What is going to happen in Washington and Colorado with the legalization of marijuana?

[Special K]

Lacing it with heroin?

Really?

:doh:

Please, you have to be kidding me. Its scare mongering.

Heroin?

Sadly I know all too well about heroin and its dangerous impact. To state that weed is being laced with H is a joke

I'm sorry you've had to experience heroin's impact on whoever was in your life. I have too.

That being said, you're wrong. It is an actual fact, not fear mongering. I don't know exactly why you are laughing at that :doh: ... especially considering you said you've experienced how it impacts people's lives. Narc officers whom I collaborate with in my tobacco enforcement program have told me some of the MJ they confiscate in raids are, in fact, laced. In fact, we just recently had a tobacco/MMJ coalition meeting and this was brought up again by the officers in attendance. No one is saying that this is the case in all MJ raids, it's in the minority. But yes, that is factual.

[Major Harris]

I have been around it a lot and I have never ever heard of that in reality. I do remember that being taught in health classes and in DARE assemblies.

[Special K]

I have been around it a lot and I have never ever heard of that.

Well, that was picked up when police confiscated MJ from 4 kids at one of our local high schools (not going to put the name of the school on this forum).

Again, it's not common, no one is saying it is.

Pretty sure the officers were not lying to me...

But hey everyone can choose to believe what they want to believe and laugh about it. I don't know what to say. I'm very much entrenched in this sector of public health and enforcement and just relaying stuff from my own personal experience in this field. But, I suspect no matter what anyone in this line of work says, people won't believe it until they can see it...

[Major Harris]

Well, that was picked up when police confiscated MJ from 4 kids at one of our local high schools (not going to put the name of the school on this forum).

Again, it's not common, no one is saying it is.

Pretty sure the officers were not lying to me...

But hey everyone can choose to believe what they want to believe and laugh about it. I don't know what to say. I'm very much entrenched in this sector of public health and enforcement and just relaying stuff from my own personal experience in this field. But, I suspect no matter what anyone in this line of work says, people won't believe it until they can see it...

Whoa, I never said I don't believe you, or that anyone is lying to you. And I didn't laugh you know I respect you more than that. :silly:

And it's been a long time so maybe things have changed I don't know.

[Special K]

Whoa, I never said I don't believe you, or that anyone is lying to you. And I didn't laugh you know I respect you more than that. :silly:

And it's been a long time so maybe things have changed I don't know.

Sorry, that wasn't really directed at you, I know you weren't laughing.

I was just annoyed from a previous post where SHF was laughing. Just a little annoying when people who don't deal with this and other substance abuse as their career, laugh at anything they don't want to believe...even if the info is coming from somone who deals with this stuff on a fairly regular basis in a state where the MMJ trade is completely out of control.

Laced marijuana definitely isn't the norm (what's confiscated from users is typically medical grade marijuana...even if the person doesn't have an MMJ card), but yeah, cartels shipping their product up the i-25 corridor have been known to lace MJ with all sorts of crap from PCP, to ketamine, embalming fluid, etc.

[s0crates]

I have a hard time believing somebody would lace marijuana with heroine. Its simple economics. Heroine is worth money, why would they waste it by putting it on weed when that won't increase the value of the weed?

Other drugs being laced I think is more common. I have heard of cutting cocaine with all kinds of weird stuff to increase the street value.

Not saying marijuana is never laced, as kids do weird things sometimes, but I find it hard to imagine what possible motive a big time marijuana operation would have to put heroine in it. This sounds more like fear-mongering to me.

Even if this was a real worry, it would be more of an argument for decriminalization than against it, because with legalization comes regulation.

[SnyderShrugged]

Lacing it with heroin?

Really?

:doh:

Please, you have to be kidding me. Its scare mongering.

Heroin?

Sadly I know all too well about heroin and its dangerous impact. To state that weed is being laced with H is a joke

There are still Dinosaurs that actually believe in the Laced weed myth? LOL!!

Stop the Reefer madness!!! :silly:

[Koolblue13]

If people are lacing pot with heroin, it's because they want to smoke heroin with their weed.

[GoSkins561]

Laced marijuana definitely isn't the norm (what's confiscated from users is typically medical grade marijuana...even if the person doesn't have an MMJ card), but yeah, cartels shipping their product up the i-25 corridor have been known to lace MJ with all sorts of crap from PCP, to ketamine, embalming fluid, etc.

When it is laced with those chemicals, it is usually sold as "Boat" or "Special K", I have never heard of it being sold as just straight MJ, btw anyone who has smoked weed before would know it's been laced with something prior to smoking.

[Renegade7]

From today's Post, now what's Mexico going to do???

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/mexico-says-marijuana-legalization-in-us-could-change-anti-drug-strategies/2012/11/08/7e6d45ba-29ca-11e2-aaa5-ac786110c486_story_1.html

Mexico says marijuana legalization in U.S. could change anti-drug strategies

MEXICO CITY — The decision by voters in Colorado and Washington state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana has left Mexican President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto and his team scrambling to reformulate their anti-drug strategies in light of what one senior aide said was a referendum that “changes the rules of the game.”

It is too early to know what Mexico’s response to the successful ballot measures will be, but a top aide said Peña Nieto and members of his incoming administration will discuss the issue with President Obama and congressional leaders in Washington this month. The legalization votes, however, are expected to spark a broad debate in Mexico about the direction and costs of the U.S.-backed drug war here.

[Hubbs]

What's going to happen is that Lays Inc. is going to see record profits.

In all seriousness, Obama administration made it clear during his first term that the state marijuana issues are a very low priority.

Earlier this year the Obama administration indicated they would be taking far less time trying to persecute minor marijuana related offenses. Think they're just going to ride this one out unless it because a big time problem.

And then they did the opposite.

Yeah, he said the same thing just before sending in his DEA thugs to shut down many CA dispensaries too. I'll believe it when he actual does it.

You cant trust this guy

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/obamas-war-on-pot-20120216

Bingo.

---------- Post added November-9th-2012 at 11:09 AM ----------

Stop the Reefer madness!!! :silly:

"I wouldn't be surprised if they were smoking marijuana cigarettes."

[Jumbo]

Bingo

He's in the pocket of The Man. :pfft:

[Jumbo]

Departing WA Governor Chris Gregoire will first be meeting with the state liquor commission to begin designing regulations for the new law, then with the feds for discussion, and then the tourism board as much of the talk here is they expect it to make for a real increase in tourist $$$ if it's allowed to exist as intended.

[Skinz4Life12]

Departing WA Governor Chris Gregoire will first be meeting with the state liquor commission to begin designing regulations for the new law, then with the feds for discussion, and then the tourism board as much of the talk here is they expect it to make for a real increase in tourist $$$ if it's allowed to exist as intended.

Given that you live in WA, how do you feel about it being legalized?

[Jumbo]

Given that you live in WA, how do you feel about it being legalized?

I'll get back to you. Out of chips, dude.

[Sticksboi05]

Lacing your marijuana? Hehe, Dave I didn't know you liked to get wet.

[Special K]

I have a hard time believing somebody would lace marijuana with heroine. Its simple economics. Heroine is worth money, why would they waste it by putting it on weed when that won't increase the value of the weed?

Other drugs being laced I think is more common. I have heard of cutting cocaine with all kinds of weird stuff to increase the street value.

Not saying marijuana is never laced, as kids do weird things sometimes, but I find it hard to imagine what possible motive a big time marijuana operation would have to put heroine in it. This sounds more like fear-mongering to me.

Even if this was a real worry, it would be more of an argument for decriminalization than against it, because with legalization comes regulation.

It's not a major, major worry as it is not the norm. It's just something that has occurred and has been a topic discussed in our department. The reason it doesn't occur often is exactly as you describe, it's not economically sound. If weed is laced, it's typically laced with other chemicals...and again, not the norm. As another poster pointed out, people usually know they are buying laced marijuana as it is typically sold under various nicknames depending on the drug it's laced with. UNLESS, it's being sold to naive users who don't know much better.

Bottom line, the MJ explosion here in CO has created many public health and law enforcement concerns. Some may argue that means it should be legalized or decriminalized and regulated. I would not necessarily be opposed to decriminalization of MJ, but at this point, I don't agree with full blown legalization, particularly when a proposition is poorly worded and does not have a clear plan about how legalization should be implemented.

The pattern the DEA has displayed in their raids is that they are focused more on MMJ shops that are blatently flouting the law (e.g. shops that pay kids to hand out 'business' cards on the boardwalk and tell customers the doc will hook you up with a prescription whether it's a medicial ncessity or not). Those shops that are indiscriminantly giving away prescriptions and MMJ cards at a high volume for profit have been targeted by feds. Personally, I have no problem with that, just like I have no problem with the crack down on narcotic "pill mills" that essentially do the same thing, but with narcotic prescriptions (Oxy, Vic, Norco, etc.)

Anyway, it will be interesting to see how the Feds react to these new laws. They've held true to their promise and not had a high level of presence in our state's MMJ trade to date. But after discussions with some law enforcement officers since the amendment's passge, it seems more likely that the feds are going to make an example of our state and raid the hell out of dispensaries as the trade tries to establish itself commercially.

If people are lacing pot with heroin, it's because they want to smoke heroin with their weed.

I wouldn't disagree with that...

[Chew]

I'll get back to you. Out of chips, dude.

Where abouts are you in WA, Jumbo?

Just curious, we lived in Tri-Cities and then Bellevue from 2007-2010.

[Destino]

I'll get back to you. Out of chips, dude.

Might this explain why Peyton Manning bought those Papa John franchises?

[Jumbo]

Where abouts are you in WA, Jumbo?

Just curious, we lived in Tri-Cities and then Bellevue from 2007-2010.

I tend to be private about details, but spent a fair time in the Puget Sound region, SW corner too, and a number of years recently in Olympia. Currently (temp, likely) more around the mouth of the Columbia River. Magnificent region, and growing up in Alaska, I'm awfully attached to real forests, mountains, and big bodies of water as part of my environment. I also love both Seattle and Portland as cities (small though Portland is for a "major" city) other than the traffic.

---------- Post added November-9th-2012 at 09:58 AM ----------

Might this explain why Peyton Manning bought those Papa John franchises?

On a serious note, Des, and I see elements of both the pro and con side (and respect a number of conflicting arguments), I'm good with it. I do have a fair-sized "social experiment" nature and assign little inherent value for "status quo" in and of itself, if soemthing has been either not working, or working real half-assed for a long time---shake it up. Change it one way or another. See what happens and then adjust accordingly.

I've been following these arguments for decades, and was growing up in AK in the early 70's (late teens/20's) when possession of less than ounce on your person and private usage (smoking on private property) left you in the clear. I can't remember how many plants you could have.

One of my "father figures" was a sgt. on the Anchorage PD (retired Air Force Security Forces) and he and his buddies (kind of a bunch of redneck-type guys and he was very much a "hippy-hater" among other things--some of them very positive IMV ) always thought it was more of a hassle than useful, even though they thought smoking weed was seriously "bad" (though several were alkies).

I remember thinking back then, "if they think it's not useful...." well, what the hell.

I do happen to be very (academically/professionally) educated and personally experienced (life-long) in the matter of substance use, abuse, and dependence, and have been close to law-enforcement since a kid. I am of course a student of human behavior in general as you know, and with all that, I'm fine with it and I voted for it.

I don't see it as any panacea for all drug related social ills or Great News In General. We'll see how it goes.

I do like the idea of many of the people I know doing time for socially minor (low, if any, actual harm) infractions (including dealing on small, "non-serious criminal" levels) not costing us money in jails or prisons to little useful end. I like the idea of at least trying to either save the zillions spent on that part of the WOD, or divert itto actually busting, oh, say, more meth labs and related burglaries (which cops all over avoid by their own testimony as long as pot's there to target cuz one is way less messy and dangerous than the other).

[twa]

I see Mexico is going to review it's enforcement on the border in light of the legalisation

Next they will be suing the states for Free Trade infringements:ols:

[Larry]

Next they will be suing the states for Free Trade infringements:ols:

Now that, was funny.

[SnyderShrugged]

Interesting twist of events.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/marijuana/ci_22034126/un-official-calls-marijuana-ballot-rollback

UN official calls for marijuana ballot rollback

VIENNA—The head of the U.N. drug watchdog agency is urging U.S. federal officials to challenge ballot measures in Colorado and Washington that decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana for adults 21 and over.

Raymond Yans says the approvals send "a wrong message to the rest of the nation and it sends a wrong message abroad."

Yans heads the International Narcotics Control Board. He told The Associated Press on Tuesday he hopes Attorney General Eric Holder "will take all the necessary measures" to ensure that marijuana possession and use remains illegal throughout the U.S.

Both states are holding off on plans to regulate and tax the drug while waiting to see whether the Justice Department will assert federal authority over drug law.

The INCB has no enforcement ability.

[twa]

http://www.economist.com/blogs/americasview/2012/11/drugs-business

"[E]ither the United States and its society, its government and its congress decide to drastically reduce their consumption of drugs, or if they are not going to reduce it they at least have the moral responsibility to reduce the flow of money towards Mexico, which goes into the hands of criminals. They have to explore even market mechanisms to see if that can allow the flow of money to reduce.

"If they want to take all the drugs they want, as far as I’m concerned let them take them. I don’t agree with it but it’s their decision, as consumers and as a society. What I do not accept is that they continue passing their money to the hands of killers."

Not so long ago these comments would have been unthinkable. Cast your mind back to 1998, when the UN Drug Control Programme (since absorbed by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, or UNODC) held a session on the “world drug problem” entitled: “A Drug-Free World: We Can Do It”. Since then it has become painfully clear that, so far at least, We Cannot Do It. Since 1998 global consumption of both cannabis and cocaine has risen by about 50% and opiate consumption has nearly trebled, according to the UNODC’s own figures.

[Elessar78]

There was a really cool interview on NPR last week (All things considered?) The guy on it painted a very cool picture of the Marijuana farmers in Colorado. He said gone, there, are the days of aged, compressed, stemmy Marijuana (because it mostly comes over in a concealed manner). He was saying the buds looked almost crystalline, fresh. The "farmers" were basically shirtless, um, hippies and they'd be blasting music they feel the plants would respond to inside this cavernous grow area. It was just an interesting description of the whole operation.