Shoutbox

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Originally posted by foaly


Yeah well in the Netherlands you can just buy it in a "coffeeshop" and there are several coffeeshops in big city's so the effects you are talking about should already have taken effect...

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the netherlands are so lucky....

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Originally posted by Chrono
Not really, the fact that they are illegal makes it hard to distribute, hence high prices. If they legalize it, there would be places where you could easily get it, demand would increase (most likely) and so the price would be lower, mostly cause of the fact that there will be competitive stores or whatever selling it.

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Exactly, and another thing is that consumers get close to perfect information.

At the moment, it is really hard to compare prices for drugs, because there are no set prices, and drug dealers don't exactly hang around near each other, plus people aren't likely to say "i'll just go see if I can get it cheaper elsewhere" either.

I.e. a drug dealer has a local monopoly on an area and so they can charge high prices.

If drugs were to be sold, the government would probably create zones where they can be sold, i.e. only in city centres, therefore all the shops that sold them would be very near together, and so the prices would be easier to compare therefore, shops have to compete against each other based on price, so there will be lower prices.

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Originally posted by saralk
Any deaths that do arise from legal cannabis use will mean the government is under more pressure to do more research into drug use, and also there will be better health care because of increased revenue from taxation.

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nobody's died of cannabis.

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Originally posted by ichooselife128

quote:

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Originally posted by foaly


Yeah well in the Netherlands you can just buy it in a "coffeeshop" and there are several coffeeshops in big city's so the effects you are talking about should already have taken effect...

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the netherlands are so lucky....

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In a way, yes.
In the city I live in we have 2 coffeeshops (and a few more dealers). Fact is, the coffeeshops make deals about how high the price will be (I've heard them talking about it, next day prices were higher in both coffeeshops).
Also, the quality they provide isn't the best. It has lots of leaves and stuff you don't want in it, we even found a tiny crack rock once Some people may be happy with that, but the only drugs I use are THC (marijuana, hash, skuff, etc), alcohol (mmmmmm vodka) and psilocybin/psilocin (Shroooooooms) so I wasn't too pleased.
I'm not saying their weed is complete crap, the quality is high compared to eg. most german weed, but low compared to what I buy in a coffeeshop in another city about 30km from here or at one of the local dealers. I still prefer the last option.

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Originally posted by Jesus
In the city I live in we have 2 coffeeshops (and a few more dealers). Fact is, the coffeeshops make deals about how high the price will be (I've heard them talking about it, next day prices were higher in both coffeeshops).

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I don't have economy, but aren't that cartels or is it even more complicated. Can someone explain?

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Originally posted by Jesus
Also, the quality they provide isn't the best.

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If drugs were illegal the quality would probably be worse. But I think the quality should be checked more often by inspectors.

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Originally posted by somelauw

I don't have economy, but aren't that cartels or is it even more complicated. Can someone explain?

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Me neither, but even if it is a cartel, who's gonna step up to it? I mean, the fact that weed can be sold in a coffeeshop doesn't make it legal. That's the downside of the "gedoogbeleid". On paper, the coffeeshops don't even officially sell weed so that part of the sales can not be checked at all and thus, they can not be punished if they don't stick to the rules with that part of the sales (as far as rules apply in this matter)

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Originally posted by somelauw
If drugs were illegal the quality would probably be worse. But I think the quality should be checked more often by inspectors.

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I'm not too sure of that.
Weed in the Netherlands isn't legal, it is "gedoogd", which means it is still illegal, but the police won't act against you if you stay within certain limits. You are allowed to carry 5grams for your own use and you can grow up to 5 plants, also for own use. For the coffeeshop suppliers they make an exception, they are allowed to carry up to 500g at a time. Again, this all isn't legal, it's "gedoogd". And that's only about possession.
Selling weed is something the police will always act upon, except in coffeeshops, where selling weed (only by coffeeshop personell, not customers) is "gedoogd".

So the thing is: professional growing, the stage which is most important to the quality, is already illegal anyway.
Also, if I buy weed in the coffeeshop (gedoogd), the quality is lower than when I buy it at my dealer (illegal).
So the completely illegal way gives me better quality that the "less illegal, but still illegal" way.

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Originally posted by ShawnZ


nobody's died of cannabis.

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actually somebody has, they ate too much pollen and leaves and died!

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/01/20/1074...html?from=storyrhs

R.I.P XX

I'm sure if you smoke enough of anything you'll die.

After watching the show "Penn & Teller: Bullshit" on legalizing drugs, I see no harm. More people die of cigarrette and alcohal use, there has been no recording in the history of man of a person dying from a clean cannabis overdose. It's the choice of the person who wants to do it.

"Land of the free? Stay the fuck out of my house!" -Penn

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Originally posted by LoochTheMan
After watching the show "Penn & Teller: Bullshit" on legalizing drugs, I see no harm. More people die of cigarrette and alcohal use, there has been no recording in the history of man of a person dying from a clean cannabis overdose. It's the choice of the person who wants to do it.

"Land of the free? Stay the fuck out of my house!" -Penn

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Yes! I saw that too. And they interviewed that guy who is one of 8 or so people left in America which are legally allowed to smoke cannabis.