Recently in a thread about experiences in coffee houses in Amsterdam, Yurp I was amazed at the jovial and convivial people really are about the subject.* Having visited several of the more acclaimed coffe establishments in Amsterdam I realize I am of the opinion that here in the United States such coffee houses would work rather nicely in some of our more liberal towns…Immediately I think of Burlington, Vermont. Austin, Texas maybe. Seattle, Washington and possibly Portland, Oregon. And certainly California, Humbolt County.
Aside from it being illegal, what other issues do people see with this? Maybe I ask your opinions because I know it is something that we are eons away from, or if ever going to see.
Would you accept a coffee house of the oderiferous in your community? Why or why not. I have never in my breif tenure in the Netherlands seen someone get angery and belligerent from smoking of the pipe weed. Hungry and philosophical yes, but raging lunatic no. Unless Alcohol was involved.
*These establishments not only serve coffee and teas, but Sensimilla, Indica and hashish of the dank varieties.
Well, first thing that rolls off the top of my pointy head is that in Amsterdam, when a person leaves such an establishment, they tend to go home by foot, tram or bicycle. If they were all driving off in, say, Chevy Avalanches that might be something else again.
Otherwise, no problemo. I think Houston would be considerably more peaceful if people went to ‘coffee’ shops instead of ice houses and cantinas.
Yes. Like you said, no one gets angry while high on marijuana unless, someone is mixing with alcohol or popping pills. Couch lock effects reduce chances of people wanting to drive. And if not, have a DD like with alcohol. Laws and taxes can be put in place, just like alcohol thus adding to the economy. Do it like pornography shops and strip clubs, set distances away from churches and schools.
Inherent problems exist not in looking towards the benefits of the future of this proposition, but in it’s rocky dark past.
We can not forget that marijuana is simply weed or grass to some…but to other more conservative folk it’s doing drugs…placed in the same league with cocaine and other hard nasty substances. And this is what would stall it in most districts and at the congressional level. I wish I could dig up a cite, but I think the decriminalization of marijuana has come up in congress. And I believe it was squashed before it got very far at all. I wish I had a cite.
There are other problems with marijuana’s past. It has been prejudiced against as a gate-way drug and blasted on national television is ways that really defy traditional logic. I’ll cite the recent government adds where a young girl is smoking pot with her friends and fast forward a year and she’s selling her body for a dime bag…even in it’s most extreme, I do not think that is at all an accurate depiction of the effects of marijuana. Crack definitely, but weed? Come on now.
Hell if they gave me permission I’d build one right in the city of Philadelphia myself, put glowing neon lights on the outside, then party for about 3 weeks. The atmosphere here is relatively liberal but I don’t see something like that happening in this part of the country in my lifetime.
The funny thing is that I have never, and intend to never, take any sort of recreational drug. Heck, I rarely even drink, and I don’t smoke. The thing is, I think that it should be a personal choice, not the election platform it’s become.
Because we’re such tightasses in this country, that’s why.
The whole “war on drugs” joke in this country is to make people feel secure that Bippy the Pothead isn’t going to break into their homes and steal all their junk food.
Pot hasn’t gotten such a rap for it’s eeeeeeevilness, for it to be decriminalized is a long shot, legalized a dream and put in coffee houses a joke.
For weed to be legalized would do wonders for this country and it could be a downright savior for California, but with how far religion is embedded in our administration, along with “family values” I’ve gotta go with bongmaster. Aint gonna happen.
Heard on the radio that the Amsterdam coffe houses are under threat due to new EU regs on smoking in caffs and bars. A J may not necessarily involve tobacco but it certainly is a schmoke. I guess US regs would be the same
I feel it is because people fear change. They’re afraid. It’s as if we’ve been working harder and harder every year, getting more stressed out, and the more people get stressed out, they get farther and farther away from what could be and easy going society, and just cannot comprehend it - therefore not allowing it and making up such things as “gateway drug, lazy, stoners” and create ads that say if you’re at a drive-thru Mcdonalds and you’re smoking pot that you’re gonna hit a little girl riding by on her bicycle on a VERY busy street. I ask you this, where was this little girls parents? She was like 5 or 6 years of age easy. You know where they ARE? They’re at work, living a very busy and stressfull life and cannot care for there daughter because of stress! Stress is the real killer, not weed. Probably not, but something like it.
Never underestimate the power of stupidity of people in large groups.
Thats another thing. I remember in my psychology 101 class, being shown a video where there are a group of people in a business meeting. A question is asked, the first person got it WRONG, and the rest of the group when on to answer the very same thing the #1 person did, even though, get this, they knew it was WRONG. THAT people, is the reason Amsterdam type coffee shops would not work in the U.S. The idiots here have made up their minds. Hey, I love America, it’s the people that’s the problem.
Sorry to be so cranky, maybe they should ban Caffeine too.
You give credit to our new Prime Minister and kabinet where no credit is due. Yes, once in a past far, far away we had politicians with spines who were able to stand their ground in the world theatre, but with Balkenende this is rappidly slipping away into the land of folklore.
Combine this with his christian party’s wish to reduce coffeshops , re-criminalize our relaxed “gedoog” or condone policy on the production of weed in small amounts and add the pressure from other EU partners with (France in the lead) and the future looks troublesome indeed.
The sad thing is that this is happening at the time when the rest of the world seems to become more openminded than ever. If the US did decide to have coffeeshops, all of the above would become largely irrelevant for the world would soon follow suit and we can finally all chill out at our leisure. Yup, I’m all for it.
You might very well be right, Single Serving Friend
I have this naïve hope the opposition might get a say in this. For now, we didn’t obey to the EU smoking rules. I’m hoping we can overrule the French sad sods with this, too.
Oh, I agree about our PM. And the rest of his creepy christians.
Let’s hope for an American coffee-shop policy, huh.
that might be something else again.