'Legalise and tax marijuana'

[Oz]

PROSECUTING the marijuana trade makes no financial sense in a market with an almost infinite supply, a leading US drugs campaigner says.

 

A better path is to regulate the drugs and impose taxes on their supply, given drugs are more easily available in larger quantities and at cheaper prices, says Ethan Nadelmann, director of New York-based Drug Policy Alliance.

 

In Australia to discuss drug policy, Mr Nadelmann told the National Press Club yesterday support was building for decriminalisation of marijuana use in the US, with approval from 44 per cent of the population, a marked hike from

 

36 per cent five years ago.

 

Mr Nadelmann said high school students in the US claimed it was easier to get their hands on marijuana than alcohol, and spending a fortune on policing and jailing those in the trade was wasting money.

 

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Sydney-based drug reform campaigner Alex Wodak agreed that prohibition of drugs was not working, and there had been a rise in violence associated with the drugs underworld that could be curtailed by legalising the industry.

 

Mr Wodak said cannabis was the only drug that could be controlled in Australia by Mr Nadelmann's regulate and tax model.

 

Opponents of Mr Nadelmann's model note the increasing potency of cannabis and marijuana compared with decades ago and refute the notion it is comparatively harmless.

Author: Stephen Lunn

Date: 23/11/2010

Source: The Australian

Copyright: Copyright 2010 News Limited.

[The Hash Nibbler]

F**kin Hurry up!!! You have NO idea how much i wanna open my dispensary/coffeeshop. It's my dream, Coffeeshop in the front, Dispensary in the Back. I'd live upstairs. Growing all the strains I could desire, with no fear. Ahhhhh..........Heaven.

They say if you do something you love for a $ it's not like work at all..........I'd like to try that.

 

So sick of Blowing my smoke into the carbon filter for fear of Narcs dobbing me in and sneaking around like a crim when I water my girls, and it's only a few. Just because some right wing Cock wad pollies can't see the BIG picture. It's not a Life.

Used to be able to have two plants, now it's none, WTF? Were goin Backwards....................

 

I'll pay tax on it, sell it to only 18+ adults, keep the drunks outta my establishment, give back to the community through Cannabis Education. Let's get it out in the open and then we can get on with it.

 

So get it together already. Gh72

 

P.s. Thanks Oz

Edited November 23, 2010 by Grasshopper72

[sew850i]

nice one gh! its definitely not far.. i just find it weird about the timing of this all.. first the bust, and all of a sudden legalise legalise legalise?

 

anyway heres a video relating to this topic with Ethan Nadelmann:

 

http://ten.com.au/video-player.htm?movideo_p=40984&movideo_m=81012

[smashed1]

i wish theyd hurry up

[Sylar420]

Ethan Nadelmann knows his shit and the type of person we need fighting the problem, not cos he is a smoker because he isnt one well as far as we know, had a comeback for every answer and was quick on the mark as well not ummmmm or ahhhhhh's about it so good on him, i hope he gets his point across and the retards in power listen to him

[Brimstond]

In my opinion Aus will never legalise weed in any way . It goes against all the UN tells us to do and we wouldnt want to be forced out of the UN now would we. All that they do for us, well compared to what weed does for me , wankers. thats why the fed government in USA keeps closing down dispensarys even though state governments say its all good.

UN stance on drugs is old school USA righties if you ask me , total bulldust .

Just hope that the UN does something stupid to make Aus upset with them and maybe we can have weed legalised (well maybe make it easier)

All silly politics I rekon

cheers

[highbreed]

what's the point it would make to much sense

[phreakah]

The UN should change their policy on marijuana use. That's half the problem - no single country wants to be expelled from the UN because they legalised MJ.