# Hague: war on cannabis lost **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 19, 2018, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hague-war-on-cannabis-lost/816372 "2018-06-19T08:52:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2018, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hague-war-on-cannabis-lost/816372/22 "2018-06-20T17:06:37Z")
Therapeutic drugs have health claims to their efficaciousness even if they are only implied or by word-of-mouth. While I support the right to try experimental therapeutic drugs, I also support, at the very least, the government using its bully pulpit to let consumers know which drugs don’t work, if not restricting their use, and letting them get away with directly employing false therapeutic claims is right out. Recreational drugs on the other hand are not _primarily_ meant to treat any disease, so there is no government interest in protecting consumers against relying on them when they don’t work. ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2018, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hague-war-on-cannabis-lost/816372/23 "2018-06-20T17:26:39Z")
> [@betterlifethroughchemistry](#): > > 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… I have never tried it and never intend to but I do believe that it should be decriminalized, as well as other drugs. Not because I think it’s great stuff but because I hate the impact on our government and our civil liberties that fighting it has had. We don’t need to have so many folks in jail, we don’t need cops given liberties to preform, what should be, illegal searches and seizures. Courts keep widdling away rights in order to accommodate this war on drugs and not only does it need to stop, it needs to reverse. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2018, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hague-war-on-cannabis-lost/816372/24 "2018-06-20T17:34:44Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Therapeutic drugs have health claims to their efficaciousness even if they are only implied or by word-of-mouth. While I support the right to try experimental therapeutic drugs, I also support, at the very least, the government using its bully pulpit to let consumers know which drugs don’t work, if not restricting their use, and letting them get away with directly employing false therapeutic claims is right out. > > Recreational drugs on the other hand are not _primarily_ meant to treat any disease, so there is no government interest in protecting consumers against relying on them when they don’t work. I didn’t get anywhere _near_ high enough from that, I’m calling trading standards! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2018, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hague-war-on-cannabis-lost/816372/25 "2018-06-20T17:40:30Z")
Am I the only one who was confused by the thread title? I thought it was referring to the capital of the Netherlands, which has long been famous for its lax drug laws. And I’ve never partaken of marijuana and never intend to, but I do think that it should at least be put in a lower schedule, and I’m on the fence about full recreational legalization. But I do oppose medical marijuana laws, for the same reason that I oppose the lack of regulation for other “herbal medicine”. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2018, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hague-war-on-cannabis-lost/816372/26 "2018-06-20T20:23:24Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Am I the only one who was confused by the thread title? I thought it was referring to the capital of the Netherlands, which has long been famous for its lax drug laws. Why would you be confused? The capital of the Netherlands is The Hague / Den Haag. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2018, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hague-war-on-cannabis-lost/816372/27 "2018-06-20T22:11:06Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Why would you be confused? The capital of the Netherlands is The Hague / Den Haag. You can’t expect a largely US board to know who William Hague is. Also, the capital city of the Netherlands is Amsterdam. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2018, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hague-war-on-cannabis-lost/816372/28 "2018-06-20T22:16:12Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > You can’t expect a largely US board to know who William Hague is. Indeed. I’m not entirely unfamiliar with English politics: I know that Teresa May is currently Prime Minister, I know that Boris Johnson (former mayor of London) is a secretary in her government, I know that Nigel Farrage is involved with UKIP and was a Brexit advocate, etc. However, I’d never heard of William Hague, and when I first saw the title of the thread, I, too, assumed it had something to do with The Hague. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hague-war-on-cannabis-lost/816372/29 "2018-06-21T00:22:38Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > You can’t expect a largely US board to know who William Hague is. But I expect even a largely US board to read the OP - or at least the mouseover - and to look at the linked article if they open the thread. > [@](#): > > Also, the capital city of the Netherlands is Amsterdam. You’re right: The Hague is the seat of the government. An interesting distinction. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hague-war-on-cannabis-lost/816372/30 "2018-06-21T02:51:38Z")
I had the same reaction: since when was there a war on cannabis in the Netherlands? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hague-war-on-cannabis-lost/816372/31 "2018-06-21T03:21:20Z")
Canadian PM announces Oct 17, 2018 as the [date](https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/politics/pm-trudeau-says-cannabis-will-be-legal-in-canada-on-oct-17-1.3981228) for legalization. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hague-war-on-cannabis-lost/816372/32 "2018-06-21T12:57:12Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I had the same reaction: since when was there a war on cannabis in the Netherlands? 😕 From what I’ve read there actually has been some push back in the Netherlands on the coffeeshop system the last 10-15 years. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hague-war-on-cannabis-lost/816372/33 "2018-06-21T18:29:22Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Canadian PM announces Oct 17, 2018 as the [date](https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/politics/pm-trudeau-says-cannabis-will-be-legal-in-canada-on-oct-17-1.3981228) for legalization. And both bills, C-45 and C-46, have received Royal Assent. ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hague-war-on-cannabis-lost/816372/34 "2018-06-21T18:37:10Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > And both bills, C-45 and C-46, have received Royal Assent. Well the queen needs it for her glaucoma. ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hague-war-on-cannabis-lost/816372/35 "2018-06-21T18:40:23Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I know that Boris Johnson (former mayor of London) is a secretary in her government, I believe that they prefer the term administrative assistants. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hague-war-on-cannabis-lost/816372/36 "2018-06-21T18:41:55Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > I believe that they prefer the term administrative assistants. Ha! 😃 Based on appearances, Johnson’s portfolio is [Tragic Hairstyles](https://www.sickchirpse.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Boris-Johnson-1.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hague-war-on-cannabis-lost/816372/37 "2018-06-22T06:51:46Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > From what I’ve read there actually has been some push back in the Netherlands on the coffeeshop system the last 10-15 years. The coffeeshop system seems like a hamfisted way to run the system. It has to be grown illegally, purchased by the coffeeshop illegally, and sold to the end user illegally (but “tolerated”). If you are going to legalize it, then legalize it; why go to such subterfuge? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hague-war-on-cannabis-lost/816372/38 "2018-06-22T07:24:53Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > The coffeeshop system seems like a hamfisted way to run the system. It has to be grown illegally, purchased by the coffeeshop illegally, and sold to the end user illegally (but “tolerated”). If you are going to legalize it, then legalize it; why go to such subterfuge? My guess would be that when they implemented it they didn’t want to run afoul of all the international anti-marijuana consensus and the treaties they were a part of that affirmed that. Canada can get away with full legalization now because that consensus has crumbled. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hague-war-on-cannabis-lost/816372/39 "2018-06-22T11:32:21Z")
> [@betterlifethroughchemistry](#): > > 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? I will not. The stuff doesn’t get me high, and I have tried. If I am already tired, it makes me sleepy, but if I am not tired, it does nothing to me. And I’m not a smoker, so I need hash brownies, or something-- something you have to go to some trouble to make well. As far as this happening in the US, Indiana recently legalized Sunday alcohol sales (from noon to 8pm-- you still have to wait until after church), something I thought would would never, ever happen, so now I’m never gonna say “Never” again. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hague-war-on-cannabis-lost/816372.md?page=1)