P and all that jazz
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="jegga" data-cid="559368" data-time="1455816351">
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<p>That was the weakest part of the video, make the world into a utopia and there will be no more drug addicts. Thats as implausible as making everyone equal.</p>
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<p>Of course it is, but the issue seems larger than an individual's propensity for addiction.</p>
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<p>I have a bit of a jaundiced view because I'm sick of politicians and coppers showing how much drugs they've seized on TV, when anyone with any awareness knows it's a futile drop in the ocean. Especially so over here when those same people are actually the dealers bringing in them in - yep the cops control the drug trade in many countries. There as a "war on drugs" here a few years ago, killed 2500 people - drug trade didn't change but the cops got rid of the competitors</p>
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<p>The drug problem never gets dealt with at the root causes - poverty, treating as criminal vs health and the massive profits being made on it. Decriminalising and taxing takes care of 2 of those problems.</p>
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<p>Some evidence with kiwi John Lord in Colorado: <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/75612766/Biggest-cannabis-dealer-in-Colorado-from-the-Waikato'>http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/75612766/Biggest-cannabis-dealer-in-Colorado-from-the-Waikato</a></p>
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<p>selected quotes from Lord, (who is now mates with Snoop Dog) :</p>
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<p><em>"The business itself has grown. The company pays full health care, which is a big deal over in the States. We have a retirement plan for employees, paid leave and we try to train and hire from within so it gives our employees the chance of climbing the ladder.</em></p>
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<div><em>"What actually occurred is once it was legalized in Colorado, the gangs moved to other States where it was illegal, to get more money for the product." </em></div>
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<div><em>"The price in Colorado went to 25 percent of the illegal price."</em></div>
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<div><em>"Just a couple of months ago, cannabis taxes exceeded alcohol taxes in the state by double. It's huge," he said. </em></div>
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<div>Might not work so well for Class A but neither is what we've been doing for the last 50 years</div> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="559588" data-time="1455867402">
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<p>Drug taking at his peak? Well, I think he was hoeing into the gear way before that. Just that he could afford more once the cash rolled in.</p>
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<p>No, he just decided to walk away from it when the band was at it's peak. As one of the biggest AIC fans out there, I can't even being to tell you how much that pissed me off.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="559425" data-time="1455835388">
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<p>Sort of following on from that, the Green Party in Aus are toying with a plan to decriminalise Ice and other hard drugs. </p>
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<p>My initial reaction was "well that's just typically retarded"</p>
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<p>But, their point is, addiction should be considered a health problem, not a criminal matter, and the money currently spent policing drugs could be spent on rehab and support services. </p>
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<p>On the other hand, i have seen enough of what these drugs can do to people and to families, do we really want to remove a stigma that currently probably prevents many from taking it up?</p>
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<p>Decriminalisation <strong><em>is</em></strong> retarded.</p>
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<p>They are saying drug use is fine, but we aren't going to commercialise it or tax it. So they are in effect giving a green light to the gangs to make a LOT more money from drugs. Its one of the stupidest policies imaginable. Its saying "feel free to buy & use crack, but we'll ensure the only people that can supply you are the Mongrel Mob & the quality will be shit & the dose size vary hugely & there will be zero comeback if you get ripped off"</p>
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<p>I think long term they will just legalise everything & tax fuck out of it. But it'll be tied to compulsory medical insurance with some sort of implanted fitbit shit (sreriously, that sounds like scifi, but wrist & chest straps & so on are just the bit to get us comfortable with an implanted chip).</p>
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<p>So your premium goes "well, in the last year you smoked crack, heroin, drank 4 kegs of waikato & ate 47 family buckets of KFC, your insurance for the year is $25,000" versus "you ran 2000km, ate Kim Dotcoms bodyweight in Kale & had a glass of shiraz once a week, your premium is $0.75"</p> -
<br><br><blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="gollum" data-cid="559618" data-time="1455877147"><p>versus "you ran 2000km, ate Kim Dotcoms bodyweight in Kale & had a glass of shiraz once a week, your premium is $0.75"</p></blockquote>
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If you ate that much kale, you would have trouble shitting -
<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/06/05/why-hardly-anyone-dies-from-a-drug-overdose-in-portugal/'>https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/06/05/why-hardly-anyone-dies-from-a-drug-overdose-in-portugal/</a></p>
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<p>Portugal decriminalised possession of all drugs in 2001, with possession being treated as a health issue rather than a criminal issue, and things have improved rather than gotten worse, so that could be a good model to look at. I'd legalise and tax cannabis while I was at it, since that seems to have worked well in the US states which have done it.</p>
