Legal Drugs V Illegal Drugs

[bonoman]

Hello all, well i dont post here much just repond but i actually got pissed off enough to see what others think of this:

I live here, here being Edmonton, Edmonton being in Western Canada. In my provience, Alberta, a pack of smokes currently is $10, in a few weeks time that will become $15! Yes 15 dollars for a pack of smokes. Now many that do not smoke will just say too bad, but for the many of that do smoke it is a very high price.

I live here, here being Edmonton, Edmonton being in Western Canada. In my provience, Alberta, a gram of weed (2 joints and some of the strongest in the world) is currently $10, and through sources that i have some say might go down to 7-8$. Now many of you who dont smokes weed will just say WHAT THE HELL, but for the many of young 15 and 16 year old they are loving it.

Should a drug that is illegal be going down in price whilea drug that is legal be going up. What sort of prededant are we setting for our youth (i say youth like i'm old or someting)

Do you think $15 for a pack of smokes is crazy? I do! I think it is another tax on the working man. The way i look at it many working class people smoke. This isnt based on anything its just my experience. Recently liqour went up in cost and the way i see it my provincial gov't is taking advantage of the prosperity of my area. They have become complacent because they have become the richest prov. in Canada and was not effected to the same degree the US was in the down turn.

Would you be pissed?

 

[U2Bama]

I thinks you should demand higher prices of the pushermen.

~U2Alabama

 

[melon]

I think cigarettes should be banned. We've banned much less for being even a fraction of a possibility of being fatal.

Melon

 

[Blacksword]

If I smoked I'd care but I used to be madly allergic to tobacco. It's not too bad now, I even occasionaly smoke a little pipe tobacco when the guys I live with smoke, but I can't stand cigarettes. I'm for a total ban on smoking in all public places, since I hate smelling like an ash try when I leave a bar. Plus I don't particularly like the idea of getting cancer from second hand smoke. Smoking is a luxury, if its that important you'll pay it if you don't want to pay quit. If you can't , your addicted and well that's your problem. Sure the government's being a bunch of pricks, but tell me when have Tories not been that way? However it's not their fault you have a physcial dependancy that's exploitable. Like I say if it bothers you cut back or quit.

 

[bonoman]

I agree to a degree. I usually onnly smoke when i drink (which is too often as it is). But if you are willing to raise the pricing to $15 a pack then why not 50? or ban them all together. You see what i'm saying, if your addicted you will buy them but all you are doing is making people spend more of their money that could be going directly to small business to the gov't which is putting it in their back pockets.

Also the illegal trade of smokes is sky rocketing. Indian reserves dont have to pay taxes on smokes or liqour (dont start me there) and many natives that are poor and living on the streets are going to reserves and buying up a load of smokes and selling them to buy hard drugs! They can buy 800 smokes a week!!! thats 24 packs!!! at 10$ a pack 240$!!!!

 

[the olive]

I think that most of that price is probably tax, right?

I'd rather they get tax from cigarettes, alcohol and gas than from food and clothing etc.

 

[nbcrusader]

Maybe the low cost of "weed" is connected to how easy/difficult it is to import/grow the substance in Canada.

 

[bonoman]

well it would be very easy to grow anywhere with hydroponics now adays. But the thing about BC weed is that alot of it is grown in the forest away from cops. I know a guy who has a backyard full of it...he only smokes it himself and gives it to friends.

 

[hiphop]

Hmmm, good that you tell all of us! Soon your backyard will be full of insiders.

Now gimme a cigarette. Cigarettes are food.

 

[U2Bama]

I am calling the RCMP immediately.

~U2Alabama

 

[beegee]

in nevada we can smoke in the grocery store and drink liquor in the streets.

i love this town...

 

[Danospano]

Would I be pissed? Yes and no. I like how the government is taking care of its citizens by uping the price of cigarettes, thus encouraging the people to be more responsible with their health. Considering that Canada's health care system is universally used by every single individual I can understand why they would raise the price of a product that does and will absorb a big chunk of health proceeds in the coming decades. Should other taxes be used to aid people who have smoked for 30-40 years, who get lung cancer? I don't think so.

Here's the twist: I don't like how the government feels its their responsibility to regulate the health of a nation. While Canada is in a different situation than the U.S. I hate having vices taxed to death just because they can. I personally feel alcohol is too expensive as is, and taxing cigarettes isn't going to stop people from smoking. That is unless they raise the price to over $15 a pack and people wise up.

As for pot: It should be legalized across the board. No question there hahahahaha. I'd explain my answer, but I try to limit my responses to less than a page of written text.

 

[baker6621]

Nothing should be banned. EVER. WE CHOOSE what comes into our bodies. Who the FUCK has the right to tell us what is right and wrong when it is OUR BODIES. We make a decision and that decision can have advantages or disadvantages.

Fuckin sheeps.

 

[hiphop]

Sheeps? Its sheep. The shit is messing with your brain brutha

I?m your opinion though, we should be allowed to choose whatever we take. I just think its not very intelligent to talk about backyards and friends in an opened forum, plus I think friends don?t like to be mentioned, do they?

 

[pax]

Mind thy tongues.

 

[hiphop]

Yes, master.

Please don?t close too many threads though.

 

[nbcrusader]

Nothing should be banned. EVER. WE CHOOSE what comes into our bodies. Who the FUCK has the right to tell us what is right and wrong when it is OUR BODIES. We make a decision and that decision can have advantages or disadvantages.

Fuckin sheeps.

I believe your right to pollute your body with whatever you want becomes a societal issue when you end up in the public health center. Or the drugs have an impact on another person.

 

[hiphop]

Well, nbcrusader, but the body is polluted by lots of other stuff, too. Not only by legal drugs (how many alcoholics end up in the clinics and are a societal issue - I think its part of a civil society to properly deal with those issues), also by the cars we are driving - I don?t drive, so why do others have the right to pollute me?

(I know I should sue them, I?m just too lazy).

I agree drugs can have an impact on another person. So don?t smoke when you?re pregnant, or when there are children running around your house, I guess. Apart from that, effects? Hm, the legal drug users are known for that, in fact, those drunkards are beating up people and car crashing and stuff.

Don?t see your argument why this should have to do esp. with illegal drugs.

 

[bonoman]

ya come arrest me for something someone i meet before did...haha...

Ya well why dont we tax fatty foods...they hurt the health system!

 

[Kieran McConville]

I think there is a tendency for extreme strains of moralism to creep into these sort of debates. Obviously at some extreme some 'drug' abuse is a problem that cannot be left unattended. But not every smoker will die (except in so far as we all die at some point). Not every drinker is an alcoholic. Not everyone conforms to media stereotypes.

And that's just the legal drugs. Let's face it, we've all got a vice. It might be nicotine, it might be heroin, it might be working weekends and long nights (Never killed anyone? Tell the Japanese that!).

So, it's a case of who will cast the first stone.

 

[FizzingWhizzbees]

Nothing should be banned. EVER. WE CHOOSE what comes into our bodies. Who the FUCK has the right to tell us what is right and wrong when it is OUR BODIES. We make a decision and that decision can have advantages or disadvantages.

Fuckin sheeps.

Smoking doesn't only affect you. If you smoke in a public place then you're forcing all the people around you to inhale your smoke when they've made a decision not to smoke.

 

[hiphop]

Just like when you?re driving a car.

 

[nbcrusader]

Well, nbcrusader, but the body is polluted by lots of other stuff, too. Not only by legal drugs (how many alcoholics end up in the clinics and are a societal issue - I think its part of a civil society to properly deal with those issues), also by the cars we are driving - I don?t drive, so why do others have the right to pollute me?

(I know I should sue them, I?m just too lazy).

I agree drugs can have an impact on another person. So don?t smoke when you?re pregnant, or when there are children running around your house, I guess. Apart from that, effects? Hm, the legal drug users are known for that, in fact, those drunkards are beating up people and car crashing and stuff.

Don?t see your argument why this should have to do esp. with illegal drugs.

I think we both agree that society does have the right to impose limits on personal behavior, whether it is a limit on how fast we can drive, the places where we can smoke or the substances which we can ingest.

The question now is the degree of control we should put on the various activities.

 

[Klaus]

Well imho it would be fair if the taxes on drugs like Alcohol and Tobaco are high enough to raise enough money to pay their costs for society.

Klaus

 

[melon]

Let's see. I'm tired of the "so let's ban alcohol" argument. First off, there are legal limits on alcohol--an age limit, no drinking and driving, etc.

Secondly, there are no health benefits at all with tobacco usage, and even slight usage is harmful.

Third, in contrast, there are substantial health benefits becoming known with light alcohol consumption.

Melon