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Hmm... Perhaps the best way to win the war on drugs is not to make drugs illegal, but rather to regulate the industry to death. After all, heavy regulation seem

by jostmey 11y ago

Hmm... Perhaps the best way to win the war on drugs is not to make drugs illegal, but rather to regulate the industry to death. After all, heavy regulation seems to have curbed tobacco use.

ddoolin 11y ago
I think facts about the effects of smoking cigarettes has played a much bigger part in that (in the U.S.) In Korea (where I live now), however, heavy-handed regulation aiming to make it "the most difficult place in the world to smoke" is probably going to curb rates quickly and dramatically: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_in_South_Korea https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_in_South_Korea
- derrickdirge 11y ago
  It certainly stands to reason that diminishing the ability of the tobacco companies to deceive the public about the health risks associated with tobacco cigarettes would similarly diminish demand. Conversely, the trend with cannabis seems to be that the more the public learns about its effects on human health, the more use rises.
vezzy-fnord 11y ago
And in turn has led to an ever growing but rarely discussed problem of tobacco smuggling, contraband and counterfeit: http://www.havocscope.com/tag/cigarette-smuggling/ http://www.havocscope.com/tag/cigarette-smuggling/ Though, in fairness, it's not as big in the U.S. than in other countries.
duaneb 11y ago
> After all, heavy regulation seems to have curbed tobacco use. Maybe in the upper classes. Vice taxes tend to hit the lower classes harder. I'm all for regulation, but if an adult wants to smoke pot, I don't think there is a mandate to stop them.
rm_-rf_slash 11y ago
Culture plays a huge part too. In a lot of social circles, tobacco is looked down upon as a smelly loser's fix, whereas celebrities champion being high every waking moment. Of course there are major differences in health effects - cigarettes can kill you but you can't OD on weed - helping drive this cultural shift, but in the end there is only so much that regulation and legislation can accomplish.
- crdoconnor 11y ago
  Pot doesn't cause lung cancer either: http://www.webmd.com/lung-cancer/news/20060523/pot-smoking-not-linked-to-lung-cancer http://www.webmd.com/lung-cancer/news/20060523/pot-smoking-n...
  - Kalium 11y ago
    It's worth remembering that inhaling burning plant matter is never really going to be a good idea.
    - jostmey 11y ago
      Yeah, lungs did not evolved to breath smoke filled air. In my book, smoking of anything is bad for respiratory health.
      - an_ko 11y ago
        That's a shallow argument. Your fingers didn't evolve to type but they're fine with it in moderation.
  - kbutler 11y ago
    That's an old study based on limited information. Its primary value at this point is that it encouraged more research, which found that, yes, smoking marijuana DOES increase rush of lung cancer. For example, a slightly newer study http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2516340/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2516340/
- 11y ago
crdoconnor 11y ago
>Perhaps the best way to win the war on drugs Why does there need to be a war in the first place?
- knodi123 11y ago
  Because there already is one, and america's not interested in losing any wars.

by jostmey 11y ago

Hmm... Perhaps the best way to win the war on drugs is not to make drugs illegal, but rather to regulate the industry to death. After all, heavy regulation seems to have curbed tobacco use.

ddoolin 11y ago

I think facts about the effects of smoking cigarettes has played a much bigger part in that (in the U.S.) In Korea (where I live now), however, heavy-handed regulation aiming to make it "the most difficult place in the world to smoke" is probably going to curb rates quickly and dramatically: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_in_South_Korea https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_in_South_Korea

derrickdirge 11y ago
It certainly stands to reason that diminishing the ability of the tobacco companies to deceive the public about the health risks associated with tobacco cigarettes would similarly diminish demand. Conversely, the trend with cannabis seems to be that the more the public learns about its effects on human health, the more use rises.

vezzy-fnord 11y ago

And in turn has led to an ever growing but rarely discussed problem of tobacco smuggling, contraband and counterfeit: http://www.havocscope.com/tag/cigarette-smuggling/ http://www.havocscope.com/tag/cigarette-smuggling/ Though, in fairness, it's not as big in the U.S. than in other countries.

duaneb 11y ago

> After all, heavy regulation seems to have curbed tobacco use. Maybe in the upper classes. Vice taxes tend to hit the lower classes harder. I'm all for regulation, but if an adult wants to smoke pot, I don't think there is a mandate to stop them.

rm_-rf_slash 11y ago

Culture plays a huge part too. In a lot of social circles, tobacco is looked down upon as a smelly loser's fix, whereas celebrities champion being high every waking moment. Of course there are major differences in health effects - cigarettes can kill you but you can't OD on weed - helping drive this cultural shift, but in the end there is only so much that regulation and legislation can accomplish.

crdoconnor 11y ago
Pot doesn't cause lung cancer either: http://www.webmd.com/lung-cancer/news/20060523/pot-smoking-not-linked-to-lung-cancer http://www.webmd.com/lung-cancer/news/20060523/pot-smoking-n...
- Kalium 11y ago
  It's worth remembering that inhaling burning plant matter is never really going to be a good idea.
  - jostmey 11y ago
    Yeah, lungs did not evolved to breath smoke filled air. In my book, smoking of anything is bad for respiratory health.
    - an_ko 11y ago
      That's a shallow argument. Your fingers didn't evolve to type but they're fine with it in moderation.
- kbutler 11y ago
  That's an old study based on limited information. Its primary value at this point is that it encouraged more research, which found that, yes, smoking marijuana DOES increase rush of lung cancer. For example, a slightly newer study http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2516340/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2516340/
11y ago

crdoconnor 11y ago

>Perhaps the best way to win the war on drugs Why does there need to be a war in the first place?

knodi123 11y ago
Because there already is one, and america's not interested in losing any wars.