Legalise cannabis?

[Carl the Llama]

I work with murderers and rapists. I can't say for sure that cannabis has had a 100% baring on their mental state and has caused them to commit their index offences, but, it's had a massive effect for the negative. I DO NOT CARE what anyone says, I know you become paranoid smoking that shite.

It also cannot cause schizophrenia, however, if you are susceptible then there's a very good chance you'll be "found out".

My brother is fvcked up and I 100% blame cannabis. When he kills someone (or himself) I'll be on here to update you all. Again, as pointed out earlier, you can't say cannabis 100% leads to harder drugs every time, but in this case, it has. He's now on methadone. I don't understand how you get to that exact point in your life where you've got a needle in your hand ready to stick in in your arm.

There will always be those who go through their lives and be ok. I get that. They are the lucky few.

Anyone who smokes it because they think they are cleaver and big, I hope you end up like my brother.

If he's onto harder things I don't see how cannabis is to blame.  People who like to try lots of drugs will most of the time try cannabis at some point.  Just because it was the first drug for some, it doesn't mean that it's the reason they're trying other things.  Sounds to me like he's got a lot of issues and little control.  Is he getting any help?

[Mickey O'Neil]

If he's onto harder things I don't see how cannabis is to blame.  People who like to try lots of drugs will most of the time try cannabis at some point.  Just because it was the first drug for some, it doesn't mean that it's the reason they're trying other things.  Sounds to me like he's got a lot of issues and little control.  Is he getting any help?

That's a fair reply.

It was his first drug. He's told me himself that he wished he'd never smoked it and it DID lead to harder drugs. That's from the horses mouth. I don't expect him to live long. He's 39 btw. I'm a psychiatric nurse. I don't mean to sound callous about my own brother but if he won't help himself, no help from the best willed person will do any good. That's fact. My best mate is a Sikh. He thought he could help my brother and took it quite personally when he failed. (I only mention he's a Sikh because I believe these are some of the most strong-willed, positive and kindest people about. If my mate can't do anything, nobody except my brother can.).

He still smokes skunk by the way. Oh, the stuff that we all grow now is ridiculously stronger than the shite the pot smoking hippies smoked back in the day. Watching my brother and a load of his cronies in a house in Netherhall getting high was painful. The sight of some of them was unbelievable. The heavy smokers were all paranoid as Hell, it was funny in a weird way.

I've actually thought a few times how I would murder my next door neighbour for getting my brother on hard drugs. I've been to enough prisons to see schizophrenics who need to be in hospital rather than prison, I reckon I could do some time. I wouldn't like a life sentence but I could cope with 5 years.

[ADK]

At the end of the day, beyond the obvious health concerns which are in no way unique to cannabis, I'm yet to see a compelling argument for why any particular individual should not be allowed to smoke it in their own home if they so wish.

 

Surely it's the obvious and compelling argument that is the most important. Cannabis is bad for your health and it offers no benefits to society.

[Buce]

Surely it's the obvious and compelling argument that is the most important. Cannabis is bad for your health and it offers no benefits to society.

Is that not the case with alcohol and tobacco? I'd wager you had a good few drinks last night.

[Strokes]

Is that really the best argument you have?

Bigoted and intellectually challenged.... Dangerous indeed.

Thats another bigot, one more in the list;)

[Carl the Llama]

That's a fair reply.

It was his first drug. He's told me himself that he wished he'd never smoked it and it DID lead to harder drugs. That's from the horses mouth. I don't expect him to live long. He's 39 btw. I'm a psychiatric nurse. I don't mean to sound callous about my own brother but if he won't help himself, no help from the best willed person will do any good. That's fact. My best mate is a Sikh. He thought he could help my brother and took it quite personally when he failed. (I only mention he's a Sikh because I believe these are some of the most strong-willed, positive and kindest people about. If my mate can't do anything, nobody except my brother can.).

He still smokes skunk by the way. Oh, the stuff that we all grow now is ridiculously stronger than the shite the pot smoking hippies smoked back in the day. Watching my brother and a load of his cronies in a house in Netherhall getting high was painful. The sight of some of them was unbelievable. The heavy smokers were all paranoid as Hell, it was funny in a weird way.

I've actually thought a few times how I would murder my next door neighbour for getting my brother on hard drugs. I've been to enough prisons to see schizophrenics who need to be in hospital rather than prison, I reckon I could do some time. I wouldn't like a life sentence but I could cope with 5 years.

After writing that on here there's no chance you'd get as little as 5 years!

 

Self control is very important with any narcotic substance, it's as you say: We have to be willing to help ourselves.  There will always be the unfortunate few who get sucked in too far, but surely this is another reason why legalisation should be pursued? These people will exist whether it's legal or not, so we may as well make it easier to help them.

 

 

Surely it's the obvious and compelling argument that is the most important. Cannabis is bad for your health and it offers no benefits to society.

Your first argument isn't that compelling when you think about it: Do you drink? Eat a lot of chocolate or snack foods? Drink fizzy drinks? Spend a lot of time on your arse watching the telly or using a computer? All of these things have obvious side-effects on your health, yet plenty of people still do them on a daily basis because they judge the enjoyment to outweigh the negatives.

As for no benefits to society: Are you sure? It has been associated with many medical uses and helps people relax so well that it's in wide use despite its status, may as well benefit economically as a society as well.

[Steven]

I work with murderers and rapists. I can't say for sure that cannabis has had a 100% baring on their mental state and has caused them to commit their index offences, but, it's had a massive effect for the negative. I DO NOT CARE what anyone says, I know you become paranoid smoking that shite.

It also cannot cause schizophrenia, however, if you are susceptible then there's a very good chance you'll be "found out".

My brother is fvcked up and I 100% blame cannabis. When he kills someone (or himself) I'll be on here to update you all. Again, as pointed out earlier, you can't say cannabis 100% leads to harder drugs every time, but in this case, it has. He's now on methadone. I don't understand how you get to that exact point in your life where you've got a needle in your hand ready to stick in in your arm.

There will always be those who go through their lives and be ok. I get that. They are the lucky few.

Anyone who smokes it because they think they are cleaver and big, I hope you end up like my brother.

 

Surely all of the above is precisely why it should be made legal. "Prohibition is not control, and should not be equated as such."

[The God Emperor]

Surely all of the above is precisely why it should be made legal. "Prohibition is not control, and should not be equated as such."

spot on. prohibition just makes an already dangerous product even more dangerous. on the black market producers and sellers cant be held accountable for the quality of their product

[AndWhat?]

This stepping stone drug line doesn't wash with me.

Out of the few drugs that I have tried weed was the last one!

[ADK]

It's all the same old tired arguments.

 

I wouldn't mind a referendum on the issue mind, but I'd be voting no.

[Samilktray]

The older I get the less bothered I am about whether it's illegal or not. I'm still going to smoke it, it'd just be more convenient if it was legal.

[MrSpaM]

YOU,, obviously, if you crave an illegal substance. 

 

Take it you've never been to the pub in your life then? never thought to yourself "I'll have a pint now, that'd go down well" or "Could really do with a cigarette right now"? not ever in your life you've ever thought that?

 

Basing your entire argument on whether it's been deemed 'illegal' or not is absolutely foolish. The fact is that cigarettes and alcohol kill more people a day than weed has over the past 100 years should show you that. If cannabis should be kept as an illegal class B substance, then alcohol and cigarettes should both be made a class A substance, but you wouldn't like that would you, course you wouldn't, why should anybody be denied the right to go down the pub for a few if they feel like it?

 

I honestly cant believe how narrow minded some people can be about this subject, the fact that people have an issue with somebody smoking a spliff, but have no issue whatsoever with people smoking and drinking in public is beyond ridiculous.

[AndWhat?]

Take it you've never been to the pub in your life then? never thought to yourself "I'll have a pint now, that'd go down well" or "Could really do with a cigarette right now"? not ever in your life you've ever thought that?

Basing your entire argument on whether it's been deemed 'illegal' or not is absolutely foolish. The fact is that cigarettes and alcohol kill more people a day than weed has over the past 100 years should show you that. If cannabis should be kept as an illegal class B substance, then alcohol and cigarettes should both be made a class A substance, but you wouldn't like that would you, course you wouldn't, why should anybody be denied the right to go down the pub for a few if they feel like it?

I honestly cant believe how narrow minded some people can be about this subject, the fact that people have an issue with somebody smoking a spliff, but have no issue whatsoever with people smoking and drinking in public is beyond ridiculous.

Here here, being against legalising weed is like being against gay marriage.

If they legalise it, no one will force you to smoke just like no one would force you to marry a man!

It's so weird that people can be so against it.

[ADK]

We need to work on cutting down alcohol and tobacco consumption not bringing other harmful substances up to their level of use.

[AndWhat?]

We need to work on cutting down alcohol and tobacco consumption not bringing other harmful substances up to their level of use.

Harmful?

[Guest MattP]

Smelly bastards.

[James.]

I work with murderers and rapists. I can't say for sure that cannabis has had a 100% baring on their mental state and has caused them to commit their index offences, but, it's had a massive effect for the negative. I DO NOT CARE what anyone says, I know you become paranoid smoking that shite.

It also cannot cause schizophrenia, however, if you are susceptible then there's a very good chance you'll be "found out".

My brother is fvcked up and I 100% blame cannabis. When he kills someone (or himself) I'll be on here to update you all. Again, as pointed out earlier, you can't say cannabis 100% leads to harder drugs every time, but in this case, it has. He's now on methadone. I don't understand how you get to that exact point in your life where you've got a needle in your hand ready to stick in in your arm.

There will always be those who go through their lives and be ok. I get that. They are the lucky few.

Anyone who smokes it because they think they are cleaver and big, I hope you end up like my brother.

 

Perversley this post is one of the most compelling arguments for legalising / decriminalising in this whole thread.

 

You need to flip the whole debate on its head and look at it in the same way that some of the leading drugs charities and more forward thinking experts in the area think about it.

 

Although it feels like the argument for legalising / decriminalising is gaining some traction there's still a long way to go to as it remains a political nightmare.

[purpleronnie]

Smelly bastards.

[MrSpaM]

Perversley this post is one of the most compelling arguments for legalising / decriminalising in this whole thread.

 

You need to flip the whole debate on its head and look at it in the same way that some of the leading drugs charities and more forward thinking experts in the area think about it.

 

Although it feels like the argument for legalising / decriminalising is gaining some traction there's still a long way to go to as it remains a political nightmare.

 

Compelling yes, but also flawed on so many levels. The link between Cannabis and Schizophrenia has been proven to be true and I have also seen it first hand. But there is no evidence to support that it causes Schizophrenia, it just accelerates the process, meaning the people who get sick from it, probably would have ended up that way anyway.

 

It also completely ignores the fact that it has been used for it's medicinal purposes for years to help people, and has also proven to relieve many medical conditions without causing long term mental issues.

 

A agree that people who do it to be 'big and clever' are morons, but the same can be said about alcohol and tobacco, but the government won't put restrictions on either of them due to the revenue it brings in every year. The fact of the matter is we are still selling much harmful products in our local corner shops, the yearly death toll from drink driving and cigarette related conditions makes this blatantly obvious.

 

To say cannabis is 100% responsible for somebody losing their mind is pretty short sighted, I'm sure they wouldn't have a problem with the same guy going to his local offy and buying a liter bottle of vodka and 20 mayfair, infact they'd probably encourage them to do that rather than take drugs, which is pretty ridiculous when you actually think about it.

 

People should be able to make up their own mind about it, rather than being told what they can and can't do. The problem is if they took this approach they'd have to do the same with all substances, which is never going to happen.

[Webbo]

Perversley this post is one of the most compelling arguments for legalising / decriminalising in this whole thread.

 

You need to flip the whole debate on its head and look at it in the same way that some of the leading drugs charities and more forward thinking experts in the area think about it.

 

Although it feels like the argument for legalising / decriminalising is gaining some traction there's still a long way to go to as it remains a political nightmare.

Why? Are you saying that if it was legal it wouldn't have affected his mental health or that he'd be less likely to have tried it?

[Steven]

Why? Are you saying that if it was legal it wouldn't have affected his mental health or that he'd be less likely to have tried it?

If it was legal there would be opportunities to moderate consumption that criminalisation does not allow.

[Webbo]

If it was legal there would be opportunities to moderate consumption that criminalisation does not allow.

People are capable of moderating their own consumption if they want to now why would legalising it make that more likely.

[Guest MattP]

If it was legal there would be opportunities to moderate consumption that criminalisation does not allow.

And when you try to moderate someones consumption who doesn't want it moderated what do you think will happen?

[Vacamion]

People are capable of moderating their own consumption if they want to now why would legalising it make that more likely.

You never know what you are getting if you obtain cannabis from a criminal, a stranger on the street or even from a "friend of a friend".

Of course THC content varies by type of material (oil, hash or weed), but you can't tell from looking (or smelling) what the THC content is. If it was licensed for sale as "X%" (like alcohol is) people would be able to moderate their intake far more than is currently the case.

Without wishing to bang on about alcohol, the example to consider is that illegally produced alcohol (moonshine, illicit voddy etc) is ths stuff that sends people blind(as opposed to, say "Russian Standard") because people just don't know what's in stuff that isn't controlled.

[Fox92]

Take it you've never been to the pub in your life then? never thought to yourself "I'll have a pint now, that'd go down well" or "Could really do with a cigarette right now"? not ever in your life you've ever thought that?

 

Basing your entire argument on whether it's been deemed 'illegal' or not is absolutely foolish. The fact is that cigarettes and alcohol kill more people a day than weed has over the past 100 years should show you that. If cannabis should be kept as an illegal class B substance, then alcohol and cigarettes should both be made a class A substance, but you wouldn't like that would you, course you wouldn't, why should anybody be denied the right to go down the pub for a few if they feel like it?

 

I honestly cant believe how narrow minded some people can be about this subject, the fact that people have an issue with somebody smoking a spliff, but have no issue whatsoever with people smoking and drinking in public is beyond ridiculous.

 

Directly. Alcohol and Cigarettes (I don't smoke, I hate it) kill more people directly, but weed is still a substance. I'm no medical genius but as a substance I'm guessing it still effects your cardiovascular system, I'm sure you have to be pretty narrow minded if you don't think it does. It's already proved that it increases your heartrate.

 

I hate the Alcohol argument. It's boring. I drink Alcohol, but will never get into a situation where it gets me in hospital. If a Doctor said to me never drink again, I wouldn't. Smoking in public is very different from drinking in public. I passive smoke a hell of a lot because of other people smoking near me, but I don't think I've ever taken part in 'passive drinking'.