I hope it's not, actually. Criminalization never made sense to me. It's about as useful and productive as Prohibition was. Though I'm not a heavy smoker myself, tending to limit my use to only occasionally as a social thing, I'm very much pro-legalization.

The illegal marijuana trade is one of the biggest fuelers of organized crime in Canada. Legalize the weed, monitor the production and sales of it the way other substances are, perhaps put an age limit on it, (18 or 19 years old would be reasonable IMO) and tax it, and not only would the base market for Big Crime be wiped out, but BC would finally have a way to pay for these stupid fucking Olympics that we apparently needed so direly that funding had to be diverted from education and health care.

I have been a few times. I'm sorry if my comment struck you the wrong way though.

I didn't indulge any of the times when I was there though. Why bother? I'm from British Columbia -the Netherlands of Canada, in terms of drugs, at least. It is illegal here, but unless a person's got a sizable grow-op, the police more or less tolerate it, leaving their attention to more pressing matters. BC Bud is reputed to be some of the highest quality in the world, and most of the people here have at least tried pot, even if they aren't regular smokers. Believe me, I understand about the reputation. We've got our share of drug tourists too.


As far as the legal age for drinking goes, I don't think it should be as high as it is. Countries with lower drinking ages tend to have lower national levels of alcoholism than those with higher ones, mostly because there isn't an "adult" mystique attached to the product. Generally speaking, when booze isn't seen as a way to look grownup or to rebel, young people are less likely to abuse it and less likely to be setting themselves up for a lifetime of addiction. I suggested 18 or 19 as the hypothetical legal age for marijuana only for the sake of consistency.
[Edited 7/2/08 16:43pm]

Being Dutch myself, I'm just sick & tired of being confronted with the fact that we're so liberal about it. Wherever I come and tell that I'm Dutch, 9 out of 10 times there'll be a spliff-mention.....it's fucking annoying! As if we're all stoned all the time, walking around like zombies.
Sure, you're right about the criminal aspect, it is the same here since we have a double standard about it: it is NOT legal here, only tolerated.....which makes it even more stupid!
The age-thing.....well. is the drinking age in the US preventing kids from drinking?? Don't think so.

Your post responding to Miguel's statement is the perfect example of what I have written above....I don't know whether you've been here, it makes me feel sad about my country as apperently this is the one thing that comes up in people when the Netherlands is mentioned.....if you have been here, it makes me even more sad.....it would mean that you were spaced out and were walking around like a zombie, not being able to see what more there is to offer here.....
[Edited 7/2/08 16:33pm]

Little hard to be cranky, isn't it?

I wasn't talking about the drugs.....but you do have a point.