About 18 months now. That means while it is not criminal, it is still technically against the law. You are permitted to have anything less then ten grams on your person at a given time. Anything more is a fine, and anything upwards of an ounce can potentially be considered intent to traffic. We have marijuana cafes popping up all over now as the laws relax more and more. It's been a good thing for the country if for no other reason then tax dollars aren't being wasted arresting, prosecuting, and potentially jailing recreational marijuana users. And as drugs like crystal meth become more and more prominant, I think it's a good thing that we're able to shift our attention to the substances that are out there taking lifes on a regular basis. There's also the medical side of things. The federal government here has been producing and distributing medical marijuana for the past two years, and for a year now people suffering from approved illnesses (such as cancer) are able to obtain a licence to grow a limited amount in their homes.
Well, i don't smoke it but i have way back in the good ole days and actually got quite high but seriously back 30 ys ago its nothing compare to the potency's it has now. It will definitely gave you a buss like none other..don't take me wrong my son smokes it and has for 20yrs and up.. if thats what he wants to do than more power to him. Anyway, i'm going to bed cus my thoughts are getting bad.
To be honest, I really don't know. People are more open about using here, so it would be tough to tell with any accuracy.
I think this is an interesting point you raise, and where I was kind of heading with the link to mental illnesses. I forget exactly how much more potent today's weed is compared to the hippy days, whatever it is though it's a heck of a lot stronger, especially with hydroponic bud which is everywhere these days.
Potency is definitely substantially higher now, but no matter the growing process, if it is clean marijuana the only part of the plant that offers the high is THC. THC has been studied to death, and the only official findings have been that it has excellent medicinal uses. No long term effects have ever been noted.
I think your kidding yourself if you think that is the case. It's a drug man, and if abused for prolonged periods of time it will fuck up your brain chemistry. A quick search on google for "marijuana use and depression" found this article... http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/update0503c.shtml There are hundreds of other articles discussing this same issue. Many studies have identified a link between chronic marijuana usage and depression, or even psychosis. This is not ground breaking news either.
I think it's safe to say that addictive behavior tends to be a sympton of depression and other mental conditions rather then the other way around. Anyone who chronically does anything has addiction issues that have less to do with whatever substance happens to be abused and more with the pre-existing mental instability of the person. As with alcoholism, chronic marijuana use is typically used as an escape from reality, whatever the reason may be.
Canada rocks! Even if you're not a smoker yourself, you have to agree that the billions spent each year in the US on the "war on drugs" is money that could be well spent in so many other places. Marijuana, whether you agree with it's use or not, is as harmless or dangerous as any other light stimulant like alcholol, sleeping and pain prescriptions, and a hundred other things. Used responsibly, it's safe. Smoke and drive and you're as stupid as you would be for drinking and driving, taking heavy medication and driving, etc. As we sit in the lull between decriminalization and legalization in Canada, a big problem here is the culture of illegal grow operations. They become dangerous because of the market they exist in. If the government were to offer licences and other forms of regulation, the need for operations to be underground disappears. Grow ops will be registered businesses bound by rules and regulations. This is not to mention that, if government regulated, a whole lot of tax money could be gleaned from that. In British Columbia, marijuana is a 7 billion dollar a year industry, second only to forestry. That's a lot of tax dollars.
I'm in high school, and probably more than half of the students smoke weed. Its pretty rampant where I live.
Like anything else, it's ok in moderation. It's those that exemplify the "stoner" persona that I absolutely can't stand.