https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ne...no-worse-whisky.html

Colombia's socialist president has said cocaine 'is no worse than whisky' and is only illegal because it comes from Latin America - as he called for the illicit drug to be legalised around the world.

Colombia is the world's biggest cocaine producer and exporter, mainly to the United States and Europe, and has spent decades fighting against drug trafficking.

President Gustavo Petro's remarks came during a live broadcast of a government meeting on Tuesday, in which he also claimed that cocaine is being scapegoated by American politicians.

He stated that the illicit drug 'is illegal because it is made in Latin America, not because it is worse than whisky.'

'Scientists have analyzed this. Cocaine is no worse than whisky,' he added, suggesting that the global cocaine industry could be 'easily dismantled' if the drug were legalized worldwide.

'If you want peace, you have to dismantle the business (of drug trafficking),' he said.

'It could easily be dismantled if they legalize cocaine in the world. It would be sold like wine.'

Petro also pointed out that fentanyl 'is killing Americans and it is not made in Colombia', referring to the opioid responsible for around 75,000 deaths in the United States a year, according to official data.

Cocaine production in Colombia reached a record-high in 2023, jumping 53 percent to 2,600 tons, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.

I agree with him, it puts the cartels out of business for the most part. Drones could do that, as well. I would expect that first and soon.

This man is a train wreck.

I know my hookers would appreciate it being legal.

Used to be commonplace in medicine until Big Phama took over, you could buy it in Coke a Cola, been used as medicinal since 1451...

Can't have a natural plant substance replacing man made pharma,


Google Fu Finds:

Medical Use:

Cocaine was used in medicine until the early 20th century as a local anesthetic and stimulant.
It was also used to treat depression, anxiety, and addiction to other drugs.
However, its addictive and toxic properties led to its removal from medical use in most countries.


What illicit man made imported drug that is used Medicinally sounds like that, class, class, oh oh Mr. Kotter! Fentanyl?

What is Fentanyl? Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use as an analgesic (pain relief) and anesthetic. It is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin as an analgesic.

But a man made opioid, that makes billions for share holders will always win over mother natures offering, now, if Big Pharma could buy up all the cocoa plants in Columbia.......

quote:

'If you want peace, you have to dismantle the business (of drug trafficking),' he said.
'It could easily be dismantled if they legalize cocaine in the world. It would be sold like wine.'

This man is a train wreck, but...
He's not completely wrong.

We've legalized (well, legal cartelized) pot and gambling in the US.
Now we have a generation of youngsters who care about nothing but pot and gambling.
But alcohol use is down.

The real trick would be holding people responsible for their own actions. Instead, we give them welfare and medicaid so the responsible people pay the cost of their lifestyle choices.

Just imagine the 7/11. Some guy goes in there and buys some beer. He’s carrying a 12 pack of Bud and tells the cashier “yeah I got this beer. I need a pack of Marlboros and I’ll take an eight ball of whatever you have in stock. And 2 Mega Millions tickets”

Everything in moderation.

quote:

Originally posted by berto:
Everything in moderation.

Cocaine wrecks lives

quote:

Originally posted by rainman64:
I know my hookers would appreciate it being legal.

Bullshit!
Let me talk to them!

quote:

Originally posted by berto:
Everything in moderation.

Not with the refined product, you can't.

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:

quote:

'If you want peace, you have to dismantle the business (of drug trafficking),' he said.
'It could easily be dismantled if they legalize cocaine in the world. It would be sold like wine.'

This man is a train wreck, but...
He's not completely wrong.

We've legalized (well, legal cartelized) pot and gambling in the US.
Now we have a generation of youngsters who care about nothing but pot and gambling.
But alcohol use is down.

The real trick would be holding people responsible for their own actions. Instead, we give them welfare and medicaid so the responsible people pay the cost of their lifestyle choices.

I've been playing this game for a long, long time.
I'd like to point something out-
Who is supporting this guy?
How much influence does any random Cartel have on any given day on this President or his country?

I'm in my office, looking at an old picture of someone, underneath the picture is "Plata O Plomo".
You have two choices, do this or you and your family are going to die, and it's not going to be pretty. There's zero fear of threatening a sitting (or former) President.

Bolivia and Colombia are the places where Cocaine is grown and processed. Legal or not, THEY are going to make money, and lots of it.
Legal, now the Govm't gets their (legal) cut of the pie.

quote:

Originally posted by berto:
Everything in moderation.

Like Meth! And murder.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:

quote:

Originally posted by berto:
Everything in moderation.

Cocaine wrecks lives

Wreck it in moderation! Don't do it quickly, spread it out over a few years.

quote:

Who is supporting this guy?
How much influence does any random Cartel have on any given day on this President or his country?
I'm in my office, looking at an old picture of someone, underneath the picture is "Plata O Plomo".
You have two choices, do this or you and your family are going to die, and it's not going to be pretty. There's zero fear of threatening a sitting (or former) President.

I hear what you're saying... this Colombian president and the rest of these central American politicians, judges, and law enforcement just won't stand up to the cartels because of an understandable and reasonable high level of fear.

Which is why Trump seems to be changing the game. It sounds like he's willing to hit them hard, even in their own countries.

quote:

Originally posted by rainman64:
I know my hookers would appreciate it being legal.

Every single person that I have known personally, went from using it on the weekend to using everyday all day.
Didn't take that long either before they spent every cent in their pocket and had sold off everything not nailed down.

Portland decriminalized drug use. See Portland for a glimpse of what would happen if we legalized drug use. It will be an irreversible mistake.

I saw a lot of cocaine use in the 80’s. Mostly in upper middle class folks. Most of them quit within five years. A few of them went hardcore and died within 10-15 years.
Having said that, I think the lower on the economic scale you are the percentage of those that destroy their lives goes up exponentially. I personally have no problem legalizing weed because I believe it is less destruction than alcohol. But I am dead set against legalizing cocaine or other hard drugs.

I also believe there are plenty of folks destroying their lives with alcohol.

quote:

Legalize and tax it, durr, durr, durr ...

That will just shift the crime to the evasion of such taxes.