Uruguay to sell marijuana to its own people

[GTIR]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-1852...

"Uruguay has unveiled a plan to allow state-controlled sales of marijuana to fight a rise in drug-related crime.

Under the bill, only the government would be allowed to sell marijuana to adults registered on a database.

Defence Minister Eleuterio Fernandez Huidobro said this was part of a plan to remove profits from drug dealers and divert users from harder drugs.

He said that the recent increase in murder rates was a clear symptom of a rise in drug trafficking crimes."

It's about time our own short sighted government adopt this strategy but they're so scared of upsetting too many people so it doesn't happen.

Or is it a bad idea?

[vixen1700]

GTIR said:

Or is it a bad idea?

No, it's totally the right idea.

[Pesty]

GTIR said:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-1852...

Or is it a bad idea?

We will find out by the looks of it.

[Changedmyname]

Goverments around the globe will watch this ,I bet.

[davepoth]

Changedmyname said:

Goverments around the globe will watch this ,I bet.

Portugal is a more interesting experiment I think.

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,189...

[rohrl]

Man alive, an outbreak of common sense.

[Norfolkit]

Seem to remember Judge James Pickles suggested something similar here years ago, seem to remember he was howled down by all and sundry

[nelly1]

The local Drug Barons are going to LOVE him!

[GTIR]

Norfolkit said:

Seem to remember Judge James Pickles suggested something similar here years ago, seem to remember he was howled down by all and sundry

Isn't that the same judge that criticised a teen rape victim for "asking for it" because she wore a short skirt?

[Mr Gearchange]

I believe he called it "contributory negligence to rape" or something equally stupid and insensitive.

That notwithstanding this is a very good idea. It is a constant source of bafflement to me that governments continue this utterly pointless war on drugs.

[RichyBoy]

Its been on the NHS for ages, sativex.

[groak]

We've already got two legal 'drugs' which are both major contributors to ill health/NHS burden/early death. Is having a 3rd one, especially a smoking-based one, a good idea? Hmmm....let me think.....

[Oakey]

RichyBoy said:

Its been on the NHS for ages, sativex.

Only £130 for a 10ml bottle, bargain!

[Somewhatfoolish]

groak said:

We've already got two legal 'drugs' which are both major contributors to ill health/NHS burden/early death. Is having a 3rd one, especially a smoking-based one, a good idea? Hmmm....let me think.....

I should assume so, given it will discourage a considerable amount of the consumption of the hard drug, more-dangerous-than-crack-and-heroin-cominbed alcohol.

(Ignoring the obvious moral argument that it's not a government's business what its citizens ingest, at least outside of wartime)

[Marf]

groak said:

We've already got two legal 'drugs' which are both major contributors to ill health/NHS burden/early death. Is having a 3rd one, especially a smoking-based one, a good idea? Hmmm....let me think.....

Fags bring in 12bn in duty and cost the NHS 4bn in related diseases. People are free to smoke and the government makes a healthy profit on that freedom. Seems pretty win win to me.

Dunno what the stats are for alcohol but I'd be surprised if it wasnt similar.

Moralising and WSPTOTC aside, I don't see any material difference in applying the same model to cannabis.

Edited by Marf on Friday 22 June 17:51

[Bacon Is Proof]

groak said:

We've already got two legal 'drugs' which are both major contributors to ill health/NHS burden/early death. Is having a 3rd one, especially a smoking-based one, a good idea? Hmmm....let me think.....

We make a good profit from fags, and people are living too long.
Bring it on.

[The Nur]

Bacon Is Proof said:

groak said:

We've already got two legal 'drugs' which are both major contributors to ill health/NHS burden/early death. Is having a 3rd one, especially a smoking-based one, a good idea? Hmmm....let me think.....

We make a good profit from fags, and people are living too long.
Bring it on.

You took the words right out of my head. Spot on.

[elster]

davepoth said:

Changedmyname said:

Goverments around the globe will watch this ,I bet.

Portugal is a more interesting experiment I think.

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,189...

Lots of countries have decriminalised/Legal:
Portugal
Netherlands
USA (some states)
Iran
Argentina
Mexico
Switzerland

All stats show how much it helps reduce not only crime but drug use.

[Fittster]

groak said:

We've already got two legal 'drugs' which are both major contributors to ill health/NHS burden/early death. Is having a 3rd one, especially a smoking-based one, a good idea? Hmmm....let me think.....

Do you think the state should determine what an individual does with their own body?

[GTIR]

Fittster said:

groak said:

We've already got two legal 'drugs' which are both major contributors to ill health/NHS burden/early death. Is having a 3rd one, especially a smoking-based one, a good idea? Hmmm....let me think.....

Do you think the state should determine what an individual does with their own body?

Indeed. Everyone has the right to free NHS treatment and I can't see how anyone can means-test any person or group of people because of their lifestyle.

Where do you draw the line: mountain bikers who injure themselves, motorcyclists who fall off, fatties?
Assuming they pay tax who cares.