did the explosion of "synthetics" and "spice" help or hurt?

Synthetics are sometimes worse to do- I'd definitely say that this pushed govts. On the same note, Bill O Riley type folk will always blame us.

 

I would say it helped the cause. It shows that marijuana is extremely popular and its use will never go away, and that prohibition doesn't discourage use so much as it drives people to seek potentially dangerous alternatives.

 

The sad part is that the unthinking masses seem to think that "evil people" sit around and create new drugs, irrespective from the fact it's in response to the policy of prohibition of the real thing. It's a "product" in their minds which just "magically" appears on a store shelf like everything else in their world. They care not and look glazed over when you mention the term "analogue provision" to the CSA and how anything can be deemed illegal on the whims of the DEA and Attorney General.

I'd say it hurts things, as the association between synthetic and real will be muddied by the media as being "the same" and now they actually have a version of pot that CAN kill you in the fake stuff, so all the more sensationalism will follow.

 

hurts.

 

Definitely good, shoving all these newly discovered substances under the analogue act and banning them just limits research and the potential properties will never be know.

For example, HU-210

 

Awesome info there!

Are your sure it's good? I think the government damn well knows what they're doing. The more things they can hide away, control and research on their own time and prerogatives, the better is probably how they see it. I don't think cannabis knowledge is at the forefront of many peoples' minds with all that is going on in the world. It's a cops vs. "bad guys" world they see this in. Making complex cannabis science interesting and appealing to the masses is the challenge.

 

Someone in my town recently died from driving high while on Red Magic... He was speeding at about 90MPH and Slammed right into a house almost causing the death of a mother and her baby, Luckily they were outside in the backyard while this occured. Personally I have done Red Magic and I don't see much harm in it, It REALLY makes your mouth dry though and fucks you up bad. Weed is much better and theyre is no harm in weed

 

Helps. The synth canns were created by serious cannabinoid researchers seeking a way to study the effects of canns on the brain without having to go through all the ultimately futile red tape necessary to get approved to do research with marijuana. Ultimately, only prohibitionist outfits are granted this approval. The synths showed much promise in many cancer, OCD, PTSD, etc, studies. People hijacked the synths as a recreational drug. In both cases - the creation of the synths and their widespread use - prohibition was the cause.

 

I actually wrote on this topic for an English paper a couple of semesters ago. I haven't really kept up with it lately, but since like 10 kids in my class were doing pro-weed papers, I figured this would be a solid subject.

From what I remember, I wrote on how the use of the substances like "spice" should help the reformation of marijuana laws. Mostly because marijuana has been used for medicinal reasons, has no physical dependancy, and just plain doesn't do damage to the human body. Where as "spice" use has been linked to several severe hospitalizations cases. My close friend was actually one of these examples. He was on diversion at the time and was a heavy toker, so he switched over to spice. After a heavy night of smoking that junk, he had a seizure the next morning in class.

I've used the synthetic shit, and I must say it is garbage. I'm on diversion right now and I'd rather just be sober than ingest that crap.

Obviously, I think marijuana should be legal, but I think the problem with this situation is how our government would go about the process of actually regulating a substance that is mass produced in the "black market." Clearly they have done it before with alcohol, so idk. It's so controversial it makes me sick

 

Hurts. Most sheeple aren't smart enough to realize the proliferation of this nasty k2spice stuff is just a byproduct of prohibition.

 

I can't say I completely agree, since that some people view this as the "gateway" effect.

 

The gateway effect has been blown up, machine gunned, and smashed to smithereens.

there is no gateway effect.

 

The only sensible explanation I've ever heard for the Gateway Effect is one of social stigma and outright lack of education. When you lump all drugs into a category, kids think "I did one drug, so why not try another". One of the most preventable examples of the Gateway Effect is "Well they were wrong about pot, so I bet they're wrong about <Insert Drug Here> too". No, they weren't "wrong" about pot, they just flat-out lied to you about it!

These types of misconceptions are the direct result of prohibition and can be almost completely eliminated with some honest drug education. Not that same D.A.R.E. bullshit, written by people who have no real experience with drugs. I'm talking Erowid-level education. Would be mandatory in any sane and rational society.

Seriously though, the Gateway Effect is absolute bullshit meant to scare parents into thinking that their kids will be possessed, against their will, by evil drug-demons. Generally the same type of miserable people who sit around bitching about the rest of the world while waiting for the Rapture to come and sweep them away to some paradise or other. But I digress...

 

By their logic, they should ban bicycles too since Im sure 95% of people in motorcycle gangs started on bicycles.

 

Depends on your country in my opinion. In America from what I see it is helping for the better. In Australia however headshops have been left alone for decades 3 of our 7 states had a 10 plant misdaminaor law. These herbs come out and come 2012 tobacoo pipes are fucking illegal here. Excuse the spelling been a drinkin