There must be something funny in the air - a politician is speaking sense! Former Tory leader Lord Hague says that the war on cannabis has been lost.
The Daily Telegraph article is paywalled.
I think that all drugs should be legalised, so this is a start, but politics is the art of the possible.
And now the government is ‘reviewing’ the situation, at least with regards to medical use. It’s a step in the right direction, and I note that it’s Sajid Javid who has stuck his neck out. He’s tipped for the top so I wonder if this is his play? He’ll have to defend any relaxation against fierce debate on both sides of the House. Could the UK’s first Muslim PM be a Tory?
Cannabis Lost…isn’t that Milton?
Yes, but not John. His younger brother, Cheech.
Amazing how likable and reasonable some Tories become once they’ve mellowed with age and are no longer chasing votes (see also: Kenneth Clarke).
Same for John Boehner, former House Speaker in the US (except he’s moving beyond talking about it and is going to make money off it, true to the American Way 
)
I think there’s only two votes left til it’s legal for recreation in Canada. Won’t be by July 1st as promised but by summer’s end I figure. The local “dispensaries” are already going cowboy.
And I admit this is a possible subject of a different thread, but how many of you that do NOT partake now, if your state or nation does legalize cannabis, plan to perhaps partake, either because you enjoyed it earlier in life or are curious as to the attraction?
It’s a potential thread that’s left for the outcomes of future elections and legislation…
If I’m reading LegisInfo right, bills C-45 (the Cannabis Act) and C-46 (which adjusts impaired-driving law among other things to take cannabis into account) have both passed the Senate and Commons, and are awaiting Royal assent. Once they get Royal assent, the PM will decree a date, 8-12 weeks later, that the stuff will be legal.
A good article from CTV News referencing both bills:
The Senate has voted to pass Bill C-45, the government’s legislation to legalize cannabis. After more than a year…
I’ve never tried it (short of a “contact buzz” from the two guys sitting directly in front of me at a Yes concert, who smoked more-or-less continuously for three hours). If (when?) it were to become legal nationally in the U.S., I’d likely try it, just out of curiosity. I’d be hesitant to try it if it were just legal in my state (or in a state or country I’d visit), but is still illegal on a national level here, just from an abundance of caution.
It was my understanding that the Senate passed amendments that had to be approved or not by the Commons.
Eta: omg, this just happened. Ok cool.
I live in California - so fully legal here. I partook (is that the correct past tense?) in my youth, but never enjoyed smoking. I basically would take a deep drag, cough my lungs out, and then slowly get the buzz that would counter the pain from a coughing fit.
However - I would happily add some edibles to the choices of slight intoxication to my desired list - but I would need to determine how much I could take to have the right level. I look forward to when I can choose a couple of gummi bears to have with my alcohol on a Sunday afternoon.
I’d try if it were legal federally (since I technically can get drug tested at work), but only if there were some good-tasting edibles with little sugar in them. The sugar crash and the unpleasantness of inhaling would probably negate any benefit I’d get from it, if my experience with IPAs and sugary mixed drinks is any indication. (With bitter beer, I actually feel worse after drinking because it tastes so bad, and with sugary drinks, I get a hangover the next day just from the sugar alone.)
Chewy edibles (you’ll only be needing one, maybe two) are about the size of a gummy bear, consistency of orange slice candy. The gummies I’ve seen are about twice that size but half as sweet. Even the ones that aren’t particularly yummy represent nowhere near the commitment it takes to choke down a 16oz IPA…or 5. 
They taste like a little piece of candy with a faint cannabis scent/flavor. After 30 seconds there is no sign you did anything.
Until it’s a few months old, the buds from a dispensary are pretty much cough-free. Reeeaaalll smooothe. Vape sticks are also very mild.
I only bring this up because the effect of eating is a lot different from smoking. Smoke and you’re likely going to be sober in a few hours no matter how hammered you get. Eat and the timeline is much more drawn out. Wait up to an hour, slow onset of a low-level buzz for a few hours, then slow ‘recovery’ over the next 24 hours. Don’t plan on doing any quality mental heavy lifting. Not as ‘fun’ but very relaxing. That’s just my experience, and it doesn’t affect everyone the same way.
I wouldn’t - and I enjoyed it quite a bit when I was younger. But I have no attraction to it now. Also, it makes me want to smoke cigarettes, and that’s a monkey I’d like to keep off my back. Same reason I don’t get drunk.
I have never partaken, and have no intention of ever. Not even second-hand.
Used to partake. Haven’t in many years, It is legal here in Sunny California.
When I did partake, the fact that it was illegal was no deterrent. Same with underage drinking.
Trump has indicated support for Sen. Warren’s bill that would essentially turn marijuana legality over to the states (AIUI).
And what a cash cow it will be. Taxes on legalized pot will more than make up for revenue lost from Trump’s “tax reform” (limiting deductions for state and local taxes). The law of unintended consequences strikes again, reminiscent of when conservative politicians over a century ago demanded big increases in naval warship spending in the U.K., and the result was a huge new tax proposal mainly targeting the wealthy, prompting protests and the ultimate neutering of the House of Lords when it tried to block the tax bill.
Just tout legalized marijuana as some sort of medical necessity (evidence be damned), and even the U.S. right wing will eventually get on board.
We’re part way there, with passage of “right to try” legislation in the U.S., allowing unproven and potentially harmful experimental drugs to reach patients. Why not legalize corrosive bloodroot salve and other “alternative” supplements too?
*but maybe Quartz just means "legalize all recreational drugs. :dubious: