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learningtofly
Ancient Aliens


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Netherlands BANS Shrooms
#7511598 - 10/13/07 11:16 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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Netherlands bans magic mushrooms
Lawmakers tighten nation’s drug policy after girl's suicide
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - The Netherlands will ban the sale of hallucinogenic mushrooms, the government announced Friday, tightening the country’s famed liberal drug policies after the suicide of an intoxicated teenage girl.
The ban — in response to the death and other highly publicized adverse reactions involving the fungus — is the latest backlash against the freewheeling policies of the past.
Mushrooms “will be outlawed the same way as other drugs,” Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin told reporters in The Hague. “The way we will enforce the ban is through targeting sellers.”
Psilocybin, the main active chemical in the mushrooms, has been illegal under international law since 1971. However, fresh mushrooms continued to be sold legally in the Netherlands along with herbal medicines in so-called “smart-shops,” on the theory that it was impossible to determine how much psilocybin any given mushroom contains.
That meant mushrooms were less regulated than marijuana, which is technically illegal but sold openly in small amounts in “coffee shops.” Possession of “hard” drugs like cocaine, LSD and Ecstasy is illegal.
Outright ban a surprise The government has cracked down on hard drugs and tightened controls on marijuana. It was expected to do the same with mushrooms after the death of 17-year-old Gaelle Caroff, who had suffered from psychological problems before her death in March. She jumped from a building after eating psychedelic mushrooms while on a school visit.
But the outright ban came as a surprise: The government had solicited advice from vendors, advocacy groups and the city of Amsterdam, which benefits greatly from drug-related tourism, on how to improve the situation.
Mushroom vendors suggested stricter ID controls to prevent underage buyers, and strong warnings against mixing mushrooms with other drugs.
Amsterdam Mayor Job Cohen had suggested a three-day “cooling off” period between ordering them and using them.
The Justice Ministry decided those measures did not go far enough.
The problem with mushrooms is that “it’s impossible to estimate what amount will have what effect,” spokesman Wim Van der Weegen said.
Around 500,000 “doses” of packaged mushrooms are sold in the Netherlands annually. According to a study published in January by Amsterdam’s health services, the city’s emergency services were summoned 148 times to deal with a bad reaction to mushrooms in 2004-2006. Of those 134 were foreigners, with Britons forming the largest group.
Other nations outlaw mushrooms Denmark outlawed mushrooms in 2001, Japan in 2002, Britain in 2005 and Ireland in 2006. Selling psilocybin-containing mushrooms is illegal in the U.S., but the status varies from state to state for spores, homegrown and wild species.
Marjan Heuving, a spokeswoman for the country’s Trimbos Institute, a drug policy think-tank, said mushrooms are not toxic and themselves pose no physical risk to users.
But she agreed that people’s reaction to them is unpredictable, depending on factors such as weight; how much food they have eaten recently; their past drug experience; psychological health; and the setting in which they are taken.
“The main danger to the user is that he will somehow hurt himself,” she said. “I should add that that’s extremely rare.”
Dramatic stories Since Caroff’s death, a number of other dramatic stories involving mushrooms have been reported in the Dutch press, including a 22-year-old British tourist who ran amok in a hotel, breaking his window and slicing his hand badly.
“It’s a shame, the media really blew this up into a big issue,” said Chloe Collette, owner of the FullMoon smart-shop in Amsterdam.
She said each case also involved the use of alcohol — against the advice of sellers — but it was the mushrooms that were blamed.
She said that many herbal medicines have quietly been outlawed as well.
“Every two months they’re banning something. Ephedra, yohimbe, herbal ’Ecstasy,’ and now this,” she said. “I don’t know if we can survive in the future.”
Since 2001, the government has gradually pared back the number of marijuana-selling coffee shops by refusing to renew licenses to stores in undesirable locations, such as near schools.
Growers targeted for prosecution Coffee shops in the southern city of Maastricht have begun demanding fingerprints from customers to ensure they aren’t buying too much in one day.
Growers, including household growers, have been more aggressively targeted for prosecution.
The Netherlands remains a major Ecstasy producer, but has won praise from Washington for the crackdown. Seizures of a ton or more of cocaine from ships docking in the Port of Rotterdam — Europe’s largest — have become routine.
Murat Kucuksen, whose farm Procare supplies about half the psychedelic mushrooms on the Dutch market, predicted the trade will move underground as a result of the ban. Prices will rise, and dealers will sell dried mushrooms, or LSD as a substitute, to tourists with no guidance.
“So you’ll have a rise in incidents but they won’t be recorded as mushroom-related, and the politicians can declare victory,” he said.
© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21269227/
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Bridgeburner
Not spiritual at all.




Registered: 09/16/06
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FUCK
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learningtofly
Ancient Aliens


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Re: Netherlands BANS Shrooms [Re: Bridgeburner]
#7511636 - 10/13/07 11:28 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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1. FUCK! 2. This girl had previous underlying mental issues, how many places say that "if you have mental issues you should not take this drug" because as we know they potentiate emotions and stuff. What im saying is its her fault. 3. How many people die from alcohol and cigarettes? a ton of them, but its not like when someone got in a drunk driving accident that they banned alcohol.
At least the article states that there isn't really a problem and that it's stupid peoples fault.
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Bridgeburner
Not spiritual at all.




Registered: 09/16/06
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i think this ban isn't necessarily a bad thing. now we'll see figures that have been recorded BEFORE legalizing shrooms/during the legalization/after the ban. this should give an all-out idea of how crime rates shift and move and see what effect does this have on a country.
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learningtofly
Ancient Aliens


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Re: Netherlands BANS Shrooms [Re: Bridgeburner]
#7511687 - 10/13/07 11:49 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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That and since Amsterdam is now criminalizing "everything" I'm pretty sure their tourist rate will drop dramatically because now it'll just be a regular city.
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SampaJasli
Stranger



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Re: Netherlands BANS Shrooms [Re: Bridgeburner]
#7511688 - 10/13/07 11:49 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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this is fucking stupid shit. why the hell do lawmakers pass bans based on single incidences? how many people ingest alcohol before committing suicide? and how many people on anti-depressants commit suicide? there is actually research that says using some anti-depressants increases suicide ideation and suicide attempts. passing laws based on isolated incidents is basically just an excuse to push an agenda. the media doesn't help by blowing these stories way out of proportion.
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Mandark


Registered: 11/15/06
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Re: Netherlands BANS Shrooms [Re: Bridgeburner]
#7511695 - 10/13/07 11:51 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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@up But banning shrooms will most probably decrease the number of accidents involving tourists. Right now may of them buy shrooms at shops not knowing much about them just because they accidentaly come across them. So the figures won't show anything.
-------------------- "One might ask why tobacco is legal and marijuana not. A possible answer is suggested by the nature of the crop. Marijuana can be grown almost anywhere, with little difficulty. It might not be easily marketable by major corporations. Tobacco is quite another story." - Noam Chomsky
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Mr_DeeMsTer
Mystic

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Re: Netherlands BANS Shrooms [Re: Mandark]
#7511706 - 10/13/07 11:53 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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what about peyote?
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Drewwyann
Slayer of ticks



Registered: 10/30/06
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this is terrible. All that this has done is elivate my hated towards people in power, and how they think they can do an entire civilization good without rational thinking.
Cars kill fuck-loads of people every day. We dont make them illegal, because everyone uses them.
Cigarettes kill people every day.
Alcohol kills people every day.
Aspartame in diet soft drinks has been shown to give people cancer, and its more common than people drinking water around where i live.
Human beings can be such intelligent and beautiful creatures, but they can also be the most blind, and absolutely downright ignorant and stupid things the earth has ever seen.
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learningtofly
Ancient Aliens


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Re: Netherlands BANS Shrooms [Re: Mr_DeeMsTer]
#7511730 - 10/13/07 11:57 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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haha i don't know it doesn't mention peyote, i guess no one likes it so they kept it legal.
It will decrease the number of accidents involving stupid people. @ Social Darwinism, if they can't adapt (to tripping), fuck em.
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Drewwyann
Slayer of ticks



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So by keeping it in the hands of the black market (given how many spores have been distributed throughout the netherlands because of its previous legality), it will now be less common? You think people aren't going to jack up the price, and sell it illegally?
And since it is illegal, they have absolutely no reason to tell people "you shouldn't take these if you are depressed, or have mental problems." BECAUSE ITS ILLEGAL. FUCK.
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learningtofly
Ancient Aliens


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Re: Netherlands BANS Shrooms [Re: Drewwyann]
#7511749 - 10/13/07 12:01 PM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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R u stupid or what? THEY BANNED IT WHICH MEANS NO ONE IS GONNA TAKE THEM AT ALL
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Drewwyann
Slayer of ticks



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good point... i need to open up my eyes. 
Edit: so does anyone think that mushrooms may resurface as legal any time in the future? I think they will, but i think it will take a bit of time, or a regime change. They are giving more power to the black market than they know.
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Edited by Drewwyann (10/13/07 12:04 PM)
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learningtofly
Ancient Aliens


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Re: Netherlands BANS Shrooms [Re: Drewwyann]
#7511760 - 10/13/07 12:04 PM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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Yah obviously. in the US no one smokes weed cuz its illegal. the war on drugs is like 100% effective at keeping drugz off tha streets. the stuff you hear about in the news is just liberal media trying to get it taken away
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Drewwyann
Slayer of ticks



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i heard that one puff of a marijuana cigarette will coat your lungs with tar so you won't be able to breath.
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learningtofly
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Re: Netherlands BANS Shrooms [Re: Drewwyann]
#7511776 - 10/13/07 12:08 PM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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I heard that if you smoke marijuana you'll go crazy and kill your parents!
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Mandark


Registered: 11/15/06
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Re: Netherlands BANS Shrooms [Re: Drewwyann]
#7511788 - 10/13/07 12:10 PM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
Drewwyann said: So by keeping it in the hands of the black market (given how many spores have been distributed throughout the netherlands because of its previous legality), it will now be less common? You think people aren't going to jack up the price, and sell it illegally?
And since it is illegal, they have absolutely no reason to tell people "you shouldn't take these if you are depressed, or have mental problems." BECAUSE ITS ILLEGAL. FUCK.
Yes, but you have to make some effort to buy it illegally. Tourists buy it because it is legal, because they can get it at smartshops. I don't like this news just as everyone else, but I think it WILL decrease the number of accidents.
-------------------- "One might ask why tobacco is legal and marijuana not. A possible answer is suggested by the nature of the crop. Marijuana can be grown almost anywhere, with little difficulty. It might not be easily marketable by major corporations. Tobacco is quite another story." - Noam Chomsky
Edited by Mandark (10/13/07 12:11 PM)
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Visionary Tools



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Re: Netherlands BANS Shrooms [Re: Drewwyann]
#7511797 - 10/13/07 12:12 PM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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Well, not being able to breathe isin't as bad as the effects of skunk cannabis. The withdrawal from that is so bad, that people (usually illegal immigrants, because the daily mail never exagerates nor lies) will disembowel small animals and children, convinced they can find more of their evil drug in them.
There seems to be a backwash of fail in Holland right now, I can imagine another five years from now booze and tobacco will be banned, and police will arrest anyone for having fun.
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Clean
the lense


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while we're at it lets just ban civilization too
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confusion
ProfessionalNovice



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Don't Joke guys! I took two puffs and killed my parents and my whole neighborhood. Mariwannago2jail killz!
Guess I'll only get to have some coffee and weed when I go to Amsterdamn one day. If that is even legal by then. I hope crime rates rise. We'll see a giant shift in things then.
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