British Columbia NDP Majority Government 2024-(no later than) 2029

[YZT580]

Why? Keeping it illegal was irrational. Alcohol causes vastly more and larger problems, yet we have bars and liquor stores, and you you can buy booze in grocery stores and gas stations in some provinces. Yeah, legalization has led to a bit of a Wild West of pot shops, but proper bylaw enforcement and market dynamics is working to settle that down to a proper balance of what the market actually supports.

I’ve never touched the stuff myself, but I see way less harm to society from cannabis than from alcohol, and most of us are able to regularly and responsibly partake in the latter.

perhaps you need to have a frank discussion with an addict and there are far more of them causing problems in the justice system then there are alcoholics. Most will tell you that it all started with pot.

 

[brihard]

perhaps you need to have a frank discussion with an addict and there are far more of them causing problems in the justice system then there are alcoholics. Most will tell you that it all started with pot.

Yeah, I’ve had a pretty direct view of all of that both in my personal life and as a cop, but thanks.

There’s limited academic support for the ‘gateway drug’ hypothesis. It’s been studied at length, there is association but not causation, and the hypothesis fails to account for a host of other factors. Whatever exists to support that notion for cannabis, I’m bloody sure similar support would be found for alcohol. The plural of anecdote is never data; anecdotally though I’ve dealt with no shortage of drunk people being destructive or violent. When I was dealing with violent youth who had substances onboard, it was usually alcohol. Society’s extremely permissive views of alcohol mean that abuse is pervasive and across all of society, and access is very easy.

So, all that to say, there doesn’t appear to be a rational, evidentiary-based reason for treating cannabis as if it’s somehow worse than alcohol, and banning the one but not the other. If neither existed today, both popped into being unregulated tomorrow, and we studied them both for three years, if anything we would likely see more societal harm from alcohol.

 

[YZT580]

Yeah, I’ve had a pretty direct view of all of that both in my personal life and as a cop, but thanks.

There’s limited academic support for the ‘gateway drug’ hypothesis. It’s been studied at length, there is association but not causation, and the hypothesis fails to account for a host of other factors. Whatever exists to support that notion for cannabis, I’m bloody sure similar support would be found for alcohol. The plural of anecdote is never data; anecdotally though I’ve dealt with no shortage of drunk people being destructive or violent. When I was dealing with violent youth who had substances onboard, it was usually alcohol. Society’s extremely permissive views of alcohol mean that abuse is pervasive and across all of society, and access is very easy.

So, all that to say, there doesn’t appear to be a rational, evidentiary-based reason for treating cannabis as if it’s somehow worse than alcohol, and banning the one but not the other. If neither existed today, both popped into being unregulated tomorrow, and we studied them both for three years, if anything we would likely see more societal harm from alcohol.

I suppose that family experiences causes one to have different opinions so I will leave it at that except for one little thing. I lived in Acton when the Olde Hide House was an actual tannery and I live now near a greenhouse grow-op. I'll take the tannery thanks. Pot stinks

 

[brihard]

I suppose that family experiences causes one to have different opinions so I will leave it at that except for one little thing. I lived in Acton when the Olde Hide House was an actual tannery and I live now near a greenhouse grow-op. I'll take the tannery thanks. Pot stinks

Oh it smells like shit, absolutely agreed. I can’t stand the smell of the stuff, for me it’s almost as bad as cigarette smoke. I’m just talking about from a public policy perspective whether it objectively makes sense to treat cannabis and alcohol particularly differently.

 

[mariomike]

Most will tell you that it all started with pot.

That's for the medical SMEs to answer.

Never studied addiction. But, the drunks and druggies kept our place in business. < slight exaggeration emoji.

Job Protection I suppose would be the correct term.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Yeah, I’ve had a pretty direct view of all of that both in my personal life and as a cop, but thanks.

There’s limited academic support for the ‘gateway drug’ hypothesis. It’s been studied at length, there is association but not causation, and the hypothesis fails to account for a host of other factors. Whatever exists to support that notion for cannabis, I’m bloody sure similar support would be found for alcohol. The plural of anecdote is never data; anecdotally though I’ve dealt with no shortage of drunk people being destructive or violent. When I was dealing with violent youth who had substances onboard, it was usually alcohol. Society’s extremely permissive views of alcohol mean that abuse is pervasive and across all of society, and access is very easy.

So, all that to say, there doesn’t appear to be a rational, evidentiary-based reason for treating cannabis as if it’s somehow worse than alcohol, and banning the one but not the other. If neither existed today, both popped into being unregulated tomorrow, and we studied them both for three years, if anything we would likely see more societal harm from alcohol.

My biggest complaint is that Marijuana makes people lazy, not permanently lazy but it has an effect ok decreasing motivation. It also makes people kind of stupid.

I also find it funny that the Govt goes hard-core when it comes to Tobacco, yet Marijuana doesn't receive nearly as much scrutiny.

 

[brihard]

My biggest complaint is that Marijuana makes people lazy, not permanently lazy but it has an effect ok decreasing motivation. It also makes people kind of stupid.

Sure but I’d say the same for alcohol.

 

[daftandbarmy]

My biggest complaint is that Marijuana makes people lazy, not permanently lazy but it has an effect ok decreasing motivation. It also makes people kind of stupid.

I also find it funny that the Govt goes hard-core when it comes to Tobacco, yet Marijuana doesn't receive nearly as much scrutiny.

As a money maker for the public purse, pot isn't doing all that well anyways...

 

[GR66]

I won't argue the point that pot use by individuals is no more harmful/disruptive to the person and society than alcohol use so I see the point people make about it being silly to allow one but not the other.

However, the difference I see is that there is a substantial criminal "infrastructure" (for lack of a better word) that supports illegal pot growing, distribution and sales that directly supports organized crime and the more serious hard drug, weapon and people trafficking (and other crimes) that those organizations take part in.

I personally would have been happier with decriminalization of simple possession for personal use than full legalization.

 

[brihard]

I won't argue the point that pot use by individuals is no more harmful/disruptive to the person and society than alcohol use so I see the point people make about it being silly to allow one but not the other.

However, the difference I see is that there is a substantial criminal "infrastructure" (for lack of a better word) that supports illegal pot growing, distribution and sales that directly supports organized crime and the more serious hard drug, weapon and people trafficking (and other crimes) that those organizations take part in.

Same can be said for illegal tobacco. Still a huge issue in eastern Ontario. Once upon a time it was also the case for alcohol.

The demand is there regardless; the supply will be too. By having a legal way to produce and distribute, regulated at each step, a lot of the wine can be taken out of the criminal sales. Doesn’t mean it completely goes away, but most people are perfectly happy to buy the stuff legally. And yes, obviously there is still some org crime involvement in legal distribution. That’ll still take time to weed out. But the same thing is the case for many other licit businesses.