comment: >
  
  This same logic would apply to weed dispensaries. Obviously there's some policy in place specific to retailers (if this store ever actually exists). But medical distribution points will absolutely have the same type of policy.
context: And over here, for those who enjoy a nice wholesome bowl of crack, we have our organic, free-range crack. >
  
  Is it gluten free? >
  
  Hilarious, preposterous even. Today the ring collar on my liquor board of ontario bottle of Absolut vodka said gluten free. >
  
  Kettle One is better and isn’t cheap with their E’s >
  
  You mean Ketel One?
  They are cheap with their T's unfortunately. >
  
  True dat >
  
  rue da >
  
  It's done specifically so the Canadian feds show up to shut it down. Apparently this is necessary to audience a challenge on the law on prohibition of hard drugs. Seems insane to me... >
  
  For me the core difference between legalising weed and mushrooms.. pills, etc.. vs things like heroine and cocaine is how addictive they are. Do you go full ham and not limit people’s use of it if it’s legal? That’ll go wrong - look at the opioid problem big farma caused handing out much weaker opioids like candy. Do you restrict them to certain amounts per person? Same problem but now you’re just recruiting en masse for the illegal drug trade. 
  In general I find the idea of punishing people for using substances a waste of the legal system’s time.. but yeah I can’t really see a situation where legalising heroine to the degree you have heroine shops goes well. >
  
  The point if I'm not mistaken is to provide clean substances so that addicts won't risk buying product cut with fent. Comes from a place of empathy & saves lives, but looks really ass backwards. Not to mention- if these drugs are freely available while deemed illegal, cartels profit off of sales instead of US businesses & US government (from taxing sales). Sounds cray but you can cut the cartel off financially somewhat w this avenue. >
  
  Well, the thing is that doesn't work like that. USA is a example of a opioid crisis. >
  
  Seems like you got to the point of an opioid crisis without it being legal, so it seems like the people who want to do these drugs are already finding them.  The argument behind legalisation and increasing access in this manner is that the worst outcome from drug abuse is overdose deaths. The main cause of those deaths is drugs that are laced with another drug like fentanyl, or the fact that there is a no consistency in the purity of the drugs they consume so even if they take the same amount they usually use, there's always the risk that it's an especially pure batch that they got this time and they could still overdose from the same amount they normally consume.  The model also assumes that people who aren't users of heroin or other hard drugs, aren't going to just start using because it's available.  If you were walking down the street and could buy heroin, would you? I know I wouldn't knowing the facts about use, and that's likely true for the majority of the population.  Anyways, there's no way to know yet how effective this model will be because no one has really tried it but I think it's safe to say there's a serious problem at this time in history, and if we keep trying the same solutions we've been trying for the last 50 years were just going to get the same results. >
  
  I think this could work well paired with a big public drug education campaign. I see how people are such rabid anti-tobacco advocates while it's still legal to use and I also remember what smoking was like back in the 90s and 00s. I attribute the change to a longterm tobacco research & education campaign, not changes in accessibility. >
  
  I'm pretty progressive on drug policy, but 2.5g of cocaine=/=2.5g of meth=/=2.5g of heroin. That is WILD >
  
  But as Martin told VICE, getting arrested for The Drugs Store is part of the point. Should the store be busted, his goal would be to mount a charter challenge against the federal prohibition on hard drugs. >
  
  There is just substances. No hard or soft drugs just silly way people categorize something which in its own ways cant be categorized that way. But should rather be categorized by stimulant, sedative, psychedelic and etc. Then it be a matter of dosage. And receptors it activates and mechanism methods would be better way. Seems more like a way to spread stigma otherwise through fear mongering. >
  
  Some drugs are incredibly addictive, and incredibly destructive to the human body. There should not be a profit motive behind selling these and people should not pretend there's any context where taking these drugs outside of medical supervision is a good idea. >
  
  You've (arguably) described alchohol. >
  
  Compared to cocaine, heroin, and opiates? Not really. >
  
  Id say alcohol is worse than meth. Meth doesn't leave people having to poop through a tube into a bag. it impairs your thinking to a lesser degreewhich is why we don't see high tweak driving deaths on areas with rampant abuse. People only really wind up totally out of it after doing it for days nonstop with no sleep wheras a drunk can  be completely helpless and impossible to communicate with in under an hour. 
  Alcohol kills way more people.
  The withdraws can straight up kill you so good luck if you don't have rehab money. 
  I don't do it but many people I know do and you would never guess they were even high most of the time. >
  
  “Alcohol kills way more people”
  Way more people drink alcohol than use meth. That’s why.
  The actual mortality rate for meth users is way fucking higher than alcohol. >
  
  these sources claim Alcohol the most deadly drug  it actually kills more than all other drugs combined. It's the third highest cause of death in America. Even taking Into account the disparity in users it's still beats meth in kills.
  I think your thinking of heroin or Fetty or something. A fatal meth overdose is like getting struck by lightning rare, it's very very hard to die from meth.
  Science agrees with me on this. >
  
  
  Science agrees with me on this.
  
  No. You just don't understand the stats you're spouting. >
  
  
  But the sector became entrenched for the simple reason that Vancouver police openly refused to bust them. “We do have a priority-based approach to policing here in Vancouver, and we do have other priorities,” was how Vancouver police spokesman Const. Brian Montague explained the system at the time.
  
  This coming from a police department that let a serial killer run wild for decades because he targeted a segment of the population that they deemed to not be a priority. >
  
  This must always be remembered when talking about anything to do with Vancouver's problems. Our police force is rotten as fuck and seemingly getting worse.
  Google Myles Gray death, it's a great example of what we're dealing with.
  Edit: most importantly, nothing changed after Picton. Indigenous women disappear and turn up dead regularly, cases tend to be closed due to things like "lack of evidence of foul play" when it's someone who's been reported missing and at risk for months or even years by their families. It is beyond fucked.
  I suppose ultimately the drug store will be allowed to run for as long as the VPD sees it as a benefit to whatever the fuck it is that they do. >
  
  As we saw with Pickton, it will be because the movers and shakers in Vancouver are   linked to this Vancouver man running his drug shop and are running interference for him. >
  
  "Is this the 5 o' Clock Free Crack Giveaway?!!!" >
  
  Personal use and possession was decriminalized. Not gonna be able to have a retail location, the quantities required to sell and sell to people. This is gonna get shut down quickly. >
  
  Vancouver has had retail stores openly selling illegal drugs for decades. Instead of busting them the city started charging them for business licenses. The cannabis stores were actually better before it was legalized. You’ve always been able to buy mushrooms, DMT, peyote etc too even though they’re still fully illegal. 
  This is obviously pushing the line a bit farther than that but they wouldn’t be the first people in the city supplying these drugs. There’s a lot of political support there for providing a safe supply instead of seeing more people die from tainted drugs. >
  
  Not just Vancouver. All over Canada. This is just a step to be more open about hard drugs. >
  
  So i'm off to Tornoto soon....is this a thing there?!` >
  
  Frank White crawled so that The Drug Store could run >
  
  Rip Norm >
  
  I'm not convinced the plan is as wise as it is ambitious.  The store will have to be a fort to prevent the inevitable burglary attempts from succeeding. >
  
  well that is good at least you will know what is in it compared to the street one and the stuff added to it >
  
  War on Drugs going 180 degrees now >
  
  War, on drugs. >
  
  No, money down! >
  
  Jeeze Louise I can’t even sell my eggs or milk from our animals without getting arrested but hard core drugs is a possibility! >
  
  He’s going to get arrested. It’s the goal. This is a stunt to lead to a challenge of prohibition, not a ‘look the other way’ weed shop. >
  
  One of the biggest dangers with heroin nowadays is that it often contains fentanyl. If they could guarantee purity they could to save so many lives. >
  
  The biggest danger of heroin nowadays is that its heroin, there is no safe doses to take that stuff in.
  Crack maybe, heroin should be decriminalized but not legalized. Like the first thing a doctor will ask you if you are young adult and have debilitating leg pains/chest pains is if you use heroin, if tell them you did their attitude will immediately shift to deeply concerned. >
  
  Never heard of morphine? >
  
  Yeah there is a reason they use morphine and not heroin in hospitals anymore. Even they are reluctant to give you morphine, so that should tell you something. 
  The "magic drug" had some pretty severe side effects. >
  
  Hospitals usually use diluted fentanyl for intense pain around here. >
  
  Yeah it depends where you live, but overall a doctor or medical practitioner will hesitate to give you drugs that heavy unless they think the pain could actually kill you. >
  
  Where'd you get your medical degree, doc? >
  
  "Well, there was this dog in a trench coat, see..." >
  
  Except this isn't remotely legal.
  Decrim just means adicts aren't criminally liable for being adicts. Drugs are still illegal, and the emphasis goes to treatment, but people who run criminal enterprise based on selling drugs are still just that >
  
  The goal IS to get shut down. This gives them a case to pursue in court.
  Also Vancouver police is corrupt as hell and doesn't even want to shut them down as they have "other priorities" they want to concentrate on.
  It's up to the feds. >
  
  So is it a different local crack chef’s signature recipe being showcased each month? >
  
  Exquisite 👌 >
  
  It’s like a headline straight out of South Park >
  
  Well, I see a trip to Vancouver is in my near future. >
  
  I'm just glad there are modern nations who are enacting widespread decriminalization legislation. We have had a century of prohibition in almost all modern countries. We know all it does is promote organized crime, health risks, and turn citizens into criminals. America will never do this until we get rid of lobbyists and corporate money in politics. America incarcerates its citizens for profit in private prisons. >
  
  And Australia may well be the last 'modern' nation holdout on that. You can't even buy a small bottle industrial hemp-based CBD oil over the counter here, no it's over $200 with a prescription lol >
  
  Sorry to hear that. It's really said people won't educate themselves and are still stuck supporting policies that have never worked. >
  
  Australia is a very conservative country overall, something not well understood overseas. Those of us holding a more progressive view have been  for years (about 25 in my case lol) >
  
  Haha yes I was surprised at how conservative Australia is considering all of the other commonwealth countries have numerous liberal policies; though many still lag behind when it comes substance use. >
  
  
  Haha yes I was surprised at how conservative Australia is considering all of the other commonwealth countries have numerous liberal policies
  
  Well, the difference is all those other Commonwealth countries don't have almost all of their media owned by either Rupert Murdoch, a right wing mining billionaire, or a former Federal Treasurer of the conservative party lol >
  
  Oh I'm aware and it should be criminal. Newscorp is radicalizing young men into terrorists incredibly frequently now. Something needs to be done. >
  
  Alas, Murdoch makes or breaks govts in this country (the family has been doing so since his father Keith was at the helm, undermining Labor and the trade unions from the 1930s onwards) and such is his monopoly that they all have to bend the knee, to a certain extent or be destroyed. >
  
  They're an evil family honestly. They make billions off the division they sow. We know for a fact in America and  ew Zealand that a good deal of mass shooters repeat newscorp propaganda in the manifestos they leave behind. >
  
  Someone link that "downward spiral" mug shot please. >
  
  I was in Vancouver... I saw people doing heroin outside of the police station. Vancouver needs to get its shit together if it wants to combat this problem. Vancouver is portrayed as a 'city of the future' by many, but this shit is horrible. Decriminalizing it won't fix it. >
  
  Vancouver aggregates all of Canada’s homeless and problem people.    People from the rest of Canada think migrating to BC will make their lives better.  They arrive to an expensive place that has a lot of opportunities to get into trouble. 
  It’s basically what you see in San Fran or LA skid row >
  
  "Martin told VICE, getting arrested for The Drugs Store is part of the point." He seems like a ballsy guy, would love to meet him. >
  
  Making money making people sick and addicted, ballsy guy. >
  
  Especially with such terrible drugs as heroin and crack. >
  
  You know there will be long lines for first couple of months. Same thing happened at Krispy Kreme. >
  
  I have mixed feelings. Taking addicts to jail simply for possessing drugs makes no sense and creates this never-ending downward spiral. 
  However, that doesn't mean heroin or meth are good things that should be available to anyone so they can DEVELOP an addiction lmao. It is not a fun ride to be hopelessly addicted. >
  
  Underground economies in peacetime is never a good thing. Look at Mexico especially. >
  
  I do get "people are gonna do drugs there is nothing we can do about that so they're gonna get it one way or another". It's an issue with no real solution. >
  
  Soon to be known as the most robbed store in the universe. >
  
  No, in Vancouver there's a man who wants to open Canada's first crack and heroin store.
  Decriminalizing those drugs doesn't mean you can start selling them. >
  
  Decriminalising specifically means you can't sell them legally lol >
  
  So many people in this thread don't understand the difference between legalization and decriminalization, nice to see a few people with a reasoned response. >
  
  That’s terrible! Disgusting! Where is it ?! >
  
  “Shall I warm Sir’s crack pipe?” >
  
  Vancouver is actually fucked there are so many addicts robbing store and pedestrians to buy drugs and the government won't do anything to help. >
  
  
  Staff would wear bulletproof vests and face masks – not for COVID safety, but to shroud their identities.
  
  That's gonna be a no from me. >
  
  One stop smackandcrack??????  Take my money 💸💰💰💸 >
  
  FINALLY!!! Someone has some balls to make their government see some fucking sense! Either legalize and regulate it fully or gtf back in the closet! >
  
  How about? No. These narcotics ruin lives. Btw: Vice is trash, and I would not trust that source. >
  
  How old were you when you first knew you were a conservative? Were your parents also or did you do some research? >
  
  Wait, is it a democrat thing to like heroin? This isn’t weed we’re talking about. 
  I think I missed that memo. >
  
  It’s a conservative thing to hate vice, others do also but it’s a given with conservatives. Too much truth, makes them nuts. >
  
  Lmao 🤣 >
  
  There is one now! >
  
  We are truly lost >
  
  What you're buying is a guarantee that there's no fentanyl in your drugs, that's worth a lot >
  
  Bruh what >
  
  The gang goes to Canada >
  
  I think it's insane that we can't already buy these substances at the store. It causes so many MORE problems.. This stuff will always be on the street. You're lying to yourself if you think that taking a junkie off the street for one night and then giving them a fine is doing any good other than exacerbating the problem. >
  
  I was a big pothead in my teens. While it isn't crack or heroine, I generally look back on it as a bad thing. This habit had me going to some pretty dangerous places. Also you would occasionally go to a dealer, and they didn't have any pot, but they did have coke or acid or something else which I would of course do because I came in looking for a high. In that way pot really was a gateway drug for me.
  Despite looking back on this negatively, I am for legalization and normalisation. I am for pushing out street dealers and moving toward regulated distribution where, among other reasons, the people selling don't sell to kids. >
  
  Same here and 100% agree. I wish I would've started a career earlier in my life. Normalizing and regulating drug use to get rid of the "forbidden fruit" aspect of it would solve so many problems. I got a huge interest in weed in 5th grade. I wasn't even a teen yet. And my parents were never druggies. It was the kids I went to school with whos parents were all druggies. >
  
  This will be interesting for about 5 to 10 years, then it will be nbd and you will see addiction levels plummet along with OD deaths. >
  
  Feel a lot better about this if we had treatment centers where people couldnt just check out when it gets hard. >
  
  I feel you, but if you have ever been around a true addict not ready to quit, it wouldn't help, just delay their next fix. The epidemic of drugs would never have happened in the first place if it wasn't taboo and so many well meaning lies weren't told about the shit. >
  
  Epidemic of drugs wouldn’t be there if there were less/no users to give them a market anyway. >
  
  Since the ability to write was invented, people have been getting high, that's sorta the point of legalization. There always has been and always will be people who try and, unfortunately, get addicted to , drugs >
  
  Now that's something The Shouting Pillow Man and Hunter Biden can agree on! >
  
  🤣 >
  
  Heroin will always lead to fentanyl use or whatever stronger.  It is a tale as old as time.
  Who are we kidding.
  Stop pussy footing around. >
  
  Why the fuck would they use fentanyl if they have easy access to heroin >
  
  Ao it seems to me, the cops could surveil this store for a while, see who shops there, build a profile for them. Bust the store, surveil the customers, and see who they go to afterwards.   
  Makes sense to me why they'd keep it around, they'll probably be able to bust some higher level guys with the intel this store is going to provide. >
  
  Procession in BC is decriminalized so that will be a lot of effort for what would essentially be a parking ticket. >
  
  Terrifying that so many people actually want to legalize these extremely dangerous drugs. There are many countries around the world (see East Asia) that don't have drug problems. Hmm I wonder why that is? >
  
  Because they’re oppressive countries with harmful legislation and insane punishments (death penalty for possession/suspected trafficking in some cases) for drug possession? Drug addicts are not necessarily bad people, or even criminals, outside of the ridiculous drug laws they’re breaking by using drugs. 
  Yes “hard” drugs are dangerous, but progressive societies believe in bodily autonomy, the idea that what you choose to do with your own body is up to you alone. 
  The vast majority of drug-related crime is due solely to the fact that drugs are illegal. People are going to use drugs, end of story. You can either punish them for it at a high cost to your own community, or help those who want to stop but are stuck in an endless cycle of addiction, shame, and secrecy. 
  End the stigma on drug use, the obsession with punishing drug use, and the for-profit prison system who intentionally turn addicts into criminals for financial gain. My guess is you’ve never had a loved one who was also a drug addict. >
  
  Yeah, I’m sure the cartel is just full of nice people lol >
  
  Wait…was that comment meant to refute my argument, or bolster it?  Because I feel like it’s dripping with sarcasm, but then again, even a sentient bag of rocks would understand that the only reason any cartel or organized crime group has ANY interest in the sale of illegal drugs is because they’re…..illegal. If drugs were legal and regulated, there would be no profit in selling them.  Why would you want to deal with a dangerous criminal element, and pay inflated prices, when you can go to a “dispensary” and buy what you want? The entire reason drug sales are profitable is because of their scarcity. Which is caused directly by their being illegal. If there was all the heroin you could ever use, in stock, available for purchase, like alcohol, cigarettes or marijuana, it would be a fraction of the price. And regulated. No unknown adulterants, no unknown potency… 
  You get that, right? You’re not dumber than a bag of rocks…..right?
  Did the mob keep bootlegging liquor after prohibition was repealed? >
  
  Time for a road trip >
  
  Opium dens will be all the rage in the west as the economy collapses. >
  
  Well thats Vancouver off the bucket list. >
  
  Love the logic of 'harm reduction'. We tried deregulating and destigmatizing drugs and overdose death rates skyrocketed which clearly proves that we aren't destigmatizing hard enough. >
  
  That's one way to reduce the global population, I guess not enough people were volunteering to be euthanized. >
  
  If this were to happen every junkie in the country would move to Vancouver. It would have to be national to make any sense. >
  
  It always starts small. They’re using it as a test. >
  
  True but it’s a huge weakness in this case. They would get swarmed by the whole country all going to one area of one city resulting in neighbourhoods being pissed, cops being pissed etc. >
  
  The state of Oregon decriminalized drugs 3 years ago and that hasn’t really happened there yet. >
  
  Refreshing Crack! >
  
  I'm confused. You would have to have inventory in the store well in excess of the 2.5g legal limit, no? What are you doing, serving one customer a day?