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As for harm, the last big study done by the Swiss Medical Council before they had a referendum over the issue of decriminalising all drugs found that Cannabis is less harmful than either alcohol or tobacco.
Of course though you are right, it is indeed harmful and its effects on the developing mind of teenagers is somewhat unknown because its only relatively recently that kids of that young have been using it.
However if you look at the areas where decriminalisation has taken effect you will notice that use hasnt grown over all. Holland for example, far less teens use cannabis there than here. Spain and Portugal are the same.
Harmful use has FAR more to do with the shameful education policies that the governments in the Uk have been putting out for years than anything else.
Do you think its as dangerous as amphetamine and barbituates? Because at the moment it is legally the same.
The current drug laws are quite plainly failing.
Bongbudda you said about portugal, whenever i went to portugal last year i was very suprised with the amount of cannabis going about, i only saw 1 person with it and its legal there...people like to smoke indoors, most smokers wouldn't go around outside having a smoke, only teens i think.
Cannabis is potentially dangerous, of course it is, but not at Class B level, because put in that bracket it could do one of two things. Make youngesters think its as dangerous as the other drugs in that bracket, or tragically encourage the kids to think that the other drugs hold the same level as danger as cannabis. As i think might have already been said, i only skim read..
Even though if i had a child i would be more accepting in him smoking cannabis rather than alcohol or cigarettes i dont think it should be made legal.
On the other hand, there is always the 'freedom of choice' aspect and maybe people should be allowed to decide how they wish to treat their bodies. but, whether its legal or not, people are going to be smoking it. I dont care if its Class A id still smoke it. What ever classification it is, it doesnt matter to me. And a lot of people see it that way.
Nah, just because people are breaking a law is no reason to get rid of a law. If people ignore a law then by saying 'well youre not listening to us so we might as well forget all about it' is sending out a terrible message. You cant just make something legal because youre in a losing battle. Its like saying 'violence is practically legal anyway. People fight each other on the street, on the bus, in the pub etc so why not go the whole hog and legalise?' it may not be exactly the same.. but its a similar concept in my opinion
The problem with that though is that laws would get even more complicated for and possible user or the poilce to understand.
We should be moving towards a situation where all personal drug use is decriminalised and certain drugs are legal and available from licenced sources through strict checks.
It is plainly obvious that the current situation is failing. The law is NO deterant so we get all the negative points of the drugs being illegal but with no benefit.
We have a drug market worth £8bn ALL in the hands of criminals, this leads to the usual round of shootings, violence etc. It also means there are no qaulity controls, which means more people OD'ing, more damage to users etc.
It also means that people who have problems are reluctant to come forward for fear of punishment.
We have to ask what benefit are we gaining from the current system? Drugs are cheaper and more widely available than ever before and they are being misused by more people than ever before.
By making cannabis Class C the police are suggesting that having some for personal use is only a minor offence. So why not just let people buy their cannabis from a licenced shop? The difference in practice is next to none.
I understand your concerns lil-minx about young and harmful users, but the law isnt doing anything for them. It is an education issue! Thats the only way to make a serious impact on the use patterns of people.
The example of Holland works here, for years they have made serious efforts with drugs education, seperating softer and hard drugs. They now have the oldest heroin user population in the EU and its remained relativley stable for years.
I disagree completly.. drug users rarely know as much about a drug as they think they do. They know about certain sides to it, what they can see, feel, experience but they dont know how it affects their body! Everybody thinks they know everything but they dont, users refuse to admit that the researchers, scientists etc that give the government information may actually know something. Id trust a scientist or a doctor over a drug user everyday. Even if they are a little over precausious(sp) and maybe are hyping up the dangers. Who knows what theyre doing? but id rather that than a user saying 'ahhh its fine go get fucked'
Oh of course BongBudda it is down to education and ive said that all along. I was saying before how its pretty common knowledge a large proportion of the government want cannabis decriminalised, but they simply cant do that. Its too diffictult for theyre lazy brains so the next best thing is class C.
Im in two minds about whether i think it should be decriminalised or legalised. Part of me thinks we should be free to decide, everybody should be responsible for their own actions and we cant nanny them into doing one thing or another. Cigarettes and alcohol are in my opinion a more dangerous thing so if they can be legal why not cannabis. However, my conflicting view is that it is dangerous, so are fags and booze and im not entirely sure its best for the nation that they were legal in the first place (or course u cant make them illegal now) and that some people already seem to think illegal drugs are terrible and legal ones are fine if cannabis is made legal then whats stopping those same people thinking cannabis is fine too?
There is no way any drug can be decriminalised what so ever without a brilliant education problem.
The central issue is whether it would less harmful if legal than illegal. And the answer to that in my mind is clearly yes. Controls, education at the point of sale and other measures could be put into place to reduce the harm which cant be done now.
i disagree, cannabis is just that cannabis - if you buy a bag of weed its not going to have god knows what chemicals poured into it - at most it would have been sprayed with water and tequila to add weight. If it was sold legally then there would be no difference that i can see. Hash, that might be a different matter. The education is crap now and may be even worse after legalisation for all we know. At shcool they tend to skip the legal drugs alcholol-fags and say "dont do it underage and it will damage your lungs/liver" thats all.. cannabis and other drugs are discussed much more. If cannabis was legal it is possible it may get discussed as little as booze in school.
And I would dissaggree with you over weed, its not as simple as that, comercial skunk is grown using only chemical fertilisers, the ratio of this is vitally important. A lot of skunk has been over fertilised during the flowering period, and to be frank no-one knows what the fuck kind of nasty damage that could be doing.
Also do you know your weed is grown without the use of pestisides? I think you dont. It is this that could be cleared up if it was moved into legal channels.
I aggree with you that the education system is indeed poor, thats why you cant look at this issue from one angle alone, any changes need to be combined with changes to the way the education is delivered.
Ever noticed when you smoke skunk that you get a slight headache, a slightly foggy buzzing headache that really doesnt feel like being stoned? I do and I know quite a few others who do too, but only when they are smoking comercially grown imported skunk.
But they are regulated, controled, given set levels etc. AND you eat them, your stomach is much better at handling those sorts of things, you smoke puff, therefore anything is going straight into your blood streem.
We can all learn together, now lets join hands and welcome the sun into our hearts.
ok i have personal experience in some areas, you in different areas but you know all the sciency/political stuff that i could never get my head around.. sorted.
you hippy.
You are all luvved up at the mo Bong, nice to see you sharing it around!
Oh, and what Minxy said. Hippy.
That and the nasty depression I got over the Hutton report last night is begining to lift.
Where you going raving?
I still cant get over how one sided it was, I couldnt listen to the news last night, it was too grim I couldnt handle it.
I'm of to Moooooondance! At the Camden Palace, I was supposed to be going with Minxy but she's pulled out.
it's quite frightening but the reality is that very few food additives have been tested in anyway whatsoever!
Haha if anything it makes u more mellow than dangerous