Mr Colourful
A clickbait headline on Newshub got me watching Chloe Swarbrick talking about her cannabis referendum with the woke wombles on The Project. I suffered through it so you kind souls don’t have to ruin your days by being subjected to it.
Chloe Swarbrick proves either A: politics’ complete disassociation from the real world, or B: the absolutely criminal level of tax or levy they intend to impose on cannabis if their referendum goes ahead.
When asked about the suggested daily limits of 14 grams per person per day she states: “And from a practical level, that the cost of even purchasing that 14 grams is going to be the equivalent based on research of approximately $1200 dollars, per day, (Jacinda style hand waving) if you wanted to feed a habit to that level. And I don’t think even Snoop Dogg could smoke that much” (cue cringey leftist chuckles like they’re actually hilarious)
To those dear readers who are not criminals, or associate with those who are, 14 grams is half an ounce. An ounce is one of the mainstay options that cannabis is sold as. Average prices in my neck of the woods (wild west of Auckland) an ounce (28 grams) goes for $350-400. A ‘$50 bag’ is around 2.5-3 grams and the classic tinny is about a gram of cannabis for $20. So for Chloe’s ‘research’ to indicate a price of $1200 for half an ounce, they have already lost to the black market before they even start.
When talking about the powers for police to use discretion already available in relation to laying charges for cannabis offences she states: “Because even under that decriminalised model you would still have people needing to go for example, the likes of tinny houses, and that is where (more Jacinda jazz hands) people end up being upsold to far harsher substances”.
Once again, it shows the disconnect with the real world and the world in the Greens’ heads. I’ve never been to a tinny house, let alone seen one, in the classic sense portrayed in new and old media. But I know of people who sell drugs for a living. They will often have weed, meth, MDMA, and other assorted treats available to purchase. They don’t up sale to anyone. People who come in for a tinny like the relaxing effects of cannabis, the skittery meth buzz is generally not their cup of tea, plus it’s generally out of their price range. It’s a hard upsell to those not interested or without the resources to make a transaction.
The final lie that made me give up on the interview is that the proposed age will be 20. If 13, 14 and 15 year olds are already getting cannabis at that age whilst it’s illegal, there is no way they’re going to wait till 20, when they’re of age, before partaking. The Greens have no idea how the world works or how much of other people’s money it will cost to create a big messy legislative nightmare.
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