New York officially legalizes marijuana

[TheUser420]

The Daily Mail usually moderates comments on articles about cannabis, as it has to hide the fact it's readership don't agree with it.

But it's curious to note they have published quite a few supportive comments. Given the UKs position as one of the worlds biggest cannabis exporters, I find myself wondering who's lobbying who here. And where. And why ?

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9423641/Governor-Cuomo-signs-bill-legalizing-recreational-marijuana-New-York-state.html

Not sure I follow? For once they're reporting news without it seems pushing a particular agenda... which is I admit quite amazing.... but lobbying?

I visited Canada a few years ago and it was strange to have local places doing cannabis deliveries like you'd order pizza. Despite the legality of buying and using it, it's use was banned in public (as was alcohol) and most if not all hotels and apartment buildings banned the smoking of it (but also tobacco). While odd, it all made perfect sense.

The US is a bit behind - many states still ban it, but it's been legal in so many places for so long now, it's hardly even newsworthy any more.

I'm curious what effect legalising it has on crime, as presumably that is a large part of why its legalised. Over time do other types of illegal drugs take its place? Does it reduce crime or drive it elsewhere?

"Crime" is merely what you say it is, and tends to be heavily misused by politicians anyway.

A much better metric is level of harm.

So the real question (notice, it's not the question asked in the UK) is has the level of harm reduced. Not just "crime", but society as a whole.

A really good yardstick is alcohol.

Over time do other types of illegal drugs take its place?

If you made cannabis harder to come by, then this would likely occur, but legalising it makes it easier to come by - so why would anyone be incentivised to go for other illegal drugs? If anything that's more likely to occur at the moment when the same suppliers are selling cannabis AND harder drugs.

And if people aren't getting introduced to and hooked on harder drugs, they aren't going to need as much cash to fund their habit which would lead to a reduction in robberies and muggings.

If you ignore the political rants, which are usually entirely based on personal anecdotes and unevidenced conjecture and look directly at the data - there's a fair amount of this now, you see the above pattern quite clearly.

www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07418825.2019.1666903?journalCode=rjqy20

partner.sciencenorway.no/cannabis-forskningno-legal-system/legalization-of-medical-marijuana-reduces-crime/1415616

The argument that more people smoking cannabis, means more smoking harder drugs has been proven false.

Most political rants can be traced back to the legal drug pushers of alcohol and tobacco and their lackeys. Not opposed by the Nixonesque racists of course.

My starter drug was the harder stuff. Cannabis was harder to get hold of yet speed, coke, E’s and Acid where all very easy to get my hands on.

Over the years a lot of my cannabis dealers only sell that and not the harder stuff for a multitude of reasons.

If it was legalised then surely more controls would be put into place like the tobacco and alcohol industry?

Reading about why it was originally banned is really interesting. And the negative language hasn’t really changed since.

@TheUser420

"Crime" is merely what you say it is, and tends to be heavily misused by politicians anyway.

A much better metric is level of harm.

So the real question (notice, it's not the question asked in the UK) is has the level of harm reduced. Not just "crime", but society as a whole.

A really good yardstick is alcohol.

Thanks great point.