Mexico marijuana fair pushes for drug to be made legal

 

 

Growing and selling marijuana is illegal in Mexico, but that has not stopped ‘Expoweed’.

 

The organisers of the marijuana fair and conference in Mexico City over the weekend say the aim is to counter popular misconceptions about the plant and campaign to make it legal, particularly for pain relief.

 

“I think there is a evolution, culture is changing and more and more people no longer believe in the myth that the consumer is crazy, sick, unproductive and so I think this myth is diminishing and this is in part due to the successes of the Mexican marijuana movement,” said expo organiser Leopoldo Rivera.

 

A bill permitting the use of medical marijuana is due before Mexico’s parliament this month and among those who have voiced support for easing limits is Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.

 

Even with marijuana being a mainstay business of violent drug gangs, a growing number of politicians are calling for legalisation, or relaxation of laws, as a way of curbing cartel violence.

 

“In Mexico there is a lot of biases and there is a lack of information on these types of expos in society. These types of expos are very important so that people can remove the stigma of marijuana and the people who consume marijuana are criminals. It is fundamental to change this in our country,” said lawmaker Marta Tagle.

 

If medical marijuana use were permitted, it would put Mexico in line with countries like Uruguay which became the first country to legalise the growing, sale and smoking of marijuana in 2013.

 

 

-- © Copyright Euronews 2016-08-14

 

It should be legal. So should opiates and cocaine. No one should be able to tell us what to do with our own bodies. 

What a turn about that would be if the US starts smuggling drugs to Mexico!

 

Mexico just may want to pay for that wall, after all.

4 hours ago, Scott said:

What a turn about that would be if the US starts smuggling drugs to Mexico!

 

Mexico just may want to pay for that wall, after all.

 

The export of marijuana , from the US to Mexico,  once it is legal in Mexico, would be protected by the NAFTA agreement.

I think it should be legal for personal use everywhere.

That said, I don't think young people should do much of it.

Some will, whether legal or not.

There is strong evidence doing a lot of pot at a young age is damaging in ways it is not damaging to adults.

Case in point --- this member.

Legal or not, I don't know how you stop young people from abusing it. Oh well!

Edited August 14, 20169 yr by Jingthing

legal to the south, legal to the north, sure would put a squeeze on america where it is only partially legal in about half the states. i am not a fan of the stuff but i cant see the harm in it either.

As pot is becoming legal in the US the high school kids are turning to meth.  I guess if you want to be a rebel then smoking weed, like your mom does, ain't very impressive.

 

If Mexico legalized nationwide they would become a vacation place for people who want a chill holiday.  Ask Colorado how that works.

 

 

5 hours ago, Scott said:

What a turn about that would be if the US starts smuggling drugs to Mexico!

 

Mexico just may want to pay for that wall, after all.

Ho ho!  Good one! 

8 hours ago, Ulysses G. said:

It should be legal. So should opiates and cocaine. No one should be able to tell us what to do with our own bodies. 

 

It should be legal. But remember when we had a blow the THC content was about 3%....now it can exceed 21% and is now causing serious issues.

 

But the other drugs? No. The wast would turn into nations of zombies.

 

I just cannot see a society where all, currently illegal,  drugs are legal.

It's illegal in USA federal law only because the FDA is has been bought and paid for by big Pharma. Drug companies profits are down in the states its legal because people replaced the dangerous drugs (pills) that have been pushed on them by doctors and now they use pot for their pain. There are different strains of medical pot. 

32 minutes ago, harleyclarkey said:

 

It should be legal. But remember when we had a blow the THC content was about 3%....now it can exceed 21% and is now causing serious issues.

 

But the other drugs? No. The wast would turn into nations of zombies.

 

I just cannot see a society where all, currently illegal,  drugs are legal.

 

I live in Colorado and see THC content of 30+% advertised in the newspaper.

 

I also see and smell people smoking pot in their cars all the time in traffic.

 

Ofcourse, with over $1.1 Billion in sales in 2015 and $101,000,000 in taxes paid to the state coffers, politicians are like Sgt Schultz:

 

"I see NOTHING".

 

 

5 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I think it should be legal for personal use everywhere.

That said, I don't think young people should do much of it.

Some will, whether legal or not.

There is strong evidence doing a lot of pot at a young age is damaging in ways it is not damaging to adults.

Case in point --- this member.

Legal or not, I don't know how you stop young people from abusing it. Oh well!

 

In Holland, where it has been available legally for a long time, less young people use it than in any of the surrounding countries as do adults, legalization seems to point at reducing consumption, something to do with taking the 'cool' out of using it.

1 hour ago, harleyclarkey said:

 

It should be legal. But remember when we had a blow the THC content was about 3%....now it can exceed 21% and is now causing serious issues.

 

But the other drugs? No. The wast would turn into nations of zombies.

 

I just cannot see a society where all, currently illegal,  drugs are legal.

 

Which is of course based on a factless assumption that legalization increases usage when all research demonstrates the opposite in the long term.

3 hours ago, bendejo said:

As pot is becoming legal in the US the high school kids are turning to meth.  I guess if you want to be a rebel then smoking weed, like your mom does, ain't very impressive.

 

If Mexico legalized nationwide they would become a vacation place for people who want a chill holiday.  Ask Colorado how that works.

 

 

 

Oh yeah, the meth problem just started last year, right?  Unbelievable, I presume you got that tripe from the likes of Fox?

3 minutes ago, Shawn0000 said:

 

In Holland, where it has been available legally for a long time, less young people use it than in any of the surrounding countries as do adults, legalization seems to point at reducing consumption, something to do with taking the 'cool' out of using it.

 

Exactly.

 

Just like beer and wine and hard liquor.

 

As soon as it was legalized then it fell from popularity.

 

Now almost no one drinks.

 

What?

1 hour ago, Shawn0000 said:

 

Which is of course based on a factless assumption that legalization increases usage when all research demonstrates the opposite in the long term.

 

I didn't actually make any mention or hint about consumption and increased usage.  The point of my post, which you missed, is that THC content today is horrendous. 

 

My other point, again missed, was that to legalise all illegal drugs is not, in my view, going to solve anything.

1 hour ago, ClutchClark said:

 

Exactly.

 

Just like beer and wine and hard liquor.

 

As soon as it was legalized then it fell from popularity.

 

Now almost no one drinks.

 

What?

 

What? It was legal to start with, then the US criminalised it and consumption increased, when they ended prohibition consumption reduced again, you couldn't have picked a more unfortunate example.

32 minutes ago, harleyclarkey said:

 

I didn't actually make any mention or hint about consumption and increased usage.

The point of my post, which you missed, is that THC content today is horrendous. 

 

My other point, again missed, was that to legalise all illegal drugs is not, in my view, going to solve anything.

 

When you said that legalising the other drugs would turn us into a nation of zombies, how did you envision this happening without an increase in consumption and if consumption would not increase in your scenario, then why are we not already a nation of zombies with the present levels of consumption?

9 minutes ago, Shawn0000 said:

 

What? It was legal to start with, then the US criminalised it and consumption increased, when they ended prohibition consumption reduced again, you couldn't have picked a more unfortunate example.

 

Shawn,

 

I think you missed the humor.

 

Try reading it again.

 

Alcohol consumption is alive and well the world over, my friend. 

2 minutes ago, ClutchClark said:

 

Shawn,

 

I think you missed the humor.

 

Try reading it again.

 

Alcohol consumption is alive and well the world over, my friend. 

 

Yes I missed the humour, sorry but what is the joke.  I am sure you kow the difference between reduce and eliminate anyway so you should know that you haven't actually made any point whatsoever.

1 hour ago, Shawn0000 said:

 

Which is of course based on a factless assumption that legalization increases usage when all research demonstrates the opposite in the long term.

 

Shawn,

 

Everyone is friends here and just chatting.

 

No need to take it up a few notches with this kind of talk and accusations of Fox News. 

 

But I can assure you that the pot users in Colorado are not going to wuit smoking because it is legal. They are consumers. They have been smoking pot for decades. Now older folks who had quit smoking for fear of law enforcement can walk into a store and buy it and they are doing just that.

 

Plus there has been a huge influx of pot tourists and residents of neighboring States crossing the border to buy.

 

Heck, our homeless/transient population has doubled !!

 

We are taking pot as a lifestyle choice that has been i tegral to the outdoorsly CO lifestyle for 50+ years.

 

John Denver was not talking about the elevation when he wrote, "Rocky Mountain High"  ;-)

 

 

25 minutes ago, Shawn0000 said:

 

When you said that legalising the other drugs would turn us into a nation of zombies, how did you envision this happening without an increase in consumption and if consumption would not increase in your scenario, then why are we not already a nation of zombies with the present levels of consumption?

 

So you reckon that the number of poor abused unfortunates who are addicted with the drugs being illegal..........will stay just that way. No more users if class A drugs become widely and legally available?

 

And yes...those already addicted are unfortunately total zombies and totally out of society. Not everyone in a nation is an addict or even a consumer of class A drugs. Plenty of weed smokers.....but class A is a different kettle of fish altogether.

 

Of course there will be an increase.

Having legal coke and heroin available would, in my view, lead to a huge increase in addicts. 

6 minutes ago, ClutchClark said:

 

Shawn,

 

Everyone is friends here and just chatting.

 

No need to take it up a few notches with this kind of talk and accusations of Fox News. 

 

But I can assure you that the pot users in Colorado are not going to wuit smoking because it is legal. They are consumers. They have been smoking pot for decades. Now older folks who had quit smoking for fear of law enforcement can walk into a store and buy it and they are doing just that.

 

Plus there has been a huge influx of pot tourists and residents of neighboring States crossing the border to buy.

 

Heck, our homeless/transient population has doubled !!

 

We are taking pot as a lifestyle choice that has been i tegral to the outdoorsly CO lifestyle for 50+ years.

 

John Denver was not talking about the elevation when he wrote, "Rocky Mountain High"  ;-)

 

 

 

I think when someone is relating the long standing US meth epidemic to the very recent legalization of cannabis is fair to be a little condescending.

 

And I said long term, it is new users that have been demonstrated to reduce in numbers through legalization and obviously you won't see that positive effect for a long time, this is all very new to the US, we have been studying the effects of legalization in Europe for 40 years and the results are generally very positive.

7 minutes ago, harleyclarkey said:

 

So you reckon that the number of poor abused unfortunates who are addicted with the drugs being illegal..........will stay just that way. No more users if class A drugs become widely and legally available?

 

And yes...those already addicted are unfortunately total zombies and totally out of society. Not everyone in a nation is an addict or even a consumer of class A drugs. Plenty of weed smokers.....but class A is a different kettle of fish altogether.

 

Of course there will be an increase.

Having legal coke and heroin available would, in my view, lead to a huge increase in addicts. 

 

Oh, a minute ago you were denying saying just that, at least you are being honest now.  Well, if we are to leave blind speculation aside, and instead look at actual cases, such as that of Portugal, where they have decriminalised all drugs and also seen a massive reduction in new addicts, then it would be safer to assume the opposite.  Do you have anything other than your speculations to bring to the conversation, something in the way of one scrap of evidence to suggest it would increase useage?  The thing is, we do know that one of the main reasons people try these drugs in the first place is that they are pushed on them in situations where it is difficult for them to refuse, obviously legalization would limit that as there is nothing making someone walk into a premises that sells drugs, also people try them because they think it is cool, they are doing something illegal, take away that aspect and confront them with already addicted losers in the premises that it is available and then they can see that they are actually just doing something sad.  I would say that of course legalization will reduce consumption, albeit there would probably be a short term spike in usage but I would expect to see a reduction in the long term.

18 minutes ago, Shawn0000 said:

 

I think when someone is relating the long standing US meth epidemic to the very recent legalization of cannabis is fair to be a little condescending.

 

And I said long term, it is new users that have been demonstrated to reduce in numbers through legalization and obviously you won't see that positive effect for a long time, this is all very new to the US, we have been studying the effects of legalization in Europe for 40 years and the results are generally very positive.

 

OK...now I understand.

 

But I do think Europeans have a different mindset (psychology) than Americans when it comes to sex, guns and drugs/alcohol.

 

And even major differences amongst themselves...to be fair.

4 minutes ago, Shawn0000 said:

 

Oh, a minute ago you were denying saying just that, at least you are being honest now.  Well, if we are to leave blind speculation aside, and instead look at actual cases, such as that of Portugal, where they have decriminalised all drugs and also seen a massive reduction in new addicts, then it would be safer to assume the opposite.  Do you have anything other than your speculations to bring to the conversation, something in the way of one scrap of evidence to suggest it would increase useage?  The thing is, we do know that one of the main reasons people try these drugs in the first place is that they are pushed on them in situations where it is difficult for them to refuse, obviously legalization would limit that as there is nothing making someone walk into a premises that sells drugs, also people try them because they think it is cool, they are doing something illegal, take away that aspect and confront them with already addicted losers in the premises that it is available and then they can see that they are actually just doing something sad.  I would say that of course legalization will reduce consumption, albeit there would probably be a short term spike in usage but I would expect to see a reduction in the long term.

 

As existing users OD?

 

;-)

11 minutes ago, ClutchClark said:

 

As existing users OD?

 

;-)

 

Thats real funny, but actually all evidence points to a reduction in harm from legalization, od's are generally the result of changes in quality, of course that would be regulated and that reason would be eliminated.

This ridiculous war on drugs should have been declared an absolute failure 20 years ago, and abandoned. It has been an utter failure, has cost billions, and has resulted in millions of people languishing in prison for crimes that involved no violence. It is a stunning miscarriage of justice, perpetrated by men of astonishing ignorance. The fact that Obama has continued to pursue pot growers, even though so many states have legalized this relatively harmless drug says it all. Much of this is about supporting a private prison system, that has a huge lobby, and makes billions of dollars a year. At least that is the excuse in the US. Elsewhere, go figure. 

 

Take away the illegal aspect of the whole thing, and millions stop using it, and the cartels lose a lot of their power.

 

How many other wars would not be declared lost after 35 years or so?

7 hours ago, Shawn0000 said:

 

I think when someone is relating the long standing US meth epidemic to the very recent legalization of cannabis is fair to be a little condescending.

[...]

 

 

If that is my post you're referring to you got it 100% wrong.

But hey, you're the smart guy, you figure it out.

 

6 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

This ridiculous war on drugs should have been declared an absolute failure 20 years ago, and abandoned. It has been an utter failure, has cost billions, and has resulted in millions of people languishing in prison for crimes that involved no violence. It is a stunning miscarriage of justice, perpetrated by men of astonishing ignorance. The fact that Obama has continued to pursue pot growers, even though so many states have legalized this relatively harmless drug says it all. Much of this is about supporting a private prison system, that has a huge lobby, and makes billions of dollars a year. At least that is the excuse in the US. Elsewhere, go figure. 

 

Take away the illegal aspect of the whole thing, and millions stop using it, and the cartels lose a lot of their power.

 

How many other wars would not be declared lost after 35 years or so?

 

This is some pretty screwy reasoning here, indeed.