A sad day

[15444]

Although I realize that cropduster is coming from a different angle on this particular case, I agree with cowman on the legalization issue. The battle on MJ is lost and no amount of enforcement is going to stop it. That opportunity passed us by about 10 years ago when biker gangs started to flourish around this country.

Had the opportunity to chat with a young man while waiting at a bus stop in Winnipeg about 2 weeks ago. He had just smoked a little MJ after getting off of work and was in the mood to converse with anyone who was comfortable talking to him. He seemed fairly intelligent. Due to his recent smoke, we started talking about MJ and his experiences. He had been smoking for the past 8 years and, for a period of time ending about 2 years ago, was a 'runner' for the Hells Angels. He said at that time, there was roughly 1200 runners in Winnipeg. He got involved through a distant cousin, who is part of the 11 chapter members in Winnipeg. I asked him about what legalization of MJ would do to the organized biker gangs. He said that MJ revenue is what pays all the runners plus provides a significant boost to chapter members pay. I asked about the influence that cocaine and heroine have on the drug cash flow. He said that its incredibly hard to get younger people hooked on cocaine and heroine, so little income is made, especially in Winnipeg. He said, in Winnipeg, that cocaine is in low demand, and heroine is basically nil. (Now if you compare that with somewhere like Victoria, I imagine that it would be quite different)

I asked him about the new 'Bandidos' chapter that started up in Winnipeg, according to recent newscasts. He said the Bandidos had been in Winnipeg for the last 6 months and that it was largely set up by guys who were runners for the Angels, who know what kind of money can be made on pot.

Now, by looking at his comments, I would think that legalizing MJ would cut the % of money available to the gangs, and as a result, cut the number of runners they can pay....slowly leading to fewer and fewer runners.

[gwynplaine]

Cowman, you may want to re-check some of your sources cited. The socio-economic ramifications of legalized and regulated marijuana have been argued both ways, and fairly well, but the big sticking point is finding a standard, inexpensive test for intoxification. The smoking studies comparing taxation revenue to infirm costs are actually in disagreement with you, smokers take more out than they put back in, regardless of age of death (I say this as a reluctant smoker). When talking about marijuana being a gateway drug, we digress into semantics. Any studies attempting to deal with them are highly correlation. In other words, it becomes very difficult to sort cause from effect. The truth is, most hard drug users used marijuana first, but is the pot the root cause, or because they had a predestination towards drug abuse, genetic or social, and marijuana is the most readily avaialble?

Now, my own 2 bits worth. Granted, this is a horrible tragedy, unparalled in 120 years. There is going to be a great deal of analysis with the 20/20 benefit of Hindsight. I do however, hope we can escape the "Horse is gone, close the Barn Door" mentality. Granted, the Legal System should punish the Guilty, but we must also protect the innocent, and maintain some semblance of rights, freedoms, and civil liberties.

[cakadu]

Cowman, I would hate to think of the social ramifications of having legalized marjuana. What has keeping liquor available done for us? We have one of the highest per capita consumption rates, untold problems because of it and increasing use by young people. Granted the last one it is hard to say whether it is on as steep an increase as they say, but still the message just doesn't seem to be getting through.

How would police officers tell if you were over the limit on smoking pot? Unless the car was rolling down the street looking like the Cheech and Chong mobile, you'd be hard pressed. I'm sure it is no different than alcohol - it affects everyone differently.

As for it leading to harder drug use, gwynplaine has probably hit the nail on the head. Would it be any different than someone who is potentially predisposed to being an alcoholic? Some people can drink socially and never have it be a problem - ever, but others take that one drink and a thousand is never enough.

I also don't want to see us go to the other extreme because this one incident happened, as tragic as it is. We have other examples out there where we have gone overboard and it has just created more chaos.

[gwynplaine]

Sorry...noticed a couple grammer errors, there... my brain's on a little tighter today. the studies are "correlational", and a person may be "predisposed" towards drug abuse (not predestined).

[sagewood]

Whether or not mj is legalized seems irrelevant at this time. I know that as I watched the memorial yesterday that I was darn proud to be an Albertan, as well as a Canadian. Our national police force showed themselves at their best and the eulogies could have been told about any young Canadian who believed in right over wrong. The total outpouring of sympathy and support from the average Canadian was massive and showed what this country is made from--common ordinary people, believing in the common good for others. That one deranged and evil man could inflict so much pain on so many only speaks to the place that our civilization has evolved to. You must realize that as many people who mourned yesterday, there would be those in the criminal element who would think that lunatic did a good job. It is that which we must stand vigilant against. And those of us in the country are not immune to this criminal element--we all know someone in our neighborhoods who is unstable and still likes to 'play' with guns in order to show their strength--they are usually cowards and bullies when you take their ammunition away from them.

As far as growing pot--think of all the sloughs we could 'rent' out. We would never need to worry about our bottom line again and agriculture might just prosper--say a 10% share of the marketed crop..that which we could not sell, we could smoke and then if things were bad in agriculture, none of us would care! I am being facetious here!

[sagewood]

as I watched the procession of police officers making their way to the memorial I couldn't help but think that our country could be policed by half that number if the justice system was overhauled and did what it was supposed to do in the first place.

[sagewood]

Yes, I agree, we could have less police officers if when they arrested someone and those were found guilty actually stayed in jail, then someone like Roszko would have been behind bars and not allowed to terrorize a community and end the lives of wonderful young men. Then too, if the so called 'justice' system actually worked and handed out justice, the existing force of police could actually have time to help the communities who are being over run with crime that is now overflowing from our prosperous and bulging cities and towns...the politicians got up at the memorial and spouted platitudes and personally I found it offensive that politicians of any stripe were allowed to cry their alligator tears and then walk away and do nothing to change our obviously flawed system--but I digress...

[WildwoodsDoc]

Seems that about 70% of fellows who go to the bars are on weed at least, according to my daughter who says it is so frustrating that there are hardly any drug free males. Their stories are all the same. "We work hard, are sore and need to feel better to be able to go to work the next day." Garbage, with all the laws it seems more and more are on some kind of drugs. Our society seems not to care what is basically happening, the minds of the young are turned to air heads, not thinking clearly. To them it seems everybody is doing it, so it is okay. It sucks. So many wasted minds. I blame the parents, not caring for moral values and respect of fellow man, who haven't taught their children with the help of Christian values.

[WildwoodsDoc]

I agree in part with your post, however, I personally know many good parents who have done everything possible to raise their children in a good home with excellent values, and have seen their kids get involved with meth and other drugs, so it isn't always bad parents whose kids are on drugs .

Meth is a huge problem as I have said here before, first time users have a 40% chance of being addicted to it, and the ease of obtaining the ingredients is scary. In my community there have been many cases of 11 and 12 year olds being brought into emergency OD'd on the stuff.