What are people's views on this? Personally, I think it should be regulated in the same way as tobacco and alcohol are; sold to over eighteens but with clear health warnings.
Here's my take on it... If something such as alcohol, which is responsible for many deaths involving vehicles every year, plus the addiction factor, is legal then why isn't marijuana?
I personally don't smoke the stuff but it's far less dangerous than tobacco or alcohol.
Here's an interesting tidbit on how prohibition influences cannabis, dealing and criminality. Funny enough, this is happening in the Netherlands. The new legislations are having adverse effects.
Though the article dates from mid-July, however I've recently read similar news in a more recent local newspaper. Maybe partydevil can shed more light on the current situation?
Jo is a friend of mine. i go to his shops for over 20 year already. and he's completely right in the article. where befor he had 20 people working in 1 shop he has only 5 or 6 left now. he sells about 60% less marijuana and 95% less food (he has a restaurant inside aswell.)
2 days ago a article came out by "POWned" revealing 12 and 13 year olds dealing marijuana in maastricht. they said they started doing it right after it went impossible for tourists to buy in the shop. (obviously send by older "friends" because the risk is lower when a 12 year old does it)
this is happening in the south. the fairly calm provinces. from 1 han 2013 it's going to be in the whole netherlands. this will go bad in the "randstad" then.
the funny thing however is that we didn't made these laws because we wanted to but because the countries around us (belgium, germany, france) wanted us to do something about their citizens coming to us to buy it. now belgium has found the effect. and made a law by themself, where people in belgium are "allowed" to grow marijuana for own use. (also "allowed" in the netherlands) germany can still come and buy. the east doesn't has the ban yet. and people from france also still buy. they have come through belgium already. those 40km more doesn't matter.
so i and most other people wonder why we have this ban at all.
the government is starting a investigation on how well it works in november. hopefully they are not blind and will stop this BS.
and on 2 jan 2013 about 500 coffeeshop owners are going to knock on the judges door. the 30 that did so in may this year are still busy whit the process. the 500 will probably join them.
