Drugs....

[Robert]

... some are illegal. Others are legal and taxed.

Whyzzat?

There are no coherent medical grounds for the differing approaches.

(In politics because I believe the reasons are political.)

 

[Speelgoedmannetje]

Maybe it has to do with the opium wars in China in the mid-19th century...

or because of the primary opiate and meme, religion, is intolerant of other opiates because it threatens it's foundations of seducing people.

 

[Speelgoedmannetje]

Wikipedia is our friend

 

[redrumloa]

Certainly you see a difference between tobacco and crack cocaine?

 

[faethor]

Certainly you see a difference between tobacco and crack cocaine?

Tobacco yes. Some of the unlisted, untested chemicals added to cigarettes? I'm not so sure. I know a couple people that were addicted to Coke, went to prision, and should have. They claim cigarettes, for them, is much harder to break.

 

[Speelgoedmannetje]

Certainly you see a difference between tobacco and crack cocaine?

I've never tried crack nor cocaine, I'm not willing to do so either. At the age of 15, silly as I was I began smoking cigarettes. 2 weeks later I decided it was not something I wanted, and stopped instantly, can't stand cigarettes since then.
I very very rarely smoke weed, once in a year or so. Once every 2 months or so I buy myself some nice cigars. once or twice a month, I drink a couple of beers, and every day I drink 2 mugs of coffee. That's my drug abuse in short.
Considering the paranoia about drugs, of course, there's a hazard in drugs, but the more forbidden it is, the more people are eager to try it, and the way conservatives deal with drugs seems to me to be irrational.

 

[Robert]

I know a couple people that were addicted to Coke, went to prision, and should have.

Just so I understand, are you actually saying that being addicted to something should be reason enough for a prison sentence?

 

[Robert]

Certainly you see a difference between tobacco and crack cocaine?

Of course, although both are highly addictive, the psychoactive effects are completely different.

I see differences between all drugs, so I'm not sure I understand your point.

 

[FluffyMcDeath]

Certainly you see a difference between tobacco and crack cocaine?

Yeah. Crack cocaine will get you jailed - tobacco won't. If your tobacco deal goes bad you have to go to court. If your crack deal goes bad you have to go to war. If you want to quit tobacco there are lots of places you can get help. If you want to quit crack no-one wants to get involved coz you're a crack head and that sh*t's illegal doncha know.

 

[Speelgoedmannetje]

Certainly you see a difference between tobacco and crack cocaine?

Of course, although both are highly addictive, the psychoactive effects are completely different.

I see differences between all drugs, so I'm not sure I understand your point.

The big difference it has on society I think he means.

 

[Robert]

Certainly you see a difference between tobacco and crack cocaine?

Of course, although both are highly addictive, the psychoactive effects are completely different.

I see differences between all drugs, so I'm not sure I understand your point.

The big difference it has on society I think he means.

Oh, you mean the millions of deaths caused by tobacco, compared to the relatively miniscule number caused by crack? ;-)

 

[Speelgoedmannetje]

Oh, you mean the millions of deaths caused by tobacco, compared to the relatively miniscule number caused by crack? ;-)

You say it with a wink, but it's true though.
But as I mentioned before, if I recall my history lessons correctly, opium had a truly devestating effect on China back in the 19th century. As well as it has now on Afghanistan.
People being badly informed plus this stuff being easily available, is a deadly combination.
With that, "drugs are bad mmmkay" is a shiny example of being badly informed.

 

[Robert]

Oh, you mean the millions of deaths caused by tobacco, compared to the relatively miniscule number caused by crack? ;-)

You say it with a wink, but it's true though.

Oh, I know that but you can't really compare them in that way, given the number of smokers over lots of decades. (Hence the wink.)
Given the same amount of crack addicts, you may well see more deaths from that than tobacco. Then again, maybe not.

With that, "drugs are bad mmmkay" is a shiny example of being badly informed.

It certainly is.

In the UK there is also the counter-science approach of the government, who have recently gone completely against advice and recommendations of two separate scientific reports (commissioned by them, no less) for cannabis and ecstacy. Even when they are not badly informed that act as though they are.

 

[faethor]

I know a couple people that were addicted to Coke, went to prision, and should have.

Just so I understand, are you actually saying that being addicted to something should be reason enough for a prison sentence?

They went to prision not because of the Coke but due to the actions they took to support their Coke habit. Stealing cars, breaking and entering...

 

[Robert]

I know a couple people that were addicted to Coke, went to prision, and should have.

Just so I understand, are you actually saying that being addicted to something should be reason enough for a prison sentence?

They went to prision not because of the Coke but due to the actions they took to support their Coke habit. Stealing cars, breaking and entering...

Ah, I get you. Fair enough.