Drug Gangs

[The Voice of Reason]

1 hour ago, Passing Time said:

If the police pull their lazyarse fingers out and prevent drugs coming onto the island (or try to) their shitty arrest figures for £10 worth of weed would disappear. They're more interested in collaring the small fry. Legalise cannabis and concentrate on the class A drugs

OK you legalize cannabis. That’s gone.

Then you get to the next drug deemed the least harmful. Cries go out for that to be legalized next and the small fry pedaling that not to be shittily arrested.

Etc etc

[Omobono]

Sadly the lack of  a police presence around the Island is alarming , not seen a police officer  in the street  for ages , how they expect to gather intelligence  or find out who is living the high life without any work or  visible means of support is beyond me 

same at the ports only a presence following a tip off ,  if we are serious about tackling the drugs  problem then lets see some concerted action from those in authority and stop giving drug dealers and mules slap on the wrist sentences and probation , 

[cissolt]

8 hours ago, Omobono said:

Sadly the lack of  a police presence around the Island is alarming , not seen a police officer  in the street  for ages , how they expect to gather intelligence  or find out who is living the high life without any work or  visible means of support is beyond me 

same at the ports only a presence following a tip off ,  if we are serious about tackling the drugs  problem then lets see some concerted action from those in authority and stop giving drug dealers and mules slap on the wrist sentences and probation , 

I disagree about the ports.  I travelled last week in a car and found the level of security was akin to crossing the border into northern island during the troubles.  Including bomb checking mirrors looking under each car.  Returning I only had my ticket checked, no security at all.

[The Phantom]

13 hours ago, quilp said:

It's only a matter of time till we have our first Fentanyl overdose. 

Possibly not.  Fentanyl is not even really a problem in the UK.  Crystal Meth also never really seemed to have caught on in the UK or Europe to such a level that it has in the US. 

It's a good thing, but absolutely no idea why. 

[Roxanne]

22 minutes ago, The Phantom said:

but absolutely no idea why. 

Probably down to the huge availability of cheap benzos. sold on the street all over the UK right now. 

[La Colombe]

14 hours ago, doc.fixit said:

Police the ports properly and also police the private planes and boats. I truly believe the govt. is so short sighted not allowing the police these powers. Customs, coastguard and police combined would be a formidable combination against illegal importations.

Oh yes, proper identity checks on everyone entering our country.

That sounds very expensive and probably ineffective.

14 hours ago, doc.fixit said:

Take it or leave it 

Err, leave it I think.

14 hours ago, doc.fixit said:

that's the only way to stop illegal drugs.

Or, make them legal. That's another way. 

[The Phantom]

7 minutes ago, Roxanne said:

Probably down to the huge availability of cheap benzos. sold on the street all over the UK right now. 

I've heard that too.  But I wouldn't have thought that alternative drugs in the US are particularly hard to get hold of or expensive.  

The main driver of the Fentanyl issue is Pharma Cos freely peddling opioids to anyone.  Not dissimilar to the financial interest big gun companies have in arming the US population to be honest. 

 

[Andy Onchan]

BBC News - Canadian cannabis market struggles five years after legalisation
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-67126243

[TheTeapot]

5 minutes ago, Andy Onchan said:

BBC News - Canadian cannabis market struggles five years after legalisation
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-67126243

"The thing is, there was no global road map,"

There are lessons to be learnt. 

For the Isle of Man it is simple. You say "We have enabled people to access cannabis through private prescriptions, that cannabis is for the prescribee and them alone. We acknowledge there are a large number of people who find cannabis to be beneficial and we'd like to go further. So people who wish to grow their own can now do so, under licence. The licence costs £200 per year, and the produced cannabis is for the grower and their household alone. This change does not mean cannabis is legal, people granted licences to grow their own are asked to be discrete and are reminded that cannabis remains a scheduled drug, and the supply to others is definitely a criminal offence. We will keep this under review for the next few years before deciding on any future changes. It is down to you the people to appreciate this change in direction, it is your behaviour that will inform our future policy."

[joebean]

Perhaps one of the issues with the profitability of cannabis is that it only appeals as a consumer item to that proportion of the population that are interested in consuming it. There is unlikely to be much growth in the market as the proportion of the population who wish to inhale dirt in order to sit around lethargically, talking rubbish and doing nothing positive with their time is, thankfully not going to increase much. It’s the feeling of being a little bit rebellious and illegal that increases the appeal of a rather dull activity with those that lack imagination to do anything really interesting. Legalisation will likely give an initial boost to consumption but that will probably not be sustained. Legalisation will also put a lot of investment and resources into producing something that adds nothing to the quality of life rather than, for example, quality locally sourced food. 

However, I have little interest in saving the dull and idiotic from themselves so would not object to cannabis being legalised. Government here, as in Canada is unlikely to want to allow it to be an industry without regulation or to encourage increased tourism from dopeheads who either sit around doing nothing or driving their cars under the influence. It’s not an economic miracle in the making. 

[Cueey Lewis And The News]

9 minutes ago, joebean said:

Perhaps one of the issues with the profitability of cannabis is that it only appeals as a consumer item to that proportion of the population that are interested in consuming it. There is unlikely to be much growth in the market as the proportion of the population who wish to inhale dirt in order to sit around lethargically, talking rubbish and doing nothing positive with their time is, thankfully not going to increase much.

Yes because there is also such a limited global market for alcohol so that people can go and get pissed up and sit around lethargically talking rubbish and doing nothing positive with their time 😂

[The Phantom]

1 hour ago, Andy Onchan said:

BBC News - Canadian cannabis market struggles five years after legalisation
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-67126243

I've got some friends in California and they've said the same thing.  Most people are going back to illegal dealers as they're cheaper.  The legal producers have got high costs due to taxes and regulation.  Plus you know for a fact we would regulate it to death just to give a team in the CS something to do (or not).

[joebean]

1 hour ago, Cueey Lewis And The News said:

Yes because there is also such a limited global market for alcohol so that people can go and get pissed up and sit around lethargically talking rubbish and doing nothing positive with their time 😂

Yes, but alcohol is part of our ingrained culture and has been for thousands of years and the majority of us drink for reasons other than getting pissed. As much as advocates of cannabis try to make the connection it isn’t really relevant to the debate. As I said, legalise it if you wish to remove the criminality and naughtiness from it. I doubt whether it is ever going to be the economic wonder that the stoned say it will be. 

[Max Power]

On 10/10/2023 at 8:57 AM, cissolt said:

I disagree about the ports.  I travelled last week in a car and found the level of security was akin to crossing the border into northern island during the troubles.  Including bomb checking mirrors looking under each car.  Returning I only had my ticket checked, no security at all.

So they are trying to stop the export of drugs from the island, but oblivious to the importation of drugs to the island? 

[cissolt]

10 minutes ago, Max Power said:

So they are trying to stop the export of drugs from the island, but oblivious to the importation of drugs to the island? 

That baffled me too.  Old Northern island style checks leaving the island.  And two tired g4s security people on the return leg.  No vehicle checks, no ID check. I was sitting in the landing area for over 1.5 hours.