Uruguay government aims to legalise marijuana

[xSilverPhinx]

Uruguay government aims to legalise marijuana

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

Sometimes I wonder why more countries don't decriminalize the consumption of certain drugs such as marijuana. Criminalizing it seems pointless because not only does it send truckloads of money into the hands of drug cartels and mafiosos, and the cost of cleaning up after drug users of societies and governments, users go underground and have a higher chance perhaps of using some of the harder and cheaper drugs such as cocaine and crack though contact with dealers.  

Note: I don't use marijuana, I'm not defending it out of personal interest.  

Edit: grammar clean-up.

[markmcdaniel]

We saw the same thing when Prohibition was imposed. It did not work then and does it does not work now.

[Icarus]

The US goverment is crapping in its' mess kit by not legalizing pot. It would be a source of tax revenue and would shut down a large component of the murderous drug cartels. The key to success in diminishing the criminal influence would be to make the stuff available and cheap. I have long advocated this idea; When the coast Guard siezes a few tons of pot they do not destroy it. Instead they make up dime bags and go out in the street and sell it for ten cents plus 50% federal tax. That would make the drug industry less profitable would it not?

Disclaimer. I have never ever touched weed or hard drug of any kind.  I Hope to check off one of the things on my bucket list by getting a good quality weed and smoking it one time.  Trouble is that I would not know a good weed from a bad one and I do not know any connoisseurs of such stuff.

Is a third world latin american nation smarter than we are? 

[markmcdaniel]

The US goverment is crapping in its' mess kit by not legalizing pot. It would be a source of tax revenue and would shut down a large component of the murderous drug cartels. The key to success in diminishing the criminal influence would be to make the stuff available and cheap. I have long advocated this idea; When the coast Guard siezes a few tons of pot they do not destroy it. Instead they make up dime bags and go out in the street and sell it for ten cents plus 50% federal tax. That would make the drug industry less profitable would it not?

Disclaimer. I have never ever touched weed or hard drug of any kind.  I Hope to check off one of the things on my bucket list by getting a good quality weed and smoking it one time.  Trouble is that I would not know a good weed from a bad one and I do not know any connoisseurs of such stuff.

Is a third world latin american nation smarter than we are? 

This will never fly with the Tea Party. Its a new tax. Otherwise its probably a good idea.

[Asmodean]

When the coast Guard siezes a few tons of pot they do not destroy it. Instead they make up dime bags and go out in the street and sell it for ten cents plus 50% federal tax. That would make the drug industry less profitable would it not?

Yes, but that is not that simple. On my side of the pond, smoking and drinking is perfectly legal, and yet the confiscated product is destroyed unless it is undoubtedly genuine. Now, if pot was legal, how would one go about verifying its manufacturer?

Is a third world latin american nation smarter than we are? 

It's pot. Can't judge a country's intelligence by what it lets people smoke without fear of jail and fines. On the other hand, if by "we" you mean the United States... Well... That's another story.

[Dobermonster]

When the coast Guard siezes a few tons of pot they do not destroy it. Instead they make up dime bags and go out in the street and sell it for ten cents plus 50% federal tax.

If only a dime bag actually cost 10 cents . . .  
(Of course, I wouldn't know, but the kids tell me it runs for 10 bucks.)

I see no reason to keep it illegal, except for the good publicity the police force gets whenever they make a big bust. Busting a grow op doesn't actually *do* anything to prohibit marijuana use. I think one of the better arguments for decriminilizing it is the money it will take out of large drug operations like the HA. Pot is probably their prime seller, and funds operations for addictive and more dangerous narcotics. Will it cause narcotics to go up in price and become harder to get? Or will it make operations focus on their production to make them more appealing and available? I think the former. Not to mention, if legalized, then many of the problems incorrectly associated with marijuana but are actually the result of tainted/laced buds, will drop with the standardization of production.

Uruguay may or may not be smarter, but they certainly sound more fun.