Korean Job Discussion Forums

[tfunk]

Why are Asian drug laws so strict when prostitution, human rights laws are so lax?

Why do citizens of the Phillipines, Thailand etc. still break the law when the penalties are very harsh?

Marijuana, for example, doesn't seem to be that more desirable than alcohol. Personally, I wouldn't risk alcohol for a five year prison sentence, let alone the death penalty(Davao in Philippines) or worse, life in an Asian prison.

If you look at the statistics for a country such as Philippines, there are millions of drug users. Why not alcohol as their drug of choice?

[itaewonguy]

[tfunk]

Thanks for replying itaewonguy. I was wondering why people in the Philippines/Asia take the risk, not why government choose to make it illegal (separate issue).

Why do people choose marijuana over alcohol when the penalty is so great?

I know why people in my country choose marijuana, because the law isn't severely enforced.

Do Filipinos sell marijuana to America? How about Burma, Afghanistan, Mexico, Thailand etc.? It stumps me to think of how drug dealers in the Philippines can be making $5billion + a year. Where is the market?

[ThingsComeAround]

People use marijuana because it works
I wouldn't guess that drug dealers from the Philippines are making 5 billion. Where did you get that number??

Afgans sell opium to the US (and other countries that demand it)

I would suppose Asian drug laws are so high because of the theory many prohibitionists share: make the law strong enough and eventually people will not act against it. This is a lazy approach and the countries choose not to use the 'health' option when combating illegal drug use (Step 1 would admit there is a problem with their own citizens and said 'drug', which may mean loss of face)

[asmith]

Asia's fear of drugs is a result of what the English did to the Chinese when they sold them cheap opium back in the day--nearly destroying Chinese society.

[tfunk]

[bixlerscott]

Lady? woman? girl? ect. ect. is common the streets of Kuala Lumpur, but if narcotics police were to get you for illicit drugs, you are toast. I mean you are a dead man, caning and long prison term at best. This is the law of such a cool awesome place otherwise. Taiwan, drugs=death penalty as well.

It's their concept of being good Westernized global citizen states. That's all this nonsense is about. They want to project an image of purity and previous American anti-drug messages and imperial power did it. Foolish to destroy people over smoking a J.

Despite such harsh laws, drugs like MaryJ are available in most Asian countries and the locals get their freak on. I'm not going to push it as Amsterdam is right around the corner as well as the good ol' US of A. I just said no to 30 drug dealers tonight and 40 girlie pushers before getting on to say HI to Korea.

[OnTheOtherSide]

I think a major reason Asian countries outlaw weed to control the people.

They don't want a bunch of laid back, artistic, free-thinking stoners everywhere. They want serious, focused, hard workers who will work themselves to death and boost the nations economies into competition.

The herb is not exactly conducive to this. Alcohol, nicotine and caffiene are great for this though so they fill the countries up with these.

It's just all about the Government controlling the people. Using people as slaves instead of giving them human rights.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[OnTheOtherSide]