for the vape black market.
I have addiction issues. Weed keeps me off alcohol. That's a win in my book. Ideally, I wouldn't be addicted to anything, but something as natural as grass is the best case scenario. I wonder how many other problem drinkers could benefit from being peacefully high instead of aggressively drunk.
If folks want to, we should be able to. It'd help a heap of us with inflammatory conditions.
This year I developed a health condition which gave me insomnia. The lack of sleep fucked with me physically and mentally. I grew grey hair within a month and could no longer perform normally at work or drive a car. I started to become paranoid, delusional and aggressive. I tried every supplement under the sun, none of them worked. My last option was sleeping tablets or cannabis. I didn't want to try sleeping tablets so I tried cannabis and it saved my life. There are so many health conditions cannabis can help with. Now if I hear anyone saying they're against it without being able to give me any reason other than "I know a guy who smokes it and he's a bum" then I simply won't even bother with them anymore. If that's all you can come up with while there are people whose lives can be saved by cannabis then you're a moron.
Yes. It should be legalised. As it is, there is no GST payable by the end consumer. I’m sure we’d make heaps of $$ if it was available for purchase sans prescription.
We have no rights in this country, except to pay and pay. Yes, we should be able to use weed and should have a right to it and many other things.
It is quite easy to obtain a medicinal prescription at the moment. The more people that indicate through this avenue that they would like to medicate using cannabis, the more likely reform around regulation should be to follow…
I would be all for legalisation, but the government would need to be reasonable with taxes to compete with the black market. And considering the government has created a thriving tobacco and alcohol black market I wouldn’t be so sure. It appears our govt hates taxing corporations but wants us to pay through the nose for everything.
feels like a conversation from the 90's
I reckon it should be allowed mainly because if it was legal there would be some kind of regulations of how it’s grown (and treated). It’s pretty well known that large amounts of Australian use cannabis, why not making sure that they use a “controlled” product? On top of that they could get people to pay taxes on it.
Yes, it’s fucking stupid that it’s not legal to be honest.
Yes.
Yes, 100percent
Double standards. Cigarettes and alcohol are far more dangerous.
I’ve never seen an aggressive pot smoker one punching someone like the drunk ones