[HN Gopher] Germany Will Move Forward with Marijuana Legalization
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       Germany Will Move Forward with Marijuana Legalization
        
       Author : qwytw
       Score  : 62 points
       Date   : 2023-03-15 15:57 UTC (7 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.marijuanamoment.net)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.marijuanamoment.net)
        
       | rayiner wrote:
       | Marijuana decriminalization amd legalization was billed in part
       | based on the notion that it wasn't going to change people's
       | behavior, just decriminalize existing activity. At least in DC,
       | it's led to a noticeable uptick in marijuana use. You can smell
       | it in the streets in many parts of the city, including in office
       | buildings. It's sad to see Germany go down the same road.
        
         | Mizza wrote:
         | Yeah, we should keep locking people up and ruining their lives
         | because you notice a smell sometimes.
        
       | lisasays wrote:
       | Good. Time to finally put those dealers in Gorli (largely) out of
       | business.
       | 
       | For non-locals: that's Gorlitzer Park, Berlin, which has largely
       | been owned (and rendered nearly useless) by the dealers for
       | several years now (along with the neighboring streets, and a good
       | chunk of the recreational land on the canal zone nearby).
        
         | giraffe_lady wrote:
         | How did they render it useless? I don't know anything about
         | this but I'm picking up "no one goes there anymore it's too
         | crowded" vibes.
        
           | lisasays wrote:
           | I just go by own impressions - which are that it feels skivvy
           | as all get out to walk through, or in the general vicinity of
           | that park.
           | 
           | Hence, rendering it basically useless as a "park".
        
             | throwbadubadu wrote:
             | Strange impressions you have and totally disagree. The park
             | is vibrant and full of kids and families over the day..
             | dealers don't even annoy you usually if you signal strong
             | non-interest or don't fall into typical buyer group.. you
             | can even walk safely through the park at darker times when
             | you stick to the big ways (though I mean to feel safe, I'd
             | say you are almost safe everywhere as safe as you can be in
             | a big german city in darker places everywhere... you are
             | likely even safer there because enough people around vs
             | other scary places)
             | 
             | Yes, they can make a bad and for some an intimidating
             | appearance, and make others mad, but "making the park
             | useless" is a gross exaggeration... how often are you
             | there, and where you from? Just curious..
             | 
             | Most of these people are not as bad, and while this film
             | sure tells a story, I'd suggest to watch the modern version
             | of "Berlin Alexanderplatz" just to get another perspective.
        
               | luckylion wrote:
               | > dealers don't even annoy you usually if you signal
               | strong non-interest or don't fall into typical buyer
               | group
               | 
               | > you can even walk safely through the park at darker
               | times when you stick to the big ways
               | 
               | You have no idea how crazy that sounds for someone that
               | isn't acclimatized to Berlin culture.
        
               | coyotespike wrote:
               | Yes, I was comfortable walking through it alone, but my
               | parents weren't thrilled when we walked through it
               | together
               | 
               | > dealers don't even annoy you usually
               | 
               | is not that strong an argument.
        
               | [deleted]
        
               | ostenning wrote:
               | > my parents weren't thrilled when we walked through it
               | together
               | 
               | I too have experienced this
        
               | lisasays wrote:
               | Yeah, I guess compared to the demimonde of 1920s Berlin
               | one could say it's pretty tame.
               | 
               | But by that, and the other indications you are providing
               | - "some are intimidating, some not... you can even walk
               | safely at night if you stick to the large paths" are what
               | I mean by falling fall short of the standards of what one
               | expects from nice, decent and inviting city park.
               | 
               | As for the kids and families there during the day - it's
               | not like they have much choice.
               | 
               |  _Where you from?_
               | 
               | Let's just say I've lived in plenty of places in Europe -
               | not necessarily 24-hour party people destinations like
               | Berlin, but definitely not backwaters either - where one
               | didn't have to think twice about taking a walk in the
               | park at night.
               | 
               | I also remember a Berlin from not too long ago when it
               | was ugly and decrepit (if in a beautiful way), for sure -
               | but where one didn't need to be on one's guard in so many
               | places, as now.
        
               | mc32 wrote:
               | "If you stay on the main paths or you walk on groups, you
               | will not get mugged." Sounds like Central Park NYC in the
               | heyday of the early 90s.
        
               | [deleted]
        
             | beepbooptheory wrote:
             | What is "skivvy" in this context?
        
               | lisasays wrote:
               | Far too much eye contact and verbal solicitation from
               | random strangers.
               | 
               | Just ... standing there as if to intercept you when
               | walking by.
        
               | caseyohara wrote:
               | I'm guessing they meant "skeevy". Unpleasant, squalid, or
               | distasteful; morally or physically repulsive.
        
         | ostenning wrote:
         | The dealers in Gorli, Hasenheide etc are often there because
         | either they have no working visa or have no identity papers at
         | all.
         | 
         | Legalising weed wont change the systemic social issues of
         | Berlin
        
         | pengaru wrote:
         | I find it hard to believe marijuana is the only drug dealers in
         | a park serving an urban center with a penchant for clubs/night
         | life like Berlin are peddling...
        
       | euroderf wrote:
       | I would not be surprised to hear that the beer industry is
       | lobbying against this.
        
       | jagermo wrote:
       | Good. My retirement plan is to have a "pick your weed" style
       | plantation, similar to the "pick your strawberries" fields.
       | probably have to think about pricing for product used on site.
        
         | dunefox wrote:
         | There is no way this would be legal. No chance.
        
         | anononaut wrote:
         | Picked ganja still needs to be cured, like tobacco. Love the
         | idea, though. I'd visit.
        
           | jagermo wrote:
           | we will have the fresh picked one for people to cure at home,
           | and some choice snacks and herbs to enjoy onsite. Probably
           | also a cooperation with local bakeries for the munchies :)
           | 
           | so far, it is nothing but a dream, however we own a pretty
           | decent plot of land where you can't build anything because it
           | is in a water protection zone. great soil, though.
        
             | officeplant wrote:
             | Going by watching friends grow setups, you'd have to have
             | staggered grow cycles within contained areas to make sure
             | there was always something to pick and cure. The whole
             | fresh picked part seems silly to me, and I'm someone who
             | has contemplated converting scotch tasting journals into
             | weed ones for folks that rant about terpenes all day.
             | 
             | I think a "Farm to Jar" setup would be neater, almost like
             | visiting a brewery that does free tours of the grounds.
             | Tour and a tasting room followed by visits to the shop to
             | buy your favorites.
        
             | moaf wrote:
             | I don't think this would work well because of the
             | relatively small harvesting window for flowers. Assuming
             | that it's an outdoor farm, you'd also have to contend with
             | frost and other factors that could destroy the harvest. I
             | think it would be nice to have a farm that people could
             | visit though and learn about the process. Another idea that
             | I've considered before would be to rent a small plot of
             | land on a larger farm, and pay a fee to have someone else
             | grow and harvest the plant for you. Finally, I think
             | there's a market for a harvesting service, where people
             | bring in whole plants, unharvested, an the company fully
             | processes the plant (trims and cures the flower, makes
             | bubble hash or shatter from the leaves, etc.)
        
         | ChatGTP wrote:
         | As an insomniac who doesn't live in Germany, I'm jealous!
        
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       (page generated 2023-03-15 23:03 UTC)