hard drugs are ten minutes away for Vancouver's young users
Contractor @ Fri Aug 17, 2012 4:08 pm
raydan @ Fri Aug 17, 2012 4:51 pm
Contractor Contractor:
I need stamped concrete contractors. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Yup, fuck off, spammer.
Regina @ Fri Aug 17, 2012 8:46 pm
Contractor Contractor:
I need stamped concrete contractors. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Do you like sex?
Do you like to travel?
Well then fuck off!
Curtman @ Mon Aug 20, 2012 3:36 pm
Saw this today.. I thought it might as well go in this thread.
Uruguay’s plan to sell pot may not be that crazy
$1:
Judging from what Uruguay’s President Jose Mujica told me in an extended interview last week, there is a real possibility that people in his country will soon be able to buy marijuana legally from a state-regulated company that will be in charge of marketing and selling the drug.
Mujica, 78, earlier this month submitted a bill to congress that may be the boldest marijuana legalization proposal anywhere in the world. It calls for the state to “take over the control and regulation of activities related to the importation, production, acquisition, storage, marketing and distribution of marijuana.”
This would go way beyond what countries such as the Netherlands and Portugal have done in recent decades to in effect decriminalize marijuana use. It also dwarfs recent proposals by Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina — and milder versions by the leaders of Colombia and Mexico — to start an open debate over legalization of drugs.
Are you proposing that the state start selling marijuana? I asked Mujica.
“It’s a little bit more profound than that,” he answered. “The idea is to take away the market from drug traffickers.”
Mujica explained that, nowadays, drug traffickers who sell marijuana in Uruguay often induce young people to consume heavier drugs, such as cocaine paste. That has caused, among other things, a major rise in violent crime in the country.
“We prefer that this market of bland drugs no longer be used as a gateway for the sale of the so-called hard-drugs,” Mujica said.
By regulating Uruguay’s estimated $40 million-a-year marijuana business, the state will take it away from drug traffickers, and weaken the drug cartels, he said. In addition, the state would be able to keep track of all marijuana consumers in the country, and provide treatment to the most serious abusers, much like is being done today with alcoholics, he said.
Asked whether under his proposal people would buy marijuana in street cafes or kiosks, Mujica said it will be up to the Uruguayan congress to decide that. He added that his bill has a “50-50 chance of passing,” but that he is hopeful that a public discussion of it will lead to some variation of it being approved soon.
What about the criticism that a state-run marijuana company would become an inefficient bureaucracy, with high chances of becoming corrupted by the drug trade? I asked.
Mujica, who until now has refused to reveal whether he supports a state or private firm to run the proposed marijuana enterprise, said that “a private company will sell it” under strict government control, much like what happens today with alcohol sales. In other words, the state would hire a private firm to manage the business.
And what about the argument that if this law passes, Uruguay will become a marijuana tourism destination? I asked.
“This will be a mechanism for Uruguayans, who will be registered, and who will have a monthly ration” of the drug, he said, adding that foreigners will not qualify to buy marijuana.
Wouldn’t lower marijuana prices lead to an increase in consumption, much like happened with alcohol at the end of the U.S. prohibition era in the 1930s? I asked. Mujica responded that it’s a risk worth taking.
When the United States lifted its ban on alcohol, “people at first drank a little bit more, but the fact is that life went on in the United States, and today it’s a pretty prosperous nation, isn’t it?” he said.
“What we can’t afford doing is continuing to play the fools, to look the other way” while consumption of harder drugs and drug-related violence continues, Mujica concluded. “We must try other weapons.”
My opinion: When I first read Mujica’s proposal to have the state “take over” control of marijuana sales, my first reaction was to fear that Uruguay will create one more inept, state-run bureaucracy filled with government cronies, who will probably end up smoking up the company’s income or — worse — selling harder drugs on the side.
But if Mujica’s plan is to subcontract a reputable private firm to run the business under state regulations — much like is done with scotch or beer companies —, as he said in the interview, the idea may not be that crazy. Its income may help fund education, prevention and treatment programs for harder drugs.
What’s clear is that the four-decade-old U.S.-backed war on drugs is not working, and that it’s producing tens of thousands of dead across the hemisphere, without significant gains in reducing consumption. Experimenting with new weapons to weaken the cartels may be better than doing nothing.
Mujica, 78, earlier this month submitted a bill to congress that may be the boldest marijuana legalization proposal anywhere in the world. It calls for the state to “take over the control and regulation of activities related to the importation, production, acquisition, storage, marketing and distribution of marijuana.”
This would go way beyond what countries such as the Netherlands and Portugal have done in recent decades to in effect decriminalize marijuana use. It also dwarfs recent proposals by Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina — and milder versions by the leaders of Colombia and Mexico — to start an open debate over legalization of drugs.
Are you proposing that the state start selling marijuana? I asked Mujica.
“It’s a little bit more profound than that,” he answered. “The idea is to take away the market from drug traffickers.”
Mujica explained that, nowadays, drug traffickers who sell marijuana in Uruguay often induce young people to consume heavier drugs, such as cocaine paste. That has caused, among other things, a major rise in violent crime in the country.
“We prefer that this market of bland drugs no longer be used as a gateway for the sale of the so-called hard-drugs,” Mujica said.
By regulating Uruguay’s estimated $40 million-a-year marijuana business, the state will take it away from drug traffickers, and weaken the drug cartels, he said. In addition, the state would be able to keep track of all marijuana consumers in the country, and provide treatment to the most serious abusers, much like is being done today with alcoholics, he said.
Asked whether under his proposal people would buy marijuana in street cafes or kiosks, Mujica said it will be up to the Uruguayan congress to decide that. He added that his bill has a “50-50 chance of passing,” but that he is hopeful that a public discussion of it will lead to some variation of it being approved soon.
What about the criticism that a state-run marijuana company would become an inefficient bureaucracy, with high chances of becoming corrupted by the drug trade? I asked.
Mujica, who until now has refused to reveal whether he supports a state or private firm to run the proposed marijuana enterprise, said that “a private company will sell it” under strict government control, much like what happens today with alcohol sales. In other words, the state would hire a private firm to manage the business.
And what about the argument that if this law passes, Uruguay will become a marijuana tourism destination? I asked.
“This will be a mechanism for Uruguayans, who will be registered, and who will have a monthly ration” of the drug, he said, adding that foreigners will not qualify to buy marijuana.
Wouldn’t lower marijuana prices lead to an increase in consumption, much like happened with alcohol at the end of the U.S. prohibition era in the 1930s? I asked. Mujica responded that it’s a risk worth taking.
When the United States lifted its ban on alcohol, “people at first drank a little bit more, but the fact is that life went on in the United States, and today it’s a pretty prosperous nation, isn’t it?” he said.
“What we can’t afford doing is continuing to play the fools, to look the other way” while consumption of harder drugs and drug-related violence continues, Mujica concluded. “We must try other weapons.”
My opinion: When I first read Mujica’s proposal to have the state “take over” control of marijuana sales, my first reaction was to fear that Uruguay will create one more inept, state-run bureaucracy filled with government cronies, who will probably end up smoking up the company’s income or — worse — selling harder drugs on the side.
But if Mujica’s plan is to subcontract a reputable private firm to run the business under state regulations — much like is done with scotch or beer companies —, as he said in the interview, the idea may not be that crazy. Its income may help fund education, prevention and treatment programs for harder drugs.
What’s clear is that the four-decade-old U.S.-backed war on drugs is not working, and that it’s producing tens of thousands of dead across the hemisphere, without significant gains in reducing consumption. Experimenting with new weapons to weaken the cartels may be better than doing nothing.
As the regulation success stories grow in number, it will become harder and harder to justify the expense of a war-on-drugs that is a total failure here.
Curtman @ Wed Aug 22, 2012 4:07 pm
Another one, much more closely in-line with the OP.
Easy to score dope in Maple Ridge
$1:
More law enforcement has not stemmed the drug supply in Vancouver where teens can score most illegal substances in a matter of 10 minutes, a new study shows.
The study conducted by the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS found that heroin, crack, cocaine, crystal meth and marijuana are easily and quickly accessible to users in Vancouver, despite decades of law enforcement aimed at suppressing their supply.
The story’s the same in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. Sgt. Daryl Creighton, who heads Ridge Meadows RCMP drug squad, said teens in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows have easy access to illegal drugs as those in Vancouver.
“It’s true that illegal drugs are accessible in our community, providing you know the right connections,” he added.
“The illegal drug trade is a community problem, not just a policing one.
“Police utilize intervention, prevention, and enforcement regarding the sale and use of drugs.”
Darryl Lucas, of Alouette Addictions, said teens in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows are telling his counsellors that they can get “any drug in minutes.
“Surprisingly, alcohol is tougher to get,” he added.
Lucas believes in the “four-pillars” approach to drug problems that places an equal emphasis on enforcement, treatment, prevention and harm reduction.
“When you concentrate too much money on one prong, the others get left behind,” he said. “So a multi-pronged approach is the best way to go that includes enforcement, that includes prevention and treatment.”
The study’s conclusions were “concerning” for Dr. Scott Hadland, MD, lead author of the study and now chief resident in pediatrics at Harvard University-affiliated Children’s Hospital in Boston.
“Young users are incredibly vulnerable to drug use.
“It interferes with normal development, education, employment and integration into society and puts them at risk of transmission to diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis C.”
The study, released last week, surveyed two groups in 2007. Among the 330 youth aged 14-26 involved in the study, nearly 63 per cent reported accessing crystal methamphetamine in as little as 10 minutes, compared to 39 per cent of adult users. Young drug users also reported easier access to marijuana, with 88 per cent saying they could obtain the drug within 10 minutes, versus 73 per cent of adults.
“Some would say this is a question we already knew the answer to,” said Dr. Hadland. “But it is really important from a policy standpoint to have good scientific evidence. If we are to have any impact or change policy, we need to have carefully conducted research to support our cause.”
The results, published in the American Journal on Addictions, are consistent with other global studies that find a growing worldwide drug market despite increased enforcement.
To Hadland, the results show that although law enforcement has a role, money would be better spent on public health and drug prevention.
“Much of the emphasis of our funding in Canada has been on law enforcement strategy often to the detriment of evidence-based prevention and treatment approaches that we know can work.”
The study conducted by the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS found that heroin, crack, cocaine, crystal meth and marijuana are easily and quickly accessible to users in Vancouver, despite decades of law enforcement aimed at suppressing their supply.
The story’s the same in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. Sgt. Daryl Creighton, who heads Ridge Meadows RCMP drug squad, said teens in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows have easy access to illegal drugs as those in Vancouver.
“It’s true that illegal drugs are accessible in our community, providing you know the right connections,” he added.
“The illegal drug trade is a community problem, not just a policing one.
“Police utilize intervention, prevention, and enforcement regarding the sale and use of drugs.”
Darryl Lucas, of Alouette Addictions, said teens in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows are telling his counsellors that they can get “any drug in minutes.
“Surprisingly, alcohol is tougher to get,” he added.
Lucas believes in the “four-pillars” approach to drug problems that places an equal emphasis on enforcement, treatment, prevention and harm reduction.
“When you concentrate too much money on one prong, the others get left behind,” he said. “So a multi-pronged approach is the best way to go that includes enforcement, that includes prevention and treatment.”
The study’s conclusions were “concerning” for Dr. Scott Hadland, MD, lead author of the study and now chief resident in pediatrics at Harvard University-affiliated Children’s Hospital in Boston.
“Young users are incredibly vulnerable to drug use.
“It interferes with normal development, education, employment and integration into society and puts them at risk of transmission to diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis C.”
The study, released last week, surveyed two groups in 2007. Among the 330 youth aged 14-26 involved in the study, nearly 63 per cent reported accessing crystal methamphetamine in as little as 10 minutes, compared to 39 per cent of adult users. Young drug users also reported easier access to marijuana, with 88 per cent saying they could obtain the drug within 10 minutes, versus 73 per cent of adults.
“Some would say this is a question we already knew the answer to,” said Dr. Hadland. “But it is really important from a policy standpoint to have good scientific evidence. If we are to have any impact or change policy, we need to have carefully conducted research to support our cause.”
The results, published in the American Journal on Addictions, are consistent with other global studies that find a growing worldwide drug market despite increased enforcement.
To Hadland, the results show that although law enforcement has a role, money would be better spent on public health and drug prevention.
“Much of the emphasis of our funding in Canada has been on law enforcement strategy often to the detriment of evidence-based prevention and treatment approaches that we know can work.”
carolgreen616 @ Fri Aug 31, 2012 8:59 pm
VANCOUVER – A study called “surprising” by one of its lead researchers has found hard drugs are just 10 minutes away for Vancouver’s young users.
The study conducted by the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS found that despite decades of efforts to combat drugs, heroin, crack, cocaine, crystal meth and marijuana can be obtained within minutes, particularly by young drug users.
Dr. Evan Wood, an internal medicine physician and senior author of the study, noted the U.S. declared the war on drugs 40 years ago, but that hasn’t helped at-risk youth avoid falling into drug use.
“Their reality in terms of the free and easy availability of drugs is, I think, discordant from your average Canadian’s understanding of just how … available drugs are on the streets of Canadian cities,” said Wood.
The study, to be released today, surveyed two groups of people in 2007; one between 14 and 26 years of age who had used an illicit drug other or in addition to marijuana at least 30 days before joining the study.
Strutz @ Fri Aug 31, 2012 9:11 pm
Already a thread about this...
http://www.canadaka.net/forums/jibber-jabber-f9/hard-drugs-are-ten-minutes-away-for-vancouver-s-young-users-t101962.html
Hyack @ Fri Aug 31, 2012 9:11 pm
Once again, if you had taken a couple minutes to read through the forums prior to adding this thread you might have noticed this topic is already being discussed and has been for more than two weeks. They have now been merged....again...