• The KillerFrogs

OT: HB447 Texas Legalization

Are you for or against cannabis legalization in Texas?

  • Yes

    Votes: 76 85.4%
  • No

    Votes: 13 14.6%

  • Total voters
    89

tcudoc

Full Member
Interesting correlation.

What are we supposed to take from that, is MJ causing increased opioid overdoses? Or that we still aren’t doing a good enough job with over prescribing highly addictive opioids, and helping those who become addicted after being prescribed, and/or addicted via black market sources, AKA the plug?
My takeaway is that THC was legalized under the premise that it was being prescribed for chronic pain and that the amount of opioid pain meds prescribed/consumed would drop. That was not the case. It’s much more complicated than just that, but that is one approach to the information in the graph.
 

Pharm Frog

Full Member
That’s not true at all. We all pay to take care of them. They do not pay their own way. They are charity care at our hospitals.

This is one topic I have changed my mind about fairly recently. Until I worked in psychiatric medicine I was pretty libertarian on legalization. Now...not so much. Nothing I have seen in medical literature, discussed with clinicians and social workers, and seen from the legislative side has reversed my thinking. Just last weekend several of my son’s high school buddies were around and they all had OK medical marijuana permits.

And...spare me the “taxable income” argument until government becomes even a marginally responsible steward which will never happen because it’s not in its nature. Still wondering how Texas’ public education system seems to be perpetually underfunded with all those lottery dollars earmarked for education.
 

Froggish

Active Member
I was living in CO when recreational use marijuana was legalized and I was living in OK when medical was legalized. The interesting piece in these bills that people miss is that they all allow card holding residents to grow a small number of plants for “self consumption”. This little piece of adder in these bills means that the black market for weed is actually as strong or stronger than ever. It is a misconception that legalization kills off the local drug dealer. If I was interested, I could go get weed on the black market 30-40% cheaper than the tax to the hilt weed in the dispensaries. Go into any dispensary in CO and you’ll have a hard time finding a local..It’s just tourist who don’t mind spending their vacation money on gummies and blunts

If it was just about money states would just eliminate the personal growth part and if we’re just about health they wouldn’t need dispensaries. Just let people grow there own for there own consumption and charge a fee. The legalization movement is a farce.
 
Last edited:

TX_Krötenechse

Active Member
Legalize it and release the thousands of low-level drug offenders from our prisons

While we’re at it, legalize shrooms for medical use since there’s a ton of stuff coming out about their effects as a anti-depressant
 

TX_Krötenechse

Active Member
I'm sure all of the people in South and Central America totally agree with this.
The US legalizing drugs would be the best thing to happen to places ruled by cartels ... or it would have been 20 years ago. Now the cartels are too deeply entrenched in legitimate businesses as well as drugs to be killed off by the US market losing interest.
 

NORMLFROG

Full Member
All the soccer style nut kicks roused me from my slumber. I’m in favor of legalization and I’m not convinced it’s a gateway drug. My suspicion is the “gateway victims” might have underlying addiction issues that don’t plague normal folks.

I only say that cause I know many folks who occasionally take grass and many of those same types only drink one or two beers at a sitting. You know, normal folks.

Not everyone is that lucky. Do I think it can be regulated and taxed. Sure. It that going to be an economic panacea? Colorado tells us probably not but the extra tax revenue can’t hurt. Especially if the legislature is creative about revenue allocation.

I do find it incredibly disconcerting that we are willing to throw opioids and dangerous steroids at medical conditions but we start pearl clutching at the very thought of a bong hit providing pain relief to a suffering human.

The fact that these types of issues aren’t dying in committee any longer gives me hope of reasoned debate on the issue.

NF
 

CountryFrog

Active Member
I was living in CO when recreational use marijuana was legalized and I was living in OK when medical was legalized. The interesting piece in these bills that people miss is that they all allow card holding residents to grow a small number of plants for “self consumption”. This little piece of adder in these bills means that the black market for weed is actually as strong or stronger than ever. It is a misconception that legalization kills off the local drug dealer. If I was interested, I could go get weed on the black market 30-40% cheaper than the tax to the hilt weed in the dispensaries. Go into any dispensary in CO and you’ll have a hard time finding a local..It’s just tourist who don’t mind spending their vacation money on gummies and blunts

If it was just about money states would just eliminate the personal growth part and if we’re just about health they wouldn’t need dispensaries. Just let people grow there own for there own consumption and charge a fee. The legalization movement is a farce.
Absolutely. Whether you're for or against legalization, the idea that it will reduce the black market trade in these substances is totally false. The margin on the illegal trade is so much higher and those who are currently in it are not going to suddenly start doing everything legally while seeing their profits cut in half. There will ALWAYS be illegal trafficking and selling of all these things.

Now it may put a few small time dealers out of business but the big cartels will barely even notice the difference.
 

CountryFrog

Active Member
The US legalizing drugs would be the best thing to happen to places ruled by cartels ... or it would have been 20 years ago. Now the cartels are too deeply entrenched in legitimate businesses as well as drugs to be killed off by the US market losing interest.
Legalizing drugs here won't stop cartel activities there. Won't even be a blip on the screen for the big cartels and it wouldn't have been 20 years ago either because, legal or not, you can't grow coca in the US anyway.
 

BrewingFrog

Was I supposed to type something here?
Legalizing drugs here won't stop cartel activities there. Won't even be a blip on the screen for the big cartels and it wouldn't have been 20 years ago either because, legal or not, you can't grow coca in the US anyway.
Of course you can't. It's tropical.
 

Eight

Member
today is the first day under oregon's new laws that decriminalize possession of "small amounts" of controlled substances

https://www.statesmanjournal.com/st...ize-drugs-cocaine-heroin-meth-oxy/4318668001/

from the article for those pondering what is a "small amount"

"How much is a 'small' amount?
The measure makes possession of the following a noncriminal violation:

  • Less than 1 gram of heroin.
  • Less than 1 gram, or less than 5 pills, of MDMA.
  • Less than 2 grams of methamphetamine.
  • Less than 40 units of LSD.
  • Less than 12 grams of psilocybin.
  • Less than 40 units of methadone.
  • Less than 40 pills of oxycodone.
  • Less than 2 grams of cocaine.
The measure also reduces from a felony to a misdemeanor simple possession of substances containing:

  • 1 to 3 grams of heroin.
  • 1 to 4 grams of MDMA.
  • 2 to 8 grams of methamphetamine.
  • 2 to 8 grams of cocaine. "
friend from church who is a retired ems from portalnd suggested they should pull all narcan from the rigs and let darwinism thin the herd a bit
 

LSU Game Attendee

Active Member
That argument was used years ago in Colorado. That did not work out. The overdose deaths are skyrocketing. A colleague from Colorado just sent me this graph.
View attachment 8523
Interesting correlation that doesn't make any sense to me. Does your colleague have a relationship with JNJ, MNK, Purdue?

Proceeding to anecdotal town, my position is based on a sample size of a single person with Chron's. The one patient had to take opioids and steroids to control inflammation and be able to get some sleep with flare-ups. She's on a biologic (Humira worked great for a couple of years, then somehow became completely ineffective following a pregnancy- now responding well to Stelara) but needs additional symptoms management. The legal tools for symptoms management had wild side effects from mood swings to eyelashes falling out.

After a few years of disciplined cannabis use (vapes only a small amount- scientific measure of "one vape puff" nightly, immediately prior to going to bed) flares are much better controlled, sleep is better, and there have been ZERO side effects. Steroids and opioids have been eliminated in this one case.
 
Top