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Comment by LatteLazy | Hacker News Reader

The fact it isn't just legal in 90% of the world shows how out of touch most "democratic" governments are.

You can thank the mighty United States of the A for it. In India my dad used to tell he went to government rationed cannabis stores to buy it. Then some stupid drug treaty made by the Greatest nation in the history of mankind came into effect making weed illegal overnight.

India is a bit beyond ridiculous and just shows when Asshole with properly big A (Nixon) is given enough power, he can fuck up most of mankind for few generations easily. Just to have more oppressive tools available against people not aligned with state (hippies, Mexicans). Also shows that people will generally show a big fat middle finger to government and keep doing what they want to do, but its a very useful tool for oppression and creates a lot of corruption surface.

As to why its such a ridiculous situation in India - as per my limited backpacker's experience marihuana is a sacred plant, used for thousands of years to celebrate god Shiva, one of main deities in Hindu pantheon. Seeing a sadhu (holy man) to smoke chillum is as regular sight as birds flying in the sky, I was once even given such a chillum within bigger group of sadhus on Ganges bank (I think in Haridwar).

Its like India becoming world dominating power and starts forcing every single christian country on the world to ban alcohol or using wine in religious ceremonies. And they actually implemented it for solid 6 decades so far, via United nations being a slave to US (and when its not, US presidents are quoted about kicking them out or simply ignoring its existence).

It does not. A lot of people, especially the rural populations across the world, are strongly opposed to the idea.

In italy the constitutional court blocked a referendum on the matter to be held (I suppose because they didn't want people to turn up and vote, and there were other questions about the legal system that they preferred failing due to insufficient quorum).

Rural population are also strongly opposed to homosexuality, gender nonconformity, queers, atheism, non-dominant religions, alcohol, metalheads, goths, emos, scene kids etc.

At least the amount of sundown towns have started to diminish.

There’s still absolutely no reason to extend this provincial bigotry to national legislation. When the insanity is locally contained, the people discriminated against can at least leave the shithole.

One of my biggest disappointments from Jacinda Ardern is that she hosted a referendum on legalisation, lost it 48/52, then instead of taking that as a mandate to at least decriminalise or whatever she did nothing.

Your biggest disappoint is that she followed the democratic process?

I'd say a 48% vote to do something is a mandate to do a pared back version of it, yes. She was just incredibly cautious as a politician, and as a result hasn't really left much of a tangible legacy as far as policy impact goes.

Recent surveys in Germany showed slightly less than 50% in favor.

Can you think of any other crimes with a near 50% approval rating?

exceed the speed limit

What % actually against though?

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