TOKYO - Japan will criminalise cannabis use and legalise medical products using substances derived from the plant under revised laws that will take effect on Dec 12, the health ministry said on Thursday.
This is worse than you think. Most countries don’t criminalize use, only possession. Criminalizing use like Sweden does likely means that even having cannabis in your system is illegal and could lead to fines, criminal record, and jail time. It’s insanely backwards.
Sweden is nuts. When I moved here, I was shocked. It’s really backwards. Everyone drinks here, but weed is something like heroin to them. They should all smoke weed.
As a swede: Word. It’s backwards as fuck here. The previous government didn’t even want to investigate whether or not to decriminalize, because doing so (investigate, mind you) would “send the wrong signals”. Yeeah fuck science and people’s lives when you have “signals” to worry about.
There is a rather new, more or less scientific-oriented party around in all our EU countries, you might want to look into their platform (VOLT). Not affiliated btw, but they sparked my interest.
When I traveled through Europe, I left Netherlands on a train, and ended up in Sweden with a couple hash joints left. I found a secluded area near train tracks to smoke, and even then it’s like I could feel the illegality of it. It was made worse by the fact that everyone walks or bicycles there, so random passerbys kept coming along making me feel tremendously exposed. 1/10 would not recommend.
On the other hand, smoking a hash joint and chatting with friendly strangers in the weed cafe’s of Amsterdam was sublime, 10/10 definitely recommend.
First week after we moved here - article in local newspaper: Schoolboy caught with drugs scandal. Those frs did drug tests and he had some THC in him. 17 year old. I remember thinking where the F did we move to…
All of this crap stems from one individual named Nils Bejerot, who was the anti drug guy for the government back in the day (he also coined the term Stockholm Syndrome, and was against comic books because he thought they would make children grow up to become violent). He considered drug use to be an infection in society that could spread from person to person, and the only way to stop the infection is a zero tolerance policy and to make society fear drugs. And oh boy did all that propaganda work. Still today, 36 years after his death. Through that lense, the article you mention “makes sense”. It’s incredible the effects one person can have.
No thank you, and I’d really like it if people stopped smoking it in public places. Many marijuana users seem to have very little regard for other people. Absolutely reeks of it at many central stations, on the subway, commuter trains and busses. Quite literally makes me sick. At least most tobacco users have the decency to not ruin enclosed public spaces for the general populace.
I hate public smokers with a passion. But you must realize that you have effectively zero exposure to people that contain their smoke by doing it at home or using a method without smoke production. And there could be a lot more of those.
The last line is especially golden for me since I live in the Netherlands so we have plenty of weed being smoked but the vast vast majority of public smoke hinderance is from tobacco smokers. If they decide to smoke in public they have absolutely no shame and will literally do it at places like bus stops and just outside restaurants. Weed smokers rarely do that here. So if I were to believe you it seems to just be correlated to people with shitty attitudes rather than the substance.
But there’s no denying that if everyone would drop alcohol for weed, it would be better. Not because weed is harmless but because alcohol is pretty terrible health wise.
I was complaining about smoking in public places. Precisely because of health reasons smoking in and around public spaces was limited a few years ago. I’m rather sensitive (asthma & more) and I much more often smell weed than tobacco in these types of areas. At the central station almost always. One of the many reasons I’m glad to be able to avoid public transit nowadays. Besides how the smoke of tobacco and weed affects me, I also find the smell nauseating.
Besides, to me it seems pike almost every category of drug users have an excuse for why theirs is “less bad”. Most often with alcohol it’s “well it’s only an issue of people drink too much”. Fact is that almost all drug usage affects peoples behaviour and becomes a nuisance in public spaces.
I feel you in avoiding public transit. That’s where my hate comes from as well. And yes, many people that do these things have have excuses. Because they need to, to justify doing their business in a place where their habit unavoidably harms and frustrates other people. I hate the fact we still allow that so readily as society. Or at least we should restrict it further to the point a normal person doesn’t have to be bothered by people like that in public. It undermines public services to an extent.
But after I no longer needed to use public transit, I did start to see things in a slightly different light. And that’s the only thing I wanted to say. People that are conscientious about enjoying any kind of mind altering substances will choose to do so safely and harmlessly outside of public, or in designated places like clubs specifically for that substance. Harm reduction must be central to substance use. And I know now that many people have that mentality. But that mentality is somewhat threatened exactly because they make sure nobody is bothered by them. It causes the experience to be defined by those people in public places, the loud minority.
Hmm… Is that true? It’s not like smoking bans are actually all encompassing its still mostly local precident and business decisions.
I am not sure I have seen someone smoke weed where they couldn’t smoke a cigarette, or where banned a cigarette smoker might illegally light up anyways, other than vapes which are still also in high contention and not exactly banned.
I think you just have a stigma and an axe to grind that specifically singles them out because of a internal problem you have.
All laws on these topics in Sweden apply to “tobacco and tobacco-like products”. Items included in this specification are tobacco, other herbal products for smoking, as well as electronic devices (which in turn encompasses electronic cigarettes and “similar devices”).
You are a criminal. Just like when you rape a child in a country where it’s legal (statutory rape based on age) you are held liable in your home country if the AoC is higher than in the country you visited.
Not mostly how this works, it is true that for underage sex many countries do have laws like that, but those are usually special exceptions to the general principle that the laws of the place where you are (or where your actions have an effect) apply and not those of your home country or any arbitrary country.
It’s probably the most widespread and established law around the world. Only the age limits differs, but hopefully backwards countries like most of Europe, South America, China and the Philippines will catch on soon.
In most cases if you are a tourist and are accused of minor crimes you just get deported unless you’ve done something else more serious. Detaining someone on a short term visa is awkward (what if their passport expires while in custody?) and kicking them out of the country accomplishes the same thing as jailing them.
This is worse than you think. Most countries don’t criminalize use, only possession. Criminalizing use like Sweden does likely means that even having cannabis in your system is illegal and could lead to fines, criminal record, and jail time. It’s insanely backwards.
Sweden is nuts. When I moved here, I was shocked. It’s really backwards. Everyone drinks here, but weed is something like heroin to them. They should all smoke weed.
As a swede: Word. It’s backwards as fuck here. The previous government didn’t even want to investigate whether or not to decriminalize, because doing so (investigate, mind you) would “send the wrong signals”. Yeeah fuck science and people’s lives when you have “signals” to worry about.
There is a rather new, more or less scientific-oriented party around in all our EU countries, you might want to look into their platform (VOLT). Not affiliated btw, but they sparked my interest.
Intentional or not, I’m here for it lol
About 1000V per millimetre air gap, give or take.
Argh :D
When I traveled through Europe, I left Netherlands on a train, and ended up in Sweden with a couple hash joints left. I found a secluded area near train tracks to smoke, and even then it’s like I could feel the illegality of it. It was made worse by the fact that everyone walks or bicycles there, so random passerbys kept coming along making me feel tremendously exposed. 1/10 would not recommend.
On the other hand, smoking a hash joint and chatting with friendly strangers in the weed cafe’s of Amsterdam was sublime, 10/10 definitely recommend.
First week after we moved here - article in local newspaper: Schoolboy caught with drugs scandal. Those frs did drug tests and he had some THC in him. 17 year old. I remember thinking where the F did we move to…
All of this crap stems from one individual named Nils Bejerot, who was the anti drug guy for the government back in the day (he also coined the term Stockholm Syndrome, and was against comic books because he thought they would make children grow up to become violent). He considered drug use to be an infection in society that could spread from person to person, and the only way to stop the infection is a zero tolerance policy and to make society fear drugs. And oh boy did all that propaganda work. Still today, 36 years after his death. Through that lense, the article you mention “makes sense”. It’s incredible the effects one person can have.
No thank you, and I’d really like it if people stopped smoking it in public places. Many marijuana users seem to have very little regard for other people. Absolutely reeks of it at many central stations, on the subway, commuter trains and busses. Quite literally makes me sick. At least most tobacco users have the decency to not ruin enclosed public spaces for the general populace.
I hate public smokers with a passion. But you must realize that you have effectively zero exposure to people that contain their smoke by doing it at home or using a method without smoke production. And there could be a lot more of those.
The last line is especially golden for me since I live in the Netherlands so we have plenty of weed being smoked but the vast vast majority of public smoke hinderance is from tobacco smokers. If they decide to smoke in public they have absolutely no shame and will literally do it at places like bus stops and just outside restaurants. Weed smokers rarely do that here. So if I were to believe you it seems to just be correlated to people with shitty attitudes rather than the substance.
But there’s no denying that if everyone would drop alcohol for weed, it would be better. Not because weed is harmless but because alcohol is pretty terrible health wise.
I was complaining about smoking in public places. Precisely because of health reasons smoking in and around public spaces was limited a few years ago. I’m rather sensitive (asthma & more) and I much more often smell weed than tobacco in these types of areas. At the central station almost always. One of the many reasons I’m glad to be able to avoid public transit nowadays. Besides how the smoke of tobacco and weed affects me, I also find the smell nauseating.
Besides, to me it seems pike almost every category of drug users have an excuse for why theirs is “less bad”. Most often with alcohol it’s “well it’s only an issue of people drink too much”. Fact is that almost all drug usage affects peoples behaviour and becomes a nuisance in public spaces.
I feel you in avoiding public transit. That’s where my hate comes from as well. And yes, many people that do these things have have excuses. Because they need to, to justify doing their business in a place where their habit unavoidably harms and frustrates other people. I hate the fact we still allow that so readily as society. Or at least we should restrict it further to the point a normal person doesn’t have to be bothered by people like that in public. It undermines public services to an extent.
But after I no longer needed to use public transit, I did start to see things in a slightly different light. And that’s the only thing I wanted to say. People that are conscientious about enjoying any kind of mind altering substances will choose to do so safely and harmlessly outside of public, or in designated places like clubs specifically for that substance. Harm reduction must be central to substance use. And I know now that many people have that mentality. But that mentality is somewhat threatened exactly because they make sure nobody is bothered by them. It causes the experience to be defined by those people in public places, the loud minority.
Because we banned them doing that just recently? And could and probably should do the same if any actual action or progress could be had these days?
Precisely. The fact is it isn’t just tobacco users banned from doing it, but all smokers. Difference is that weed users don’t give a crap.
Hmm… Is that true? It’s not like smoking bans are actually all encompassing its still mostly local precident and business decisions.
I am not sure I have seen someone smoke weed where they couldn’t smoke a cigarette, or where banned a cigarette smoker might illegally light up anyways, other than vapes which are still also in high contention and not exactly banned.
I think you just have a stigma and an axe to grind that specifically singles them out because of a internal problem you have.
Anyways, good luck with that.
All laws on these topics in Sweden apply to “tobacco and tobacco-like products”. Items included in this specification are tobacco, other herbal products for smoking, as well as electronic devices (which in turn encompasses electronic cigarettes and “similar devices”).
https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/forordning-2019223-om-tobak-och-liknande_sfs-2019-223/
What if they consumed cannabis a week before in the legal country?
You are a criminal. Just like when you rape a child in a country where it’s legal (statutory rape based on age) you are held liable in your home country if the AoC is higher than in the country you visited.
Not mostly how this works, it is true that for underage sex many countries do have laws like that, but those are usually special exceptions to the general principle that the laws of the place where you are (or where your actions have an effect) apply and not those of your home country or any arbitrary country.
Weird ass analogy there 🧐
It’s probably the most widespread and established law around the world. Only the age limits differs, but hopefully backwards countries like most of Europe, South America, China and the Philippines will catch on soon.
I don’t have hopes for the middle east.
So if an American drinks a beer in a German biergarten or in a park in france they should be charged with violating the open container law?
No, because that’s not criminal law.
In most cases if you are a tourist and are accused of minor crimes you just get deported unless you’ve done something else more serious. Detaining someone on a short term visa is awkward (what if their passport expires while in custody?) and kicking them out of the country accomplishes the same thing as jailing them.