Decriminalize Cannabis.

[bobby47]

I ain't no 'toker'. Wouldn't know where to buy it, how much to pay for it or what form of Cannabis to use but, since I've become older, wiser and more tolerant to change and different lifestyles, I've come to the conclusion that making Cannabis a controlled drug, in this day and age is a pointless exercise and all we are doing is criminalizing a group of good people who simply like to have a puff of Marry Joanne and howl with laughter at the moon.

Times have changed and legislation should be for the people, by the people and for the benefit of the people and I no longer see any sense in a young man or woman getting a criminal record for using a natural herb and being hamstrung for the rest of their lives because of a criminal conviction or a Caution for what is essentially a peaceful activity.

In these times of stretched and strained resources, little public funding and a vast amount of Cannabis readily available to millions of young people, what's the point spending huge sums of money to recover a few ounces of Cannabis each week and be fully cognizant that three or four kilos of Cannabis have got through the net and are out there in Hereford undetected by the Police and other investigative agencies.

The whole Cannabis thing is a nonsense and its time for our society to accept that Cannabis is as much a part of our society as tobacco and alcohol but much, much less dangerous and problematic.

Course, there are dangers and problem areas. Any fool can see them. But, accepting that since the Misuse of Drugs Act was introduced in 1971, nothing as come close to ridding our culture of Cannabis and indeed many other natural drugs so i say lets grasp the stinging nettle, use some common sense and make Cannabis legal.

[Biomech]

I absolutely agree, I don't smoke either, but the benefits of cannabis - from medicinal to manufacturing (hemp) FAR out weight the negatives. Cannabis is not addictive (the mixed tobacco is the addictive element) and it does not "lead" to harder drugs. Use of harder drugs is a consequence of social culture and personal temperament. 

 

Compare weed to alcohol. You don't overdose on weed, weed has shown anti-cancer properties, no rape, no hangover, no public order offences, no violence, hemp can be used to make things from paper to clothes. Weed causes no impact to the NHS, alcohol... well, you know.

 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) report that 3.3 MILLION people die PER YEAR due to alcohol

 

There have been 0* deaths due to smoking cannabis..... EVER.

 

But of course, the alcohol industry is worth £38.1 BILLION per year just in the UK. IF weed were legalised, the only benefactors would be the energy companies - whose demand would rocket.

 

 

* After the Colorado decriminalisation of cannabis, a study concluded that 2 people died as the result of using cannabis. One with a pre-existing heart condition and the second with a history of hard drug abuse.

[Biomech]

And, while I'm not a fan of drugs, use of cannabis has been associated with creativity and wildly used among artists in many indujstries, without them we wouldn't have half of the creative culture that we do, from music to the works of Lewis Carol. 

[dippyhippy]

It is neither here no there, whether cannabis is for me or not, I shall neither confirm nor deny!

 

However, a few of my lovely neighbours are rather fond of a spliff - and on these hot summer night, with the aroma wafting up through my bedroom window, I have to say, I have never slept so well!

[Slim]

Whilst I agree that some drugs should be made legal, if they were, how long do you think it would take the "Where's there blame there's a claim" parasites to find some idiot who would insist that smoking legalised cannabis got him/her hooked onto heroin/crack etc. It's never going to happen except maybe prescribed by doctors for certain ailments, but don't hold your breath.

[chrisbull]

I think bobby47 has summed it up perfectly

[Ubique]

The use, sale and possession of cannabis (marijuana) in the United States is still illegal under federal law. However, some states have created exemptions for medical cannabis use, as well as decriminalized non-medical cannabis use. In two states, Colorado and Washington, the sale and possession of marijuana is legal for both medical and non-medical use. Multiple efforts to reschedule cannabis under the Act have failed, and the United States Supreme Court has ruled in United States v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative and Gonzales v. Raich that the federal government has a right to regulate and criminalize cannabis. Also, if the cannabis is called "medical cannabis" the federal law still has priority.

 

 

I understand that at least 23 US States allow the use of cannabis for medical use .

 

Do we need a petition ?

[Denise Lloyd]

From my exceedingly limited knowledge of the subject people do it whether it is legal or not and have done so for years and years.   

[stupidfrustration]

Health issues? Lets try the mental health side of things.

 

For SOME people - it can make them schizo - and thats not a good place to be.

 

1 in 4 people suffer from mental illness at some point in their lives, and with smoking cannabis that can only make that problem worse.

 

So - there is a cost to it.

 

Mental health issue' are also compounded as its harder to see, understand, manage - and once again, its not a good place to be for the person or the loved ones involved.

 

Whilst it is obviously the mildest of "drugs" - it can still be problematic.

 

Once again - Im sure I will find myself in the minority - but legalizing it will do what?

Those "middle class'" that are not having a bottle of wine when they get home, smoke a joint instead.

 

Legalizing it wont change them, what it will change is giving a green light to 18 year olds to obtain it legally.

It will also mean that younger teens will think its legal, lets try it now.

 

When you are in your early teens - your brain is still forming - and thats where the damage can be done.

 

So - where we are now - lets all look the other way - is probably good.

 

Its not encouraging people to do it - but the penalties for personal use are not that great that it would put people off.

[Cambo]

Yes I think it's about time it was legalised & regulated. there are so many illegal cannabis farms now in the UK that there is very little need to smuggle any of it in, such is the demand that as soon as one farm is closed down by the police,another couple will spring up else where. it's like shovelling cash into a big black hole while it remains illegal? where as the tax the government could collect if it was legalised could be in the millions??

& besides should we really be classing a whole load of people criminals just because they like to get stoned??!!

[Cambo]

Health issues? Lets try the mental health side of things.

 

For SOME people - it can make them schizo - and thats not a good place to be.

 

1 in 4 people suffer from mental illness at some point in their lives, and with smoking cannabis that can only make that problem worse.

 

So - there is a cost to it.

 

Mental health issue' are also compounded as its harder to see, understand, manage - and once again, its not a good place to be for the person or the loved ones involved.

 

Whilst it is obviously the mildest of "drugs" - it can still be problematic.

 

Once again - Im sure I will find myself in the minority - but legalizing it will do what?

Those "middle class'" that are not having a bottle of wine when they get home, smoke a joint instead.

 

Legalizing it wont change them, what it will change is giving a green light to 18 year olds to obtain it legally.

It will also mean that younger teens will think its legal, lets try it now.

 

When you are in your early teens - your brain is still forming - and thats where the damage can be done.

 

So - where we are now - lets all look the other way - is probably good.

 

Its not encouraging people to do it - but the penalties for personal use are not that great that it would put people off.

 

Yes I agree it does have side effects & young minds exposed to its uses can cause detrimental effect on there brains which is not good!!!…but kids today can obtain it very easily & do instead of smoking a ciggy behind the bike shed its smoking a spiff behind the bike shed nowadays!! but while it remains illegal the people selling it won't care who they sell it to,as there already doing an illegal activity so there going to sell it,regardless of the age of the person there selling it to?!

making it legal will put regulations in place & license it's sale? Hopefully then minors would find it harder to obtain although I also understand its not going to be totally foolproof & kids will find ways & means of getting hold of things they shouldn't be getting hold of!!!!

[Roger]

Dope smoking would be legalised/relaxed if it was a vote winner ... 

 

Elections are May next year and cannabis will not feature very highly in the agenda ... Just my guess! 

 

I don't smoke dope but would generally advise against it if you wanted my personal view ... But I have smoked it ... 

[ragwert]

You have to wonder why it is illegal when tobacco & passive smoking kills over 260,000 a year.

[Slim]

There has never been a Death Certificate issued with smoking recorded as the cause of death.

[Slim]

Why, site monitor, have I had a post voted down for the truth. Because "Ragwert" didn't understand it, or not like the truth. If you don't like what I post, ignore it- tell me you don't, and why- or accept that other people have genuine views.

[dippyhippy]

Morning Slim!

 

I have used my green press to neutralise your red!

 

There is an entire thread devoted to the pros and cons of the red button - in Open Forum, "The voting up/down of comments" or something similar!

 

I have before now, received a red press for posting the comment, "With respect, we aren't Bristol, or Birmingham or Worcester"!! Which is a fact, as opposed to my opinion!!

 

I have no problem with folks disagreeing with me, that's what makes for great discussions - it's when they don't agree, but can't be bothered to comment explaining why!! The best thing to do is ignore it.

 

For the record, I honestly believe if Ragwert disagreed with your post, he would have said so!

[stupidfrustration]

There has never been a Death Certificate issued with smoking recorded as the cause of death.

 

Im going to assume you mean smoking weed as a cause of death? 

 

Im pretty sure though that enough people who work in mental health can give you an idea of what it does to some people. 

[Slim]

Thanks Dippy, just saw red for a moment.  SF, appreciate your comment, but no, I meant tobacco. Death certificates have to record the cause of death not what contributed towards it. For instance:- carcinoma of the throat. A doctor or pathologist will not put anything else on the certificate, that is for the coroner to establish cause.  As an aside:- don't think that tobacco is only used for smoking. Tobacco contains nicotine which is highly addictive. Breakfast cereals and certain other foods contain Vitamin B3 - which is Niacin - Nicotinic Acid or Nicotine. Good against the onset of Alzheimer's apparently.  And also if tobacco plants take nutrients from the soil, they will also take up poisons- Arsenic, lead, cadmium etc. So will other plants- leeks, cabbage, potatoes. Smoking tobacco can cause death, but so can a hell of a lot of other things.   The "puritans" who wanted, and got, their way with the banning of smoking in pubs have led to the death of so many pubs and the loss of 100's of jobs. Stop smoking they said and people will rush in to eat there. Not happened.    Bit of a rant I'm afraid, but good for the soul.

[dippyhippy]

Yes, a good rant should always be viewed as a positive in life!

 

I smoke roll ups, have done for years, and I've tried every method under the sun to give the damned things up. Patches, gum, tablets, sprays,hypnotherapy.....you name it, I've tried it. The latest thing is my electronic puffer.....it's pretty good as well, I've cut down by half! But even with that, I still feel guilty smoking......it's just not socially acceptable anymore.

 

I spend two minutes rolling a smoke, and then ten minutes worrying someone's going to see me smoking it......it's beyond ridiculous, and yet I can't give up completely.......and to be honest, I'm fed up with folks making me feel rotten about it!!

 

The ban on smoking in pubs, has effectively sounded the death knell, for many local establishments , and it's a real shame. There could have been ways around it.............it's a pity a few options weren't tried first.

[stupidfrustration]

Slim - I stand back to your knowledge in this area, although to be honest, it doesnt feel right.

 

My understanding - and please educate me if you need to - is smoking leads to bad things within the body.

 

I say this as a smoker, and im trying to cut down by using an e cig!

 

But - you cant believe that Smoking isnt bad?

 

Smoking B&H or smoking weed - cant be  a good thing?

 

As I say - if you have evidence otherwise - please teach me.

[ragwert]

Why, site monitor, have I had a post voted down for the truth. Because "Ragwert" didn't understand it, or not like the truth. If you don't like what I post, ignore it- tell me you don't, and why- or accept that other people have genuine views.

I never voted you down

[bobby47]

Well I'll never stop smoking. Ever! If my mouth were actually bigger I'd smoke two at the same time. If some entrepreneur invented a helmet that allowed you to smoke in your sleep I'd wear the blasted thing. I love smoking, I love ale and without them I'd be an entirely different person and frankly, given that its great being me, I wouldn't change a single thing. Being 'me' is a bloody joy and I couldn't care less if it chops a few years off my life cycle. As far as I'm concerned being a smoker and a drinker allows me to be original and thankfully sets me apart from all these dull boring barstards who's aim in life appears to be to reach the age of 110, never commit a sin and then donate their shiney pink lungs to some poor soul who wouldn't mind living the life I've managed to have.

What's more, I thank God I've an addicted personality and an excessive nature that allows me to smoke and drink and be happy with the consequences. All these devil dodging do gooders who wish to eradicate all risk in their pursuit of the perfect sinless society can all get stuffed. Stretch out for Heaven if you wish to but don't stop me embracing Purgatory!

Being drunk and puffing on a cigarette is my idea of bliss and I'll continue doing it as long as my diaphragm allows me to breathe in and out. My only regret in life is I'll never recapture the rapture of 2004 when I was laid up in Hospital with a battle injury and they blessed my life with diamorphine. For the best part of six weeks they pumped this blissful chemical experience into my veins and it was truly the best time of my life. I've howled at the moon before but never have I howled at our heavenly satellite in quite the same way as I did back then. What a pleasure. A complete privilege to be out of my mind on a chemical that allowed me a brief glimpse into a life of joyous delirium!

[Slim]

Ragwert, my humble and sincere apologies.  Bobby, I too smoke and have done for the last 44 years. I also drink ale, wine and scotch, probably more than the health box tickers advocate. Smoking should be a personal thing and not for the drones to vilify. My point too all this is nobody, scientists or research have proved that smoking kills you! It may trigger dormant cells, but so may salt or alcohol or sugar - anything that is the latest scaremongering journalistic trash. Live your life as you want to. I do.

[Ubique]

From BBC WALES website

 

The NHS in Wales will be the first in the UK to fund a cannabis-based medicine for people with multiple sclerosis.

 

Sativex is taken as an oral spray and has been approved by the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group (AWMSG).

 

It will be available on prescription to treat muscle spasms for MS patients who have not responded to other medicine.

 

The MS Society said Wales was leading the way in the treatment.

 

Its programme director for policy, Sally Hughes, added: "Muscle spasms and stiffness in MS can be painful and distressing and so the availability of a treatment that can potentially alleviate these symptoms is good news.

 

"We particularly welcome this decision considering the draft NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) clinical guideline, published in April, rejected this treatment for use on the NHS in Wales and England based on a flawed assessment of the drug's cost effectiveness.

[Cambo]

 

http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/hp/cannabis-pdq

[Roger]

French drug trial leaves one brain dead and five critically ill

French health minister travels to clinic in Rennes, where all trials of the drug have been suspended

 

One person is brain dead and five others are seriously ill after taking part in a drug trial for an unnamed pharmaceutical firm at a clinic in north-west France.

 

The French health ministry said the six patients had been in good health until taking the oral medication. It did not say what the new medicine was intended to be used for, but a source close to the case told AFP that the drug was a painkiller containing cannabinoids, an active ingredient found in cannabis plants.

 

Guardian

 

 

 

 

 

[Cambo]

The French health ministry has denied it contained cannabis from this report by the BBC

So I guess until they release a official report of what happened we shall have to wait for what they say.

France clinical trial: One brain-dead, five seriously ill

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35320895

[Bill Thomas]

Personally, I reckon taking this could lead to other problems further down the line. If a Doctor prescribes it for a reason fair enough not totally convinced legalising it is the right way to go. 

[Cambo]

Personally, I reckon taking this could lead to other problems further down the line. If a Doctor prescribes it for a reason fair enough not totally convinced legalising it is the right way to go.

Medical cannabis does not contain thc which gets you high it is reported that it has a number of medical benefits including helping to fighting different cancers!

 

Admittedly smoking skunk can cause problems as smoking is not good no matter what it is…but it's not as bad as alcohol in my opinion.

I think if it's legal it's easier to regulate & control plus tax…when it's illegal it funds a criminal under world!…most people who smoke it are not criminals although by definition are because it's illegal!

 

Another thing while it's illegal it's easier for minors to get hold of because dealers won't worry about selling it to them especially if they are going to go to prison for dealing it anyway?!

[greenknight]

Ah this old chestnut.

 

I've never been able to come off the fence on this one. From a medical standpoint I have seen plenty of people benefit from the use of cannabis however I have also seen the damage it can do to certain individuals whose mental health deteriorated from early use of the stuff resulting in one member of my wife's family ending their life and another with schizophrenia.I came from a family of prolific Old Holborn users.My father died from lung cancer and just got to 60 whilst my mother now 79 has struggled with COPD for many years.

As kids growing up in a three bed council gaff my siblings grew very slowly enjoying thankfully a growth spurt only once we left the nest.I had an answer for this..not very scientific however on a Saturday afternoon we would often sit together watching the wrestling listening to Ken Walton commenting on the exploits of Mick McManus or Jackie Pallow. Anyway the constant exhaust of rollie smoke gathered as a thick layer about five foot off the ground. I've decided that our young brains identified that it was not our best interest to grow into this death cloud preferring to hold off until operating in a more permanent healthy environment.

 

None of us have ever smoked!