There has been more explosions from people trying to bypass their gas meter in the last few months than people trying to illegally distil alcohol.
Make cannabis a Class A Drug, say Conservative Police Commissioners...
- Thread starter EGuitarStar
- Start date
There has been more explosions from people trying to bypass their gas meter in the last few months than people trying to illegally distil alcohol.
Another perfectly good reason to legalize it then, surely?
Legalize and legislate, then we can (as a country) earn tax from the product also instead of it going into the hands of criminals, whilst simultaneously reducing the risk from illegal grow ops.
Last edited:
Caporegime
Right, but that doesn't change the fact that illegal alcohol production exists (despite it being legal) and the fact that it can be deadly.
That's neglecting the health impacts from counterfeit or contaminated alcohol. Where again, alcohol is legal.
Soldato
I am not one to call out somebodies lack of awareness and brain cell count but I will make an exeption this timeYes, I lived next door to one, glad it got raided the scumbags, that was just with a quick google, I could find lots and lots.
Fire breaks out at cannabis factory in Hull
Humberside Police are appealing for witnesses and CCTV footagewww.hulldailymail.co.uk
Firefighters warn capital cannabis factory fires at an all time high
New figures released today by the London Fire Brigade show there were 12 cannabis factory fires in London in the first four months of the year putting the capital on course for an alarming highwww.london-fire.gov.uk
Bolton Cannabis Farm Fire
Damage to the roof of the house caused by thr fire. Police in Bolton are investigating a blaze at a house suspected to have been caused by a cannabis farm. At about 10pm on Monday 5 March 2012, police were called to the Tonge Moor area of Bolton, by firefighters who were dealing with a fire...www.flickr.com
Cannabis farm uncovered after emergency services called to house fire
An investigation is underwaywww.manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Fire at Stafford house led to large cannabis factory being found
Firefighters spotted dangerous wiring at the property and called the policewww.staffordshire-live.co.uk
Cannabis farm discovered at scene of fire in Shaw
Officers responded to reports of a fire at an address in Shaw to find a cannabis farm, police revealed.www.theoldhamtimes.co.uk
all of those links you posted wouldnt have happened if Cannabis was legal and that "Scuzzer" next door wouldnt neither, high five!
Caporegime
That didn't stop criminals earnin 1 billion from illegal alcohol sales.
LGA: Dangerous fake alcohol warning to New Year’s Eve revellers
New Year’s Eve revellers are being urged to avoid cheap and dangerous fake alcohol being sold by rogue retailers ahead of the biggest social night of the year.
That didn't stop criminals earnin 1 billion from illegal alcohol sales.
LGA: Dangerous fake alcohol warning to New Year’s Eve revellers
New Year’s Eve revellers are being urged to avoid cheap and dangerous fake alcohol being sold by rogue retailers ahead of the biggest social night of the year.www.local.gov.uk
Absolutely.
Now imagine how many times that figure would be multiplied by if we had prohibition and alcohol was illegal.
Caporegime
I am not one to call out somebodies lack of awareness and brain cell count but I will make an exeption this time
Which is a crap assumption. People produce illegal versions of legal goods every single day.
Boston industrial estate explosion linked to illegal alcohol
Police investigate reports of illegal vodka distilling after Lincolnshire blast kills five men
www.google.com
Caporegime
Nobody knows. Because despite it being legal that still happens. So the argument criminals would stop profiting it complete fallacy.
Soldato
I woudn't be too sure about that, people who are absolute bums, will try earn easy money any how they can get, can easily stash 50+ grands worth grows in a 2 bedroom house, even if it was legalised, it will still come with a fair cost, the weed farmers will just sell it at a lesser cost, even if they could make 10K out of it they will do it, if they just doley bums.I am not one to call out somebodies lack of awareness and brain cell count but I will make an exeption this time
Soldato
LOL, bloody hell I never realised the UK was full of illegal bootleg facilities, the Police need to get a firm grip on that, my neighbour could blow my house up!Which is a crap assumption. People produce illegal versions of legal goods every single day.
Boston industrial estate explosion linked to illegal alcohol
Police investigate reports of illegal vodka distilling after Lincolnshire blast kills five men
Caporegime
As per my link earlier its a 1 billion pound per year industry. That ain't exactly small-fry.
Nobody knows the exact figures, sure. But I think it's a fair assessment to say that a significantly larger chunk of money would end up in the hands of criminals if we had prohibition and alcohol was illegal, would you agree?
Nobody is claiming that it would stop all criminals, everywhere, for all time. What we are saying is that if Cannabis was legal a significant number of those illegal (and potentially dangerous) grow ops would not exist. Would you agree that's a fair assumption?
Hence if we accept both of those assumptions to be true, I think we would see an environment very similar to what we see today with alcohol.
The majority of consumers will buy it directly from retailers. A few people will grow at home for their own use (similar to how some people make their own beer / wine). And a small number will still operate illegally, just as referenced by what happened in Boston.
However I feel that overall, A reduction in illegal activity and an increase in tax revenue into the countries coffers is a far better idea than trying to "stamp it out" with prohibition and illegality, which has quite clearly demonstrated to not work.
Last edited:
Caporegime
Yet people are acting like it's absolute. Like all these nasty people will just disappear the moment it becomes legal. They won't. Those that grow it en masse are also often linked to other criminal schemes. Whilst their marajuana production may then go legit, the other activities linked with it won't.
I'll give an example. The town I grew up in had a well known drug producer. He had strong links with Pakistan and Afghanistan and used those links to import. He's now the largest independent business owner in the town because he filtered that drug money in to property and purchasing other businesses. The bit that never went away despite him becoming 'legit', modern slavery.
Soldato
Not once have I had any knowledge of or seen prohibition style distilleries in my 46 years on this planet, the link you gave is surely an exception and extremelly uncommon, I also have never been offered or seen illegal alcohol for sale.
Caporegime
A billion pound industry is an exception? Lol.
You've never knowingly been offered or seen illegal alcohol. That's kinda the point of fraudulent goods.
Soldato
I get my beer from Asda!! so unless they are in on it then I dunno
and I meant the explosion being an exception.
Caporegime
I get my beer from Asda!! so unless they are in on it then I dunno
There are other examples, that was just the most deadly in recent years. The major problem is the toxicity of the product.
Its Asda, you never know what those tinkers are up to!
A few are acting like it's absolute yes. I think the majority however are not meaning it quite so literally. I think they (and I) knowingly acknowledge that there may always be some small criminal element to certain things, such as Alcohol, Tobacco, Cannabis etc..
However I believe the point they are all trying to make is that by making it illegal (and yet still easy to produce) they have instead moved the entire revenue stream into the hands of criminals. - This seems a very stupid thing to do from an "administration" point of view.
To use your own example...
Had Cannabis been legal, it's entirely possible (and quite likely) that guy you speak of would (may) have had a significantly diminished revenue stream, reducing his ability to purchase properties and businesses and overall "influence" in the area.
In the case of your example above, the ONLY thing that keeping Cannabis illegal did, was ensure that all revenue related to it went into his pockets and allowed him to buy up properties and businesses. - Knowing this, would you recommend Cannabis be kept illegal, or made legal and became a valid tax revenue stream?
Last edited:
Caporegime
I think what we'll end up with are a lot if very nasty people with access to clean revenue streams. These streams then give them the opportunity to finance further criminal activities more easily and with less risk.
In the short-term I think you could be right to be honest... I think it would(could) parallel what happened with the Gangsters / Mobsters and booze running during Prohibition in the US. (and what happened after Prohibition ended)
In the mid-term to long-term though? I'm not so sure that things would end up badly. With less "easy money" to be made via illegal Cannabis, less people would become involved in the "business" in the first place, reducing the overall percentage of those "likely to end up in criminality".
Last edited: