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[–] nokilli 0 points 7 points (+7|-0) ago 

And when the Netherlands instituted their de-facto legalization of pot underage use of the drug went down too.

The problem is, underage hard drug use went up. After 10 years, it was 500% what it was before pot decriminalization. This is as per numbers CEDRO was publishing up until about five years ago.

It's common sense that it would be this way if you stop and think about it. You legalize pot, and for adults only, now suddenly kids have a hard time scoring because most of the places that sell pot won't sell to kids. But the black market is still out there, and kids have always dealt with it to score their highs, only now, marijuana is off the menu.

Legalization of all drugs was always the correct policy, and what we're all risking by focusing on pot first is a backlash against the re-liberalization of drug laws across the board because of the inevitable spike in underage hard drug use and the opportunity that presents to yellow journalists like those that reside at The New York Times.

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[–] pythagorean 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago 

But the black market is still out there, and kids have always dealt with it to score their highs, only now, marijuana is off the menu.

It certainly hasn't played out that way in CO. Marijuana is legal for adults, but still wildly available on the black market.

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[–] ineedanap 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

It's also early in CO's legalization. I wonder if over time those black market options will fade away, or if the high taxes will continue to give them the ability to operate.

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[–] NateThomas1979 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

I'm not sure that it will be the same here as it was during the time that the Netherlands decriminalized pot.

My reasoning is that there is more info about what hard drugs do to you and that alcohol still fills the void of the depressant (rather than a stimulant)

I do agree that all drugs should be legalized, but to me the legalization of pot is showing people firsthand that it's not all doom and gloom by legalized drugs. It is the "gateway drug" to full decriminalization and ending the war on drugs.