Let's talk about drugs

[Jesster]

By the way, legal pot is not more expensive than you r local dealer.  

WA state taxes the fuck out of weed, and I can go buy an eighth for under $20 if I'm not too picky, and there is outstanding weed in the $30-35 range.

Across the border in Oregon, oddly enough legal prices are almost identical despite a much friendlier tax structure.

I'm originally from Oregon, so I can understand the difference. Oregon doesn't really do sales tax. Taxes are mostly from property and income there. Of course Washington would throw a higher sales tax on anything that can be taxed.

[account_inactive]

Cannabis should be totally legalized and then we can tax the absolute hell out of it.

[Jackalope]

By the way, legal pot is not more expensive than you r local dealer.  

WA state taxes the fuck out of weed, and I can go buy an eighth for under $20 if I'm not too picky, and there is outstanding weed in the $30-35 range.

Across the border in Oregon, oddly enough legal prices are almost identical despite a much friendlier tax structure.

I'm originally from Oregon, so I can understand the difference. Oregon doesn't really do sales tax. Taxes are mostly from property and income there. Of course Washington would throw a higher sales tax on anything that can be taxed.

The difference between Oregon and Washington is 17% vs 37% based on retail sale amount.   I'm not sure if they tack sales tax on top of that.  The tax is just rolled into the price.

ETA - yeah I know all about the difference, I'm in the unenviable position of paying income tax to Oregon and property and sales tax to Washington (though I do what shopping I can in Oregon since its so close).

[PETE_ROSE]

Definitely some merit in the decriminalization of drugs. I tend to take a more libertarian view I believe. I am for less government, less regulation, less taxes on nearly everything.

What I would like to see is personal accountability. At some point I would like the obligation for treatment, support, enablement to end. If someone wishes to continue down a self destructive path, go ahead.

Personal accountability means support yourself, pay your own way through life, live quietly in the place you make for yourself.

It does appear that the current path we've taken in America has not delivered the desired results. Those same funds spent on rehabilitation and treatment could yield more positive results.

[PETE_ROSE]

Definitely some merit in the decriminalization of drugs. I tend to take a more libertarian view I believe. I am for less government, less regulation, less taxes on nearly everything.

What I would like to see is personal accountability. At some point I would like the obligation for treatment, support, enablement to end. If someone wishes to continue down a self destructive path, go ahead.

Personal accountability means support yourself, pay your own way through life, live quietly in the place you make for yourself.

It does appear that the current path we've taken in America has not delivered the desired results. Those same funds spent on rehabilitation and treatment could yield more positive results.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Meth -is- sold at your nearest convenience store, that's why there's a meth problem. It's cheaper than crack was and you don't need to go to a south american country to source it.

You do, however, have to have a trailer you don't mind blowing up.

[Sterben]

I believe that hard drugs should stay as there in regards to the laws, as far as we treat the addicts; the way we treat them needs to be reformed. Let's just end the debate about Pot now, it's generally harmless and has a lot of health benefits. All were doing as a society is wasting our time with the back and forth about pot. We need to deal with big pharma, street drugs will always be a problem, but these people are becoming worse then a crack dealer. I was a part of the generation that was filled with Rtalin, I was also a victim of it.

Don't get me wrong, when I was younger taking pills was fun, would I advise it; no I would not. I know a lot of good people who could not control their drug habits and payed a price for it. The way we approach the topic of "Drugs" needs to change radically. Programs like "Dare" only increase drug users, even when I was child I thought they were douches and did not want to be like them.

[Thumpalumpacus]

I do think a rehabilitative approach is in society's best interests. I know recovering methheads, speedfreaks, coke fiends, and junkies. At their worst, they were worse than alcoholics, because with the exception of meth their DoCs were more expensive than booze, which led them in most cases to turn to crime.

Requiring rehab for drug-rooted crime, and decriminalizing the actual drug use seems to be reasonable to me. We require DUI convicts to attend rehab, and while it's not completely successful, I think it's better than simply throwing them in jail with no educational requirement at all.

[Joods]

Personal accountability means support yourself, pay your own way through life, live quietly in the place you make for yourself.  

I dunno. There are way too many variables involved for this to ever happen.

[Excited Penguin]

I'm not a frequent drug user, only a very occasional one for the time being, but I agree that pot and all other drugs should be legalized. I take a libertarian view on the matter.