Rather strange debate in the Netherlands.....

[dutchdemocrat]

I was just watching a Dutch news program with my wife and saw once again how the government here goes about handling issues in a pragmatic and unusual way... quite unlike anywhere else.

It seems that a group of people are lobbying government to back a 'social' project where a proportion of the growth and production of marijuana in the Netherlands will be 'controlled' (Koffie Shops will have to buy a certain amount from them) by a cooperative. The intention of the group is to provide jobs for those in Dutch society who are not very 'employable' tending to the plants and harvesting them. Space, logistics and management will be directed by a board and it's intended to be a 'non-profit' organization.

If that wasn't strange enough - they then ventured into a koffie shop and interviewed some rather irate owners who feel that the market is better served by being open rather than controlled - and expressed severe disconcern what may happen to the 'quality' of the pot if left to inexperienced growers. Basically they said it's not easy to grow and really should be left up to the experts. Of course the camera showed two or three ounces of grass being picked through by a barman for nice buds for a customer and then zoomed in for a closeup on some guy pulling a huge drag off of a Bob Marley 'cone joint' the size of an ice cream cone.

What a strange place to live sometimes... so different.

I don't smoke but am an adamant supporter of the legalization of marijuana. It makes so much sense - when you see how easily it blends into the society here and is 'normal'.

Cheers.

DD

[SteppingRazor]

1. I don't necessarily agree with the shop owners' claim...

as long as experienced, knowledgable growers are in charge of the operation, assistants don't necessarily have to be skilled. Marijuana is actually a very hardy plant -- though, admittedly, some of the highly potent strains are more delicate. They don't call it "weed" for nothing -- it is, after all, just that. A weed. And it grows like one.

On edit: Ahem. Not that I would know about these things, or know anyone who does.

[texastoast]

4. Ahem ahem indeed!!!

:rofl:

[mestup]

9. Another ahem

Medicinal value alert: long ago in a galaxy far away (70s) this weed helped me quit smoking cigs. Believe it!

[hobbit709]

5. Yes, it's a weed

but unless you want "Kansas Ditchweed" it takes a lot of effort. Believe me, I know.

[Ravenseye]

8. Indiana Ditchweed will mess you up

Or so I hear. Some sort of governemntal experiment gone awry. I wouldn't know from personal experience or anything.

[Wilber_Stool]

27. You can't be talking about Rantool Rag.

Rantool, near Chanute Air Force Base in IL, was a major grower of hemp during WW II. Looks just like pot when it's harvested but doesn't make you high. Somebody gets busted every year trying to smuggle some out.

[Ravenseye]

28. Nah not that crap (nt)

[texastoast]

18. Yep

Even if you grow it from seed that came from REALLY great stuff.

Or so I've heard.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

2. Doesn't it make perfect sense?

I'm with you, and I'll raise you the decriminalization of all drugs, and the elimination of all drug laws.

We balance the budget within one year, and we empty our prisons.

We also have happier people, less crime, peace and prosperity.

No one who's high ever starts a fight or a war.

Thanks for this.

[SteppingRazor]

3. Agreed.

I'm also for the end of the drug war, complete legalization (not just decriminalization. With legalization, government could tax the product), and the release of nonviolent drug offenders.

[texastoast]

10. Oh, baby

You will be stepping on some toes. The drug war czars get paid with our tax money, and they would need to find new jobs.

Judges
Attorneys
Law Enforcement
Prison Employees

Do you happen to have a figure on how much it costs the US to keep reefer illegal?

A Libertarian associate of mine says, "Make drugs legal. Make drugs pure. Those idiots who continue to abuse them will get themselves out of the gene pool pretty quickly."

[OldLeftieLawyer]

12. As Jor-El said to his son,

"You must use your powers for good."

As John Lennon said, "Imagine........."

[punpirate]

26. Last I heard (couple of years ago)...

... the drug "war" was costing the US--in manpower, military assistance, etc.--about $30 billion a year.

How that breaks down for soft drugs and hard drugs, I doubt that anyone has figures on that.

At least some of that better spent elsewhere.

[bonito]

13. All the lifetime pot smokers I have known

Are calm, passive yet productive. only problem is the market isn't cornered by big corporations, yet.

[texastoast]

20. They are calm

And they laugh A LOT.

I think there are many law enforcement folks on the take from the drug lords. So you have drug lords who don't want it legal because the price would go down I'm assuming, and you have dirty law enforcement who won't get their kickbacks anymore. And any money made on trafficking is tax-free!! Are we stupid or what?

Meanwhile, can I interest you in a little Everclear? 90% pure grain alcohol. Drink too much and wake up dead.

But that's legal. :eyes:

[Angry Girl]

14. But Big Pharma would never allow it!

Can you imagine millions of people no longer needing Valium, Ambien, Prozac, or pain killers?

[Arkansas Granny]

22. IMO that's the main reason marijuana hasn't been legalized yet.

[Angry Girl]

24. That and because it allows the US military to interfere w/ any country

under pretenses of the "drug war." Aside from the two polar caps, I don't think there's any place on earth where the weed don't grow....

[mestup]

6. We debate the merits of torture instead.

How disgusting.

I'd rather see our elected reps in a heated debate about who should control the sale of marijuana. (Can you imagine C-Span's ratings? LOL)

[Taverner]

7. Um...do you guys in the Netherlands have room for one more family?

Seriously! Wifey, I and our child would love to live there! And I am 1/4 Dutch....

[dutchdemocrat]

21. Well...

You should check with the Dutch Embassy and find out if you can get citizenship. That's how I got in. I have had a Dutch passport since 1985 (dual Canadian) I know they changed the laws recently - and lightened up a lot for descendants of Cloggies overseas.

ON EDIT: I also run a .org website for english speaking expatriates living in Europe and post jobs via rss daily here:

http://www.expatforums.org/forums_plus/viewforum.php?f=81

Free feeds for English speaking jobs in Euroland...

[Angry Girl]

11. Now THAT is what I call civilized!

You guys also have legalized prostitution, btw, which I'm very in favor of.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

15. Not me

OldLeftieLawyer, as a hippie chick, gave it away.

Fun, like speech, should be free............. ;)

[Angry Girl]

16. LOL!

You're pretty cool for an "old leftie lawyer"!

[OldLeftieLawyer]

19. Damn straight

That's because I gave it away............

;)

[dutchdemocrat]

23. Legalized and Unionized

Just like the military - who have a union too.

[Christa]

17. Although it's called weed

or wiet, in Dutch, the stuff that's grown in backyards is just not the same quality as the weed you buy in Koffieshops.

Believe me.

:smoke:

[Angry Girl]

25. Don't remind us!

*sigh*