Off Topic Get it taxed!

Just wanted to gauge on here what the opinion would be on a couple of matters, interested to see your reasoning why too.

I think we all know we have serious funding problems across a number of areas across the country. The NHS is on its knees, the roads are a mess which is indicative of our general infrastructure, the police are suffering, schools are underfunded, the prisons overcrowded, the list goes on and on.

I often look at things like this and think "are we missing a trick anywhere". Of course the answer is yes, but where and how. Personally I have felt for a long time that there are 2nr things we currently don't tax which makes no sense at all. This is because under law they are illegal. Both tend to be fairly controversial subjects, but I've never been sure why as the current legislation is very clearly not working to solve the issues.

The two things are:

1. Legalisation of cannabis for both medicinal and recreational use
2. Legalisation of prostitution

My reasoning is below:

Cannabis
First off the bat there is now very sound science which proves that the drug has medical benefits. Indeed our government, despite how they legislate, know this. How can I say that? Well given we are secretly the largest producer in the world of medicinal cannabis, I think it is fair to assume they know full well the benefits. We've all seen the news and reports of the drug have significant pain relief and even reduction in tumours in some cases. There is also the treatment of epilepsy and most will have seen special dispensation the home office granted in a couple of cases. I just can't see a logical argument against the legalisation of weed. If you consider that by taxing it you gain access to funds that can be pumped directly to the two bodies who are affected most by the current legislation (NHS and Police). Not only that you can then control the quality, lessen the black market etc. By legalising it you will lessen the burden of the amount of time police chasing supposed 'criminals', lessen the burden on the prisons, lessen the burden on the NHS both by less people utilising the NHS because they will get relief from medicinal cannabis, and of course by allowing proper research to allow us to make steps forward through additional funding. I've heard people say it should be legalised for medicinal use only. I don't see the point in a half measure. All the people who would use such services, are doing it anyway through illegal channels. There is a myth its a gateway to other drugs. This is horseshit, the gateway is the dealers who prosper because its illegal. They push the other drugs, anyone with any knowledge of recreational drug use knows this.

Prostitution
A real issue for some people but I'm not really sure why. Its one of the oldest trades going. All that tells you is making it illegal has stopped nothing. Again the only ones who benefit are pimps. You get girls standing in the freezing cold, being beaten by pimps and punters, being drugged by pimps and hooked in that way, diseases are rife and the prostitutes are not evening getting fair payment. These prostitutes in a lot of cases want to make their money that way. By legalising it and taxing it you can:

1. Get rid of the pimps
2. Protect the prostitutes from drugs and violence
3. Get better pay for the prostitutes
4. Get them health checks and screening
5. Stop abusive (or worse) customers
6. Get a better working environment
7. Get money to pump into the NHS to mitigate the mental health, sexual health burden on the NHS

My main problem with the current law in both cases is the current system has categorically failed. All we seem to have is an ever increasing burden on already failing services. Your thoughts are welcomed.

PS I'm not doing a dissertation or anything like that, I'm just bored and having a muse

 

Basically you need a spliff and to get laid but can't legally?!

 

I’d choose the purple dildo.

 

I haven't touched "drugs" since 2011 apart from a bit of cheeba when I go and see my brother every now and then but personally I'd legalize ALL drugs, tax them and house them. All the abandoned old factories would make good crack/smack dens where you buy your drugs and then depending on the drug - stay for a set period of time (before being allowed back out into the public domain) where people could use in a safe and supervised environment. This would basically be a bar, just with the added stipulation you have to stay until sober if you are tripping balls on acid and are in danger of thinking you can stop a train with your face or something equally daft. Creates jobs from growing/producing drugs, distribution, logistics, sales out lets and jobs for everyone in between. The tax would be sufficient to pay for the NHS in its entirety and pretty much curtail gang's as there main source of income is pushing drugs, mainly using kids to do it for them.

And "drugs" is in speech marks as cig's and alcohol kill more than all the others combined every year - and cigs are the only drug I've had a problem giving up, I could stop smoking if you had a gun to my head tbh.

 

I used to quite like a spliff when I was younger. Sadly those days are done as, while I can't see the problem with it, I don't smoke anymore because I don't want to influence what the little one does. The advent of vapes would make it slightly more appealing I suppose, because it was always the tobacco in a joint I had an issue with. If in time little one decides to enjoy a bit reefer then I won't have a problem with it.I just won't be the reason she develops an interest. When I was in Canada recently they have a completely different view of weed - its legal there for recreation and medicinal. Billion dollar industry in the states. We are really sleeping on this opportunity. I got talking to one girl and she says her parents put weed out in a bowl at the Xmas dinner table Even though its legal there now, you can't really see too much change in the place. Mind the shops weren't really open yet so that may affect things.

My whoring days are long gone. I have had no need since I met the missus Great days they were though! I once rode an ethiopian hooker when out in Dubai with work. Turns out all hookers are thieving psychos regardless where they are from. Which leads me back to my initial point, the environment they are put in/work in is like a form of torture. Thus hookers tend to be a bit crazy in the main.

 

So what about the hoors?

 

Been to brothels in Amsterdam and Vegas when I was much younger and while I don't feel the need to pay for sex anymore (at 18 & 21 you'll take what ever is offered your way ), its an individuals choice and as you say much safer for all those involved.

 

Anyone who drinks, shags and smokes should be cast assunder.

 

This country's ruling classes are far too strait-laced to consider legalising cannabis let alone prostitution.

 

Cannabis.

For me it’s not sufficient to argue a drug should be legalised because
1. Other drugs are worse.
2. You can make money out of it
3. There’s lots of people using it.
4. The Police will have more time to concentrate on other crimes.
5. It will upset drug barons.
Or any combination thereof.

To legalise you have to argue legalisation on its own merits. Arguments still exist as to whether cannabis can cause medical problems or not. Until that’s resolved then it’s a no from me. No objection to controlled medical application but not free use.

Prostitution

No. Wrong message being given to, in particular, young girls. I also doubt that many, if any, prostitutes “want” to be prostitutes.

Part solution, but not in isolation, increase income tax for everyone and use the extra, in part, to fund

1. Law & Order
2. Education
3. NHS
4. Not immediately relevant here but Elderly Care.

 

We question MA's intentions and morals with the retail establishments he owns, imagine if these were revenue streams he had access to!!

Hookers direct - free big mug with every £50 spent.
Sports direct would probably have a half price bag of cannabis with every dodgy tracksuit.

 

Tax soap and water, then watch as S*nderland become a rich mans haven
Also tax people with an extra digit

 

**** it, I posted some profound ****,(took me ****in ages to type) and the site went down. ****y site.

 

The mods are ****s as well mate.

 

Elderly care definitely, bollocks to everything else.

 

So on that basis would you delegalise smoking as it has been proven that there is a link between smoking and a whole raft of health problems?
The interesting thing is that the latest figures suggest that treating smoking related illnesses cost the NHS about 5-6billion quid per year whereas tax and VAT on tobacco raises 12billion quid so it certainly covers itself.
Looking at it from purely a cost effect delegalising it would also result in those who used to smoke living longer thus putting more of a burden on the government.
Smoking anything increases the risk of cancer but research to date suggests that the risks are significantly lower with cannabis than tobacco, although it may lead to other breathing difficulties. I wouldn’t have a problem with legalising and taxing it. The US states that have done this have shown the way forward.
Prostitution. Think this is a completely different situation. Its a business that is driven by a need for money on the part of the provider. If the government could resolve that problem the business would disappear.

 

Can't wait to hear CC's views on this thread like

For me personally, legalising both wouldn't be a bad idea. Backhanders from the Pharmaceutical industry might become a thing of the past as their drugs are peddled less and less by GP's because people are "self healing" with cannabis derivatives so the Government might not be a big fan of that. I've seen first hand the life changing effects that cannabis oil (the proper stuff) can have on dogs, cats and people when it's done properly and firmly believe that nature offers everything that is needed to cure anything. I've read a book and my missus has read journal papers from research at University of Northumbria relating to an 8 week blood sugar diet which completely reversed type 2 diabetes, GP's won't advise on anything like that though because they don't know enough about it, anything more than telling you to eat your 5 a day (which is also bollocks) and drink 3 ltrs of water each day and they're ****ed....oh and here's some statins for you whilst you're on.

As for the prossies....**** yeah !

 

At least a serious take on it

I think you'd get a shock just how many want to do it. I think for the majority of us this it is hard to comprehend to be fair as its not what we would do or recommend as a viable career path to our kin. There are plenty of men and women out there who want to sell their body for sex - and their argument would be it should be within their human rights to do as they choose with their body. Afterall who are they hurting by doing so? To be honest if you want to stop those being forced into it, legalising it is probably the best way of combating it. They are being drugged and intimidated by pimps. You remove them from the equation and you'll probably quickly end up with only those who want to do it for an occupation. I think you also have to consider there are people out there making a very good living out of this, earning more than many of us could hope to in our occupation.

With weed I understand the argument regarding medical problems. However I have looked into this quite a bit. The only genuine problems with weed seem to be when it is smoked (often with tobacco) and there are some tenuous links to mental health problems. I think this is why vaping, edibles, and other mediums of getting high/pain relief are on the rise. Also the latter issue with mental health is largely linked to a quality control issue with the strains of weed being grown on the black market. If its done in a controlled environment by scientists, you eradicate the issue and ease another burden on the NHS. Cannabis has been shown to actually alleviate issues with mental health when grown specifically to aid it.

What we do know is the current laws are not working. My concern is this is increasing the burden on our services at an alarming rate due to expanding population. I think we need to have a rethink. I understand why weed was criminalised originally. We knew too little and at the time anything that altered your mental state was somewhat feared. However we are not the same people now and have far more knowledge about it. The thing for me is we have loads of places around the world who have taken the plunge and are not experiencing the problems we've had presented as a reason not to do it. I don't understand it from a human perspective too. People who enjoy weed seem to have zero negative affect on anyone around them - directly or indirectly. Its not like tobacco and alcohol for instance in that respect. I have still yet to hear a single shred of genuine evidence of it doing so, outside of those smoking stupidly strong strains which don't even seem to be that enjoyable to have. It feels like we infringe on the human rights of those in this culture, but happily allow smoking and alcohol despite knowing full well they have negative impacts to not only those choosing to enjoy them.

 

If ever the government wanted proof that happy baccy f@cks you up they should take a look at the Mackem board.

 

for pointing out the obvious but often overlooked point. I deliberately didn't enter this at the start of the discussion because it will be dismissed as a conspiracy theory. The main opposition to legalising cannabis is allegedly coming from the big pharma companies and those in their pockets. Florida is a case in point where the reliance on pharma products is huge. These companies know it has the potential to blunt their profit margins and so they have gone to war using their financial might to prevent it. This seems to be where a lot of the misleading scaremongering originates. Religion and conservative forms of it is often presented as the reason legalisation is fought by many. Its true drug use doesn't sit well within many religions but I think their opposition to this kind of thing pales in insignificance to the pharma guys. The big fear of course for them is cancer is big business. Having something which can be grown cheaply outshine in treatment terms the vast majority of the cancer drugs they have invested millions in developing, is a major concern to them and their profits.

You've also hit on another important factor. Treatment of animals and in particular their pain. Anyone skeptical only need to look at the countless examples across Canada and the US. Would pet owners not want to be able to give their animals a better quality of life? I can't believe that.

My granny and her situation had a profound effect on me because no one likes to see a relative suffer as they get older. To give a bit of background she is 87 and had a very conservative upbringing. This woman has seen the war, she is old school and hard as bloody nails. She lost her dad before she was born and was the youngest of 10. She has incredible pain in her knees and has tried every type of pain relief going. It was becoming unbearable and nothing they could prescribe that still allowed her to function normally, or that she could buy over the counter could combat it. I ordered high quality CBD gel for her off the internet and she simply rubs it in when they are giving her jip. She thinks it is the best thing since sliced bread and if a woman of that background can change her mind then I think its time for us to re-evaluate. I did have to explain the background to it before I give it to her. The only downside of that is she then expressed an interest in getting some to smoke (she has smoked about 20 a day since she was 13). I couldn't agree to that, my mother would kill me.