Ok, I just had a thread closed in MPSIMS where I was asking bout Absinthe.
Now I ask the question:
Given the resurgence in Absinthe production in EU nations, and with adequate proof that it does not, in fact, cause insanity (scoff!), do you think that Absinthe should be legalized within the US?
Anyone that cares to ask some questions, please feel free to do so. Also see the thread in ATMB regarding locked threads for some statements in re: Absinthe and it’s legality.
Mods: if this thread constitutes a problem, I take responsibility for having suggested it wouldn’t be (in the ATMB thread).
As to the OP; I don’t think there’s any difference between this issue and that of the legalisation of cannabis:
How harmful is it?
What would be the likely/possible effects on society?
Why should we?
The fact that it has recently been legalised in the UK is something of a red herring, I feel.
It’s my understanding that UK laws had to be modified for for EU or EEC reasons. I don’t know the specifics.
Harmful- To date, nobody drinking modern Absinthe has suffered any problems more severe than those assosciated with standard Alchol.
Effects on Society- Unknown. The historic fear of Absinthe has since turned out to be more rhetoric and bad publicity, IMHO, but again, no worse of an effect than alcohol.
Why should we- Well, in most instances I feel that the question should be “Why Shouldn’t We?”. But that’s just me. As for why… well, again, see above on the fact that it’s not much more than alcohol. It should be treated the same way.
Absinthe , now legal in the UK, is a (very) pale version of its former self. It is no longer the drink that caused Van Gogh to cut off his ear etc… It is now a standard spirit trying (successfully) to cash in on its history as a ‘bad’ thing.
I have drunk it both in the UK and also in Czech Rep. (where it was supposed to be the ‘real thing’) and it is no worse than any other spirit. It’s no big deal, IMHO.
Not quite standard… it does have an amount of thujone, a chemical derived from the wormwood that is used in the distilling process.
In huge quantities, this chemical apparently caused some mental… abberation. But the level is much smaller in the modern Absinthes.
So, one vote for ‘yes’?
I’ll vote for the right to do anything which doesn’t affect or infringe on others rights. If it can be drunk without harm to others, I don’t think the issue of it harming the drinker (who choses to drink it) should be even be an issue.
Especially in a country who values individual freedom so highly (and has its citizens pay for their own medical bills)
Thank you aro.
It would appear, however, that this GD was not so G, apparently.
Sad. I had sent this link to a few members of an Absinthe forum, and between this and the closed thread in question, they’ve gotten a pretty negative first impression.
Ah well.
** Off to kill my sorrows in perfectly legal vodka **
Well, you can’t please all of the people all of the time.
In the UK, it’s viewed in a similar vein to drinks such as tequila, ie, you would down a few shots to help you on your way, but it’s not a drink to sup for the duration of the night. I have had a few shots on occassion and the effects were no more severe than other strong spirits, but it is correct the legal form of the drink is a much diluted version. I was still surprised to hear it is illegal in the US.
Hell, yes, it should be legalized; it’s the only form of ethanol I haven’t consumed.
Eh, I don’t see why this thread would be a problem–we talk about the legalization of MJ all the time.
To address the OP: One vote here for “why not?” It’s just another form of ethanol. 
If Jagermeister is legal, why not absinthe?
It sounds more “nastily herbal” than “dangerous”, with the watered-down modern version.
How bizarre. I was going to start a similar thread yesterday, but the server hiccupped in the middle and the thread was never posted.
I friend of mine just purchased a bottle of absinthe in Europe, and (I assume illegally) brought it home to the U.S. I’ve been doing a little bit of reading online about it, and it seems that you would probably pass out or die of alcohol poisoning before getting enough thujone in your system to do any real harm. The problem seems to be with folks who try to distill their own absinthe and get the concentrations wrong.
I believe that the U.S. government should take a long hard look at just about everything that was made illegal during the Temperance movement and re-evaluate its position.
There is an extremely thorough article on the history of absinthe and the reasons behind its original demonization, as well as arguments for legalization, called “Examining the Reasons Behind the Ban on Absinthe and The Possibility of its Absolution”, by Jamie Kiffel. I’m loathe to provide a link because the site, while really cool, may not be looked on favorably by the mods. Do a quick Google search if you’re interested.
The author argues that part of the reason absinthe raised the ire of government officials was its popularity among the artistic counter culture of the day. It also was highly popular among women, and ads for absinthe promoted women and men drinking together socially.
Mostly, I just want to taste some for the same reason that The Peyote Coyote gave. I just like to taste new stuff.
So the majority seems to feel that legalization would do no harm, and in fact Absinthe may not be illegal under current law.
Hmmmmm… have to look into it some more.