The water thing is strange, but understandable. It is the desert afterall. One of my friends who lives close to the border had to install removable heads for his watering system because migrants would turn the water on and not shut it off. If they beat on his door at 3 am demanding water, he is supposed to respond.
Back in the day, there was a mentally ill homeless guy who hung around where I worked. He would bum cigs off me if he saw me smoking. One day, I was outside smoking, he started to come over to beg and the phone rang, so I dumped the cig and went inside to answer it. Homeless guy came into my office and yelled at me for ignoring him while I was on the phone with a paying customer. I put the caller on hold and told HG to leave.
The next day, my boss was talking to me when HG came in to fill his water bottle. I stood up and yelled at HG to get out and not come back. HG was whining that he just wanted some water and I was yelling that he has no right to come and yell at me because I wouldn’t give him a cigarette. Boss just hunkered down. HG went to the phone booth next to a McDonalds to call the police.
Thats when I learned that I am obligated to give water to anyone who knocks on my door. I don’t have to let them inside. I don’t have to give them a clean cup filled with ice cold water either. They can drink from the hose.
These might not be what you meant, but homeopathy, chiropractic, and any other number of quack-based practices are not only legal, but packaged and sold right next to real medications and treatments. The whole alternative medicine “field” is full of nonsense, and unscientific practices.
This isn’t really 100% in line with the OP, but I did come across the following 2 ordinances while doing some research for work (paraphrased, of course):
It is illegal to ride your bike on the sidewalk.
If you’re riding your bike on the sidewalk, you must give right of way to any on-foot pedestrians.
I’m sure these sort of “contradictory” laws are rife, but this one for some reason struck me.
…there were a couple of nude bicycling stories recently here: the first was a couple of guys riding their bikes in the nude and they were stopped by a policewoman.
And the second was a guy in Wellington who took his case to the High Court and had his conviction dismissed. (Spoilered because picture may not be SFW.)
We also have Boobs on Bikes: a parade of topless pornstars down the main streets of the country, and National Nude Day, thanks to perennial prankster Marc Ellis.
You can legally purchase certain very powerful drugs online or from a store. Things as strong as LSD or opium. Some of them are ready for you to take and get high from right out of the mailbox.
Are you positive of the legality of these purchases? I know many drugs can be purchased online, many in a *quasi-*legal fashion meant to elude detection.
Absolutely positive. There are things that are quasi-legal, I’m pretty sure I know what you’re thinking of, but there are others that are totally, 100% legal.
What? Like salvia and kratom, that sort of shit? I know they have some semi-hallucinogenic stuff they can sell legally in head shops or wherever, but I kinda doubt any of it is as powerful as opium or LSD. I could be wrong though.
Drug laws generally get pretty bizarre; here are just a few examples:
Under the Controlled Substances Act, it is possible for a drug to be scheduled yet still not require a prescription to be dispensed. I don’t think this actually happens except with Sch. V in a few jurisdictions, though.
The whole situation with MMJ–legal under some states’ laws but still prohibited entirely by federal law.
Aside from the quasi-legality of MMJ in some states, it’s obviously completely illegal to deal in controlled substances outside of the proper controls–yet some states also issue drug-dealer tax stamps. It’s illegal to sell the drugs, but if you do it you’re supposed to buy a tax stamp. I can’t imagine anyone actually doing that.
Indeed. Under Canadian law, mescaline is illegal. Unless of course the source is L. williamsii (ie. peyote) in which case it’s specifically exempted from the act. Even weirder, it’s apparently legal to eat the cactus, but not legal to make a tea out of it.
And just in case anyone is curious, I’m not a person who is into drugs, my online name notwithstanding
I think laws on nudity and the larger topic of how much of one’s body is allowed to be exposed are generally odd, both within and without this country. Generally the traditional cultures of tropical lands are extremely antagonistic towards public nudity, aside from aboriginal communities still living very primitively in forests. It almost seems that the warmer the climate, the more hostility there is towards nudity or even scanty attire, because many areas of Northern and Western Europe are entirely cool with it, at least to the extent that there are public parks and beaches where nudity is allowed. And in California, there seem to be more places in Northern California than in SoCal. IIRC there are a few beaches up there, but down here there’s only Black’s in San Diego.
Honestly I’ve never tried either opium or kratom, but another forum I frequent has a huge thread about kratom and people buying the full spectrum tinctures often compare it favorably with poppy tea. More than a few of them have stories about ruining their lives to maintain their habit (it seems it can get expensive quick once your tolerance is up) and going through miserable withdrawals that last for days or weeks. It might not be as powerful but from what I’ve read it sure seems like it’s in the same ballpark.
While I think an arguement could be made that, for it’s duration, salvia is as potent as LSD, datura is what I was thinking of that’s stronger. Or at least, worse. And only a few states have any laws at all about it. I think the lack of laws is mostly due to the fact that datura doesn’t seem like something you would ever want to do, much less do more than once, but it is unarguably an extremely powerful drug.
There are a number of other plants that are widely and legally available for purchase that can get you pretty fucked up if that’s what you’re looking for. Some others are a bit more grey area, like certain mescaline containing cactus that are perfectly legal to own and cultivate so long as you aren’t cultivating them for consumption. I can’t help but smile when I notice a cactus in somebody’s nicely manicured yard that could send them on one hell of a trip if they knew what it was and were so inclined.
Some are that powerful. For example, nutmeg. Quite a nasty drug, causing hallucinations and delerium, sometimes for days (if it doesn’t kill you first). And available in any grocery store. If it were discovered today, it’d probably be restricted within a year.
Not necessarily. Herbs like nutmeg can bring on the “trip” like effects usually sought by abusers, but the dose needed isn’t much less than a potentially lethal dose. When it comes to the raw herbs, those are often left uncontrolled, presumably because their widely known toxicity makes them far less attractive to the would-be recreational drug user. For example, I’m not aware of any restrictions on the possession of deadly nightshade, although the refined atropine derived from it is restricted, IIRC.
I like the American idea of freedom of speach (although I’d be happy to have that curtailed a bit – I’m not worried about people ACTUALLY insulting police officers being fined, I’m worried about it used as an intimidation tactic where it’s hard to prove you didn’t do it). But I think it’s a de jure / de facto thing – I don’t know what would <i>actually</i> happen in Germany, but I know I’m probably <i>survive</i> a large fine, whereas I get the impression that in America, doing that to a police officer, would give you a good chance of getting your head kicked in and arrested with a felony assault on a police officer…
