UN agency sends angry letter to Uruguay over marijuana legalisation - Polidicks

[quote]The decision of the Uruguayan legislature fails to consider its negative impacts on health since scientific studies confirm that cannabis is an addictive substance with serious consequences for people’s health. Cannabis… may also affect some fundamental brain functions, IQ potential, and academic and job performance and impair driving skills.[/quote] [URL]http://incb.org/documents/Publications/PressRelease/PR2013/press_release_111213.pdf[/URL] I'd quote more, but I can't copy text from the PDF unfortunately so that's an except from a site whereby they bothered to put the effort into rewriting that little paragraph out by hand. It's pretty retarded for the UN to get all pissy just because somebody has altered the status quo, but what can you expect from the UN.

Replace the words cannabis with alcohol, and the statement still stands.. The mentality is just stupid; let people consume what they want, and regulate its distribution.

Are we meant to be surprised that the International Narcotics Control Board isn't happy about this

The letter summarized: [i]Goddammit Uruguay, stop making the rest of us look bad.[/i]

[QUOTE=smurfy;43179010]Are we meant to be surprised that the International Narcotics Control Board isn't happy about this[/QUOTE] Well considering that marijuana isn't a fucking narcotic in the first place I don't know why the hell they get a say in this at all.

[QUOTE=sltungle;43179017]Well considering that marijuana isn't a fucking narcotic in the first place I don't know why the hell they get a say in this at all.[/QUOTE] How exactly do you define narcotic? There are a couple of definitions of that going around.

[QUOTE=proch;43179262]How exactly do you define narcotic? There are a couple of definitions of that going around.[/QUOTE] Scientifically there's one. Any substance which has sleep-inducing properties. Y'know, hence the 'narco' part in 'narcotic'. Ever heard of narcosis or narcolepsy?

[Quote]Cannabis… may also affect some fundamental brain functions, IQ potential, and academic and job performance and impair driving skills.[/Quote] Doesn't alcohol do all of these already?

[QUOTE=sltungle;43179358]Scientifically there's one. Any substance which has sleep-inducing properties. Y'know, hence the 'narco' part in 'narcotic'. Ever heard of narcosis or narcolepsy?[/QUOTE] I'm kinda a Bio-chemist, so yeah. Sadly usually people aren't fans of scientific strictness. Hence my question.

[QUOTE=Saturn V;43179413]Doesn't alcohol do all of these already?[/QUOTE] Don't you dare badmouth alcohol

Shit already said

[QUOTE] Cannabis… may also affect some fundamental brain functions, IQ potential, and academic and job performance and impair driving skills.[/QUOTE] And alcohol doesn't?

[QUOTE=proch;43179428]I'm kinda a Bio-chemist, so yeah. Sadly usually people aren't fans of scientific strictness. Hence my question.[/QUOTE] If they did I imagine cannabis would already be legal, or alcohol and tobacco would be illegal alongside it. One or the other.

People should realize that revenues earned from illegal activities aren't taxed (i.e. selling the stuff) If they legalize it, they will be able to tap into that revenue pool and tax it which means more money for the government which then would allow them to spend more money on services and projects.

[QUOTE=mcattack1092;43179575]People should realize that revenues earned from illegal activities aren't taxed (i.e. selling the stuff) If they legalize it, they will be able to tap into that revenue pool and tax it which means more money for the government which then would allow them to spend more money on services and projects.[/QUOTE] The issue isn't money, it's social conservatism.

[QUOTE=Lonestriper;43179433]Don't you dare badmouth alcohol[/QUOTE] Hate to break it to you, but as far as I know, alcohol has larger negative impacts than marijuana. At least that's what I'm told by a stoner and some probably questionable articles on the internet :v: [editline]14th December 2013[/editline] I don't like how the UN seems to have such massive influence over the decisions by a member state. It's their parliament, they should be able to decide whether to legalize marijuana or not. In my opinion, the UN shouldn't be able to influence decisions such as these...

[QUOTE=Recurracy;43180423]Hate to break it to you, but as far as I know, alcohol has larger negative impacts than marijuana. At least that's what I'm told by a stoner and some probably questionable articles on the internet :v:[/QUOTE] well, the alcohol itself probably isn't and less or more harmful, but the method it's administered is a helluva lot healthier than smoking.

I realise it'll make drug tourism easier, but before Uruguay, the Netherlands were pot safe haven 'till the weedpass. It was really unnecessary and even made illegal dealing more attractive...

[QUOTE=sltungle;43179358]Scientifically there's one. Any substance which has sleep-inducing properties. Y'know, hence the 'narco' part in 'narcotic'. Ever heard of narcosis or narcolepsy?[/QUOTE] Does marijuana induce sleep?

[QUOTE=Cabbage;43180437]well, the alcohol itself probably isn't and less or more harmful, but the method it's administered is a helluva lot healthier than smoking.[/QUOTE] It's still a waste product from the yeasting process, whereas in a joint you're smoking the tabacco along with the marijuana. I guess it's less harmful with a bong because part of the smoke stays inside the water. As far as I know, anyway. Of course ingesting it is easier than breathing it in, hell I remember the first time I was passing the blunt, it almost made me puke :v:

[QUOTE=Recurracy;43180423]Hate to break it to you, but as far as I know, alcohol has larger negative impacts than marijuana. At least that's what I'm told by a stoner and some probably questionable articles on the internet :v: [editline]14th December 2013[/editline] [B] I don't like how the UN seems to have such massive influence over the decisions by a member state[/B]. It's their parliament, they should be able to decide whether to legalize marijuana or not. In my opinion, the UN shouldn't be able to influence decisions such as these...[/QUOTE] they DONT.

[QUOTE=sltungle;43179358]Scientifically there's one. Any substance which has sleep-inducing properties. Y'know, hence the 'narco' part in 'narcotic'. Ever heard of narcosis or narcolepsy?[/QUOTE] But weed has sleep-inducing properties for a lot (if not the majority) of users. I used it very often as a sleep-aid, and I'm fairly sure it's prescribed for that purpose in states where medical use of it is allowed.

[QUOTE=O Cheerios O;43179012]The letter summarized: [i]Goddammit Uruguay, stop making the rest of us look bad.[/i][/QUOTE] They went against a convention, what kinda reaction did you expect? This isn't Uruguay playing the noble drug lord hero. Why's everyone jumping on that one line with the alcohol comparison either? It's a slippery slope, not a justification. Besides, there's this one right after it: [quote]Smoking cannabis is more carcinogenic than smoking tobacco[/quote] Which seems like a way bigger deal to me. Well, apart from the psychological impacts like anxiety, paranoia, panic attacks, acute psychosis and the usual irrational decision-making. All of which I'm sure is just superstition of old people jealous of untaxed sick blazes, bra.

[QUOTE=Marik Bentusi;43180759]They went against a convention, what kinda reaction did you expect? This isn't Uruguay playing the noble drug lord hero. Why's everyone jumping on that one line with the alcohol comparison either? It's a slippery slope, not a justification. Besides, there's this one right after it: Which seems like a way bigger deal to me. Well, apart from the psychological impacts like anxiety, paranoia, panic attacks, acute psychosis and the usual irrational decision-making. All of which I'm sure is just superstition of old people jealous of untaxed sick blazes, bra.[/QUOTE] this is hilariously naive and misinformed

[QUOTE=Saturn V;43179413]Doesn't alcohol do all of these already?[/QUOTE] Not Permanently.

[QUOTE=Superkilll307;43180803]Not Permanently.[/QUOTE] Any hardcore alcoholic would be a living proof of the exact opposite.

[QUOTE=O Cheerios O;43180877]Any hardcore alcoholic would be a living proof of the exact opposite.[/QUOTE] The above is Moderate Cannabis usage, congrats you just compared moderate Cannabis usage to Alcoholism.

[QUOTE=Superkilll307;43180912]The above is Moderate Cannabis usage, congrats you just compared moderate Cannabis usage to Alcoholism.[/QUOTE] They didn't specify what tey meant with moderate nor cited peer reviewed scientific studies. So only thing that can be done is assuming.

[QUOTE=O Cheerios O;43181031]They didn't specify what tey meant with moderate nor cited peer reviewed scientific studies. So only thing that can be done is assuming.[/QUOTE] Do you really need them to specify considering the info is out there? [editline]14th December 2013[/editline] Actually while on that its important to remember a lot of these dangers are ones that mostly affect Children and adolescents not adults as heavily.

[QUOTE=Superkilll307;43180912]The above is Moderate Cannabis usage, congrats you just compared moderate Cannabis usage to Alcoholism.[/QUOTE] just one puff is all it takes to induce permanent reefer madness