Will the Suisse people vote for or against the initiative to decriminalise cannabis consumption?

This is the way to get the economy back on track right here! Seriously hemp can be used a lot of other ways besides smoking. Clothing, furniture, paper, and fuel are just a few. Not to mention the tax revenue from the sales of smoking marijuana and the jobs it would create.

I'll have to agree with the above comment. I've no interest in using the substance nor being around those who are high/stoned/whatever, but people should have the right to decide what they want to do with themselves.

make pot legal and out law alcohol. drunk people do more warm to themselves and other people than people that are stoned. domestic violence would go way down. how many guys get drunk and beat their wife's, compared to how many guys get stoned and beat their wife's? how many drunk people cause car wrecks compared to people who are high? DISCLAIMER: i ain't saying driving while high on pot is ok. i'm just saying it's not as bad as driving while drunk.

dieseldog,

While I agree with you that alcohol and alcoholics are worse than pot and potheads, it would be a terrible idea to reinstitute prohibition. In any economic downturn there are always three industries that never take a hit: tobacco, sex, and alcohol. The last time we had prohibition many people believe it helped bring on the great depression. There are already too many parallels being drawn between now and 1929.

Right on DieselDog.
Little known fact - I will have 18 years of sobriety early in November. I have very strong opinions on this subject.

I don't think prohibition on alcohol would bring on a financial depression, but it would certain make for a LOT of pissed off people. Generally, I am not in favor of any type of prohibition, whether it be alcohol, pot, tobacco or certain objectionable on-air hosts like Keith Olbermann. But, if I were President, I would gladly swap pot for booze. I believe the restaurant lobby would support me fully on this issue.

The best way to get rid of drug related violence is to simply legalize all drugs. Prices would drop over 300% which would both erase drug dealing as a street income and allow those with drug problems to live with their addictions without losing everything they own.

I understand that drug use can sometimes result in unfortunate consequences, but as a libertarian I find it grossly invasive to have someone over my shoulder telling me what I am allowed to do to myself. There is no true liberty in a nanny state. The only way to real tool to eliminate social problems is culture; laws are merely unthoughtful shortcuts.

Look, drugs are a plauge. They are outlawed and for good reason. They are the most additictive substances known to man, the damage they do to you far outweighs any so called "Health Benefit" and the money that is made from them goes to support criminals and terrorists. We dont allow people to kill themselves, so we shouldnt allow people to have any forms of this illegal substance. We arent going to lower our standards so a bunch of drug addicts can get high for cheaper.

dragon, who is "we"?

this is a solely Suisse question, you know.

It's high time 'we' ban booze too. Think of how many domestic disputes and car accidents that can be avoided.

@kruijis i know but some of the people were suggesting that other countries legalize the drug. "We" was anyone with a sane mind.
@mork The prohibition was a failure and if we tried it again it would fail again. The truth of the matter is, there isnt a country in the world that has enough man power and money power to be able to pull that off for a single country.

Lets not forget the massive crime wave caused by prohibition in the US. Also, marijuana is not a drug, it's an herb.

Marijuana is a drug, not an herb....Nobody cooks with marijuana for the beneficial flavor it imparts to food.... but i tend to agree that banning the garbage makes it more attractive and desireable.... i remember being young, smoking pot, dropping acid, snorting coke.....those were the days..............of misery, memory loss, hangovers, dt's, and a mass misplacement of my cash and paycheck..... although the pot was probably cheaper, none of those things are very good for you, or society in general.... but I would whole-heartedly agree with the repeal of prohibition, and i don't think we put idiots in jail for smoking pot.... i think we let them grow out of it, like most people do, or learn to cope with it, like most alcoholics do, with their drug of choice....

@mork
do you know how many marriages are tolerated because of booze? do you want the divorce rates to go beyond 75%????????? LOL

If you actually do a little research you will find out that cannabis, marijuana, pot, weed, grass, trees, herb, green, wacky tobbacy, or whatever you want to call it, IS an herb. It grows naturally and is smoked in an unaltered form. Don't try to associate an herb with manmade substances.

chatarra - congrads on the 18 yrs. i'm going on 20+ yrs. i agree with pullover that pot is a herb. having been "told" by many people pot is no where near as bad as alcohol, imho it's better to have a bunch of stoner's than a bunch of drunk's. when you have the attitude of being 8ft tall and bullet proof, then add alcohol with that you get mucho trouble. can we ban alcohol? i would say no. can we make it harder to get? i would say yes. only reason pot ain't legal is the govt can't find a way to be the only supplier/able to tax it. pot is easiar to produce and distrubte than alcohol. it's much easiar to buy a 6 pack than make one yourself.

I dont care if pot is a herb, drug, or vegetable its wrong, its addictive, and it sickens the american populace. It is so addictive that if you do it even once it ruins your life. I saw it happen to my older sister, ive seen it happen to people ive known, and if we legalized it, it would happen to a lot more people. This drug is to addictive for the human being to cope with. Maybe a few "grow out of it" but 99.9% do not on there own.

I'm not addicted and I think the fact that someone thinks they know what is best for ME is ridiculous. I am my own being that chooses to participate in society. I am not a piece of society that chooses to participate as a being.

With that said, I respect all views on the matter. I just don't believe regulation by law is ever the answer. Only cultural movements and ideals can push real progress. In fact I would say that the general attitude towards drugs could be moving to the safer side of the pool at a faster rate if these laws weren't in place. Society needs to prove a truth, not be forced into a preemptive assumption.

Cannabis is NOT addictive. Not even a little. Peoples' ignorance on this subject amazes me.

I was close to thinking you were talking about yourself in the third person
so, all others than "we" - ie. those who do not agree with you - are insane?

Who said anything about insanity?

ah I see nevermind.

@rob Its not just for you or him or any other individual. From examples i have seen, this drug is to addtictive for any human. Maybe there are some who are strong enough to pull out of it but our race as a whole cant take it. Look at an example from history, China: Introduce opium by arab traders, used purely for medical, a couple years later they have a massive problem and emperor attempts to ban it. It was extremly addictive, spreads fast, and ruined the lives of thousands. Thats what would happen in the US if legalized.
@potatp The theory that it is not addictive is outdated. Take a look at this excerpt from a study on the subject
"demonstrate disturbing similarities between marijuana's effects on the brain and those produced by highly addictive drugs such as cocaine and heroin"

It is true that there are some cases of psychological addiction to cannabis products, along the same way that people get addicted to have a candybar everyday.

Soft drugs like pot serve in Europe more as an entry in a crime-career than in a career of drug abuse. I barely know anyone (in my age) who hasn't been consuming marijuana more or less regularly, sofar not any problem (I am 41) - but I know of many who botched their career in early age by being caught dealing pot.

My only concern is: What should these small time crooks do if we are not buying the stuff from them anymore? Will we replace a harmless kind of crime by worse ones? Most of the small street dealers do the job to get themselves fancy sneakers and jeans - will they get the idea to rob people when deprived by this stream of revenue?

Prices cannot drop by 300%. It is mathematically impossible.

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/politics/index.html they voted not to decriminalize :( Guess I will cancel my travel plans to switzerland.

actually pot, weed, whatever the heck u call grass is no more addictive than er umm food, sugar. Pot like everything can be emotionally addictive...unlike cigarettes (nicotine) which is chemically addictive.... coffee which is chemically addictive... (caffeine). and other terrible horrendous drugs chemicals.
Pot is emotionally addictive; but bluntly anything can be emotionally addictive...some people are addicted to sex, food, sugar, sex, gambling, sex, internet junkies, sex, But that does not mean it should be banned..or criminalized....
I have smoked pot for a long time and truth be told, my brain cells are working quite,
I have smoked pot for a long time and truth be told, I have smoked pot for a long time and truth be told,I have smoked pot for a long time and truth be told,I have smoked pot for a long time and truth be told,is this the question about sarah palin???