What would the world be like, if alcohol were illegal and marijuana were legal

mikom

Companero wrote: »

In fact pound for pound marijuana is more cargenogenic than tobacco,

Unprocessed tobacco maybe.
Then the cigarette manufacturers go to work, adding a little bit of this and a little bit of that to keep the fag burning amongst other things,
Cigarette additives used by the leading US brands shows the following ingredients: benzene (synthetic rubber used in dyes), methoprene (dangerous insecticide) naphthalene (mothball ingredient), ethyl furoate (lung-damaging chemical), methyl isocyanate (extremely poisonous substance that accidentally killed hundreds of people in India in 1984), as well as lead, cadmium, nickel, and polonium (all known chemical poisons with cancer-provoking qualities).

rossie1977

rantyface wrote: »

Unless cannabis really took off, it could never make as much money or employ as many people as the alcohol industry. A couple of farmers could probably supply the whole country.

if cannabis was legal, the cotton and paper industry would basically cease to exist

as for what the world would be like if alcohol was illegal, 1920s usa should provide enough evidence of what it would be like, the black market in alcohol would be huge, crime would be rampant, a few people would be making billions off the back of illegal booze, prisons would be full, parts of cities would no-go areas (sounds alot like today actually)

RMD

Companero wrote: »

Not true. All Burning plant material is cargenogenic to some degree. In fact pound for pound marijuana is more cargenogenic than tobacco, its just that as its far less addictive than tobacco, people dont usually get intot the habit of smoking it 20 times a day, and its the repeated expoosure that really gives you cancer.

As said, a reference to that would be nice, preferably from an unbiased source. In terms of addiction though that is totally true, I could never imagine myself having more than 1-2 joints a day at most, never any more. Knowing it gets you high actually helps regulates ones use of it to be honest.

Irish Guitarist

The "If found return to the pub" t-shirt makers would be out of business.

Star Bingo

there'd certainly be less brazen displays of madness and insanity n frothing at the mouth to be passed off as acceptable 'under the circumstances' and ushered out of court. yes, the high that can exhibit the effects of crack cocaine is the legal one.

Cú Giobach

RMD wrote: »

Knowing it gets you high actually helps regulates ones use of it to be honest.

Yea. Because it gets me high I regulate it to only 10 or more spliffs a day.

RMD

Cú Giobach wrote: »

Yea. Because it gets me high I regulate it to only 10 or more spliffs a day.

How many people do you know who will have 10 pints a day? I wouldn't touch Weed or Alcohol if I have a task to do, if I don't I might have a joint or a couple of pints.

People who smoke joint after joint every day are idiots, just the same as alcoholics.

Cú Giobach

RMD wrote: »

How many people do you know who will have 10 pints a day?

Loads and loads. (a lot who have even more, oh the shame of it)

I wouldn't touch Weed or Alcohol if I have a task to do, if I don't I might have a joint or a couple of pints.

Good for you.

People who smoke joint after joint every day are idiots, just the same as alcoholics.

Hmmm...very judgmental aren't we.

A hell of a lot more unemployment (no jobs in drinks industry). Much reduced revenue from alcohol sales.

Worst of all there would be no craic. A world of sleepy hash heads and no drink. Sounds pretty crap to me.

AntiMatter

A hell of a lot more employment (plenty of jobs in the weed industry). Much improved revenue from weed sales.

Best of all there would be less of the alcohol related problems. A world of chilled-out potheads, and no drink. Yes, please.

ScumLord

RDM_83 again wrote: »

Going to take a break from writing an archaeology essay. To write about archaeology.
If we didn't have alcohol Western Europe and China probably wouldn't be in the position they in now,

I don't understand what you mean by that, didn't many Asian countries boil water like already pointed out? Last I heard Asians can't drink for **** because they never developed the resistance to it that we in Europe have.

rantyface wrote: »

You can make alcohol so easily from readily available foods that a ban just couldn't work!

I also wonder if it would be bad for the economy since alcohol is a big industry. Unless cannabis really took off, it could never make as much money or employ as many people as the alcohol industry. A couple of farmers could probably supply the whole country.

rossie1977 wrote: »

if cannabis was legal, the cotton and paper industry would basically cease to exist

Zayne Enough Stoplight wrote: »

A hell of a lot more unemployment (no jobs in drinks industry). Much reduced revenue from alcohol sales.

Worst of all there would be no craic. A world of sleepy hash heads and no drink. Sounds pretty crap to me.

It's nonsense to assume that if weed and hemp were made legal tomorrow it would destroy other industries.

Drink is manufactured in a factory by as few people as possible it's the same for every step along the way. If anything the drinks industry has a huge head start on weed as they already have the infrastructure needed to mass produce and can produce alcoholic drinks for next to nothing as it is. As drink is made from food crops other uses can be found for the tiny drop in demand that weed may cause. No body's going to stop using drink they may drink less but I don't see people that enjoy a glass of wine or a pint of Guinness stopping drinking altogether if weeds on offer.

It's like that for many areas, cotton has the head start every thing's set up for cotton you can't just drop a completely different plant matter into a factory and continue on your merry way.

Hemp and weed would offer a new and rapidly growing industry but it couldn't wipe out any other industry. It may cripple some monopoly's at best.

gj777

As some others mentioned i think things would be way better. The clean up costs of cannibis would be dramatically lower than alc, so plenty of profit could be made without major overheads.
Also if alc were banned i doubt many people would bother bootlegging it on a massive scale in this day and age. local wiskey, cider and spudcheen probably, but when u have cannibis, mdmas, lsds etc id say people would probably (at least after a couple of years) start to see alco as the the inferior drug that it is. Infact i can see it being lumped in with heroin after a few generations-more of a nono drug.

rossie1977

ScumLord wrote: »

It's like that for many areas, cotton has the head start every thing's set up for cotton you can't just drop a completely different plant matter into a factory and continue on your merry way.

Hemp and weed would offer a new and rapidly growing industry but it couldn't wipe out any other industry. It may cripple some monopoly's at best.

i think you and me interpreted the op question differently, where as you took it as saying "what if it became legal tomorrow", i took it as saying "what if it was legal all along"

ScumLord

rossie1977 wrote: »

i think you and me interpreted the op question differently, where as you took it as saying "what if it became legal tomorrow", i took it as saying "what if it was legal all along"

If it was legal all along I still think you'd have a healthy cotton and drinks industry. Cotton is a different fibre than hemp, alcohol is a different drug than cannabis, while I'm sure cannabis use would make a dent in other product sales it would just be another option rather than an out and out replacement.

Witchy.ie

Well for one the world would be a far less violent place. Our hospital emergency rooms wouldn't be filled night after night with the victims of alcohol abuse both self-inflicted and the collateral damage of beaten and abused partners.

I imagine the tax take on legal Mary Jane would mean our national finances would be in a lot better shape. The sales of Mars Bars and Sour Cream Pringles would go through the roof. We all be using hemp paper and our forests would have a chance to recover. People with cataracts wouldn't need expensive laser surgury, Asthma sufferers wouldn't need to poison their bodies with steroids.

Hotrock Chic would be the latest fasion trend. People would laugh a lot more and discuss the meaning or the universe. Darkside of the Moon & The Wizard of OZ would top the Video & album charts.

.....and I'd be very happy

phill106

kjl wrote: »

OK, firstly the rules:

This is not a debate about why marijuana should be legal or the social implications of alcohol or how dangerous alcohol is.

The questions relates to how people would be, would there be bootleg alcohol? How would it affect nights out? How would people meet women etc.

Begin!

You do know where the term bootleg comes from don't you?

ScumLord

Witchy.ie wrote: »

Hotrock Chic would be the latest fasion trend.

With proper weed and hash hotrocks would be a thing of the past, you only get them from really bad soap.

Speakeasys and hash cafes.

Rastas with tommy guns.

sbsquarepants

The questions relates to how people would be, would there be bootleg alcohol? How would it affect nights out? How would people meet women etc.

Idiots would be ringing joe duffy saying "shots joe, they call them shots, the kids are doing them every weekend, it has to be stopped! and the new thing now is called cocktails, they're doing glass after glass joe, then they're collapsing, it's only a matter of time till someone is killed!"

But im not sure how the smoking ban would work, not much point going to a smoking den that you can't smoke in!

ScumLord

sbsquarepants wrote: »

But im not sure how the smoking ban would work, not much point going to a smoking den that you can't smoke in!

Vaporisers.

weiland79

For all the weed threads started on this here site, I'm curious as to how many of the pro smoking posters are actually going to bring the subject up on your doorsteps when Mr politician comes knocking for your vote.

I for one will be bringing it up and I'd like to know how the rest of you (if any) get on.

Maybe I'll even start another thread on the subject.....Won't that be exciting!!!!!

Dilynnio

It would probably be full of very paranoid and half brain dead humans.

It definitely slows down the motor neurons in the brain for registering data after a few years!

Cú Giobach

weiland79 wrote: »

For all the weed threads started on this here site, I'm curious as to how many of the pro smoking posters are actually going to bring the subject up on your doorsteps when Mr politician comes knocking for your vote.

I for one will be bringing it up and I'd like to know how the rest of you (if any) get on.

Maybe I'll even start another thread on the subject.....Won't that be exciting!!!!!

Unfortunately for many of us living in small country communities bringing up that subject isn't really an option. Mention the word Hash and they all think you are sitting at home with a needle sticking out of your arm :rolleyes:

Pace2008

It would undoubtedly be the end of civilisation.

Obviously, being illegal, Cannabis is completely unattainable for all. If it were to become an unscheduled substance, natural human curiosity would come into play and 100% of the adult populace (and most children) would take up smoking it. Naturally, anyone who likes weed smokes it all day, every day, and being completely incapable of functioning due to their intoxication would quit their jobs and while away their hours munching through crisps and chocolate mixed with breakfast cereal whilst watching reruns of children’s cartoon shows.

Don’t believe me? Take a trip to somewhere like Canada, where weed is de facto available to purchase anywhere. You’ll be forgiven for thinking the flight’s misrouted and led you to the set for the latest Hollywood zombie movie

the_syco

10 cans at home, beat the child cos the remote doesn't work.

10 joints at home, laugh at the blank TV as you're stoned out of your tree.

=-=

Group of lads go out drinking, bump into someone, fight ensures.

Group of lads go out smoking, bump into someone, giggle, continue walking.

=-=

Those whom alcohol effects badly: abusive bastard, moody

Those whom weed effects badly: paranoid, moody, prone to freaking out.

=-=

Weed, the weed itself, that is, has been used to make clothes, write on, make medicine, etc. Can't say the same about alcohol.

NoDice

Pace2008 wrote: »

It would undoubtedly be the end of civilisation.

Obviously, being illegal, Cannabis is completely unattainable for all. If it were to become an unscheduled substance, natural human curiosity would come into play and 100% of the adult populace (and most children) would take up smoking it. Naturally, anyone who likes weed smokes it all day, every day, and being completely incapable of functioning due to their intoxication would quit their jobs and while away their hours munching through crisps and chocolate mixed with breakfast cereal whilst watching reruns of children’s cartoon shows.

Don’t believe me? Take a trip to somewhere like Canada, where weed is de facto available to purchase anywhere. You’ll be forgiven for thinking the flight’s misrouted and led you to the set for the latest Hollywood zombie movie

I went to Canada there on my lunch break and it proved, as I would have imagined, that you're talking utter bullsh1t.

PeakOutput

NoDice wrote: »

I went to Canada there on my lunch break and it proved, as I would have imagined, that you're talking utter bullsh1t.

sarcams detector out of batteries today?

NoDice

PeakOutput wrote: »

sarcams detector out of batteries today?

Yeah.. That's what I went to Canada for actually. Hold my hands up after reading the post again and apologise for my shitty comment! - - Sorry!

















I'm actually stoned right now....

Laisurg

Less deaths, more laid back, things would be better in general!