I just don't know where I stand on this one. I don't think that cannabis is as harmless as a lot of people make out. It's like most drugs - depends on how much you take at a time, and how often you take it. I was an occasional user in my 20s, and an even more occasional user after that until I pretty much lost interest quite a long time ago. But I did have 2 cannabis-induced psychotic episodes, both of which lasted about 5 days each and they weren't at all funny. From what I understand, this isn't particularly rare, especially with the mega-strength stuff that seems to abound these days. Mental hospitals (in my case, it didn't get that far, but had the episodes been just a bit longer, it might have) are apparently no strangers to patients who have cannabis to blame for their admission. So as I said, I just don't know. I'd be inclined to make it legal, then the strength might be easier to control, but it could be just opening a whole can of worms. There will always be people who abused anything, from multiple packets of fags a day, to entire bottles of vodka. Would there be more of those people if you could just walk into your local newsagent and buy some spliffs? I don't know what the evidence has to say about this. I do know that people who smoke it from the time they get up in the morning are deeply dull and never get anything done.
I tend to agree that it is probably not without risk. The question is whether we should allow people to make their own choices. The cost to society and individuals of alcohol is huge, yet we accept the cost. Smoking canabis rarely produces violent behaviour, if you separate it from the criminal element, which legalisation would do.
I've never had any interest in it, but having said that if there was a way of keeping my pain under control without crunching fistfuls of ibuprofen on a regular basis it would make an interesting proposition, if only for the weekend.
the market is very large maybe its just the company (from all walks of life) i keep but don't think so. never known anybody to go out a cause trouble. part of the legalization problem would be what is an acceptable amount in your system. makes me a bit of a hypocrite but over the years of running workshops the first thing i will say to any new start or apprentice, coming to work wasted is a massive no no. also would it keep the kids away from associating with drug dealers who will also be pedaling the hard stuff?
For medicinal purpose yes !!! I know a few MS sufferers who go out to Amsterdam to get a break from the miserable pain they suffer. Skunk is not a good idea as mental strong But a bit for pain relief I think is fine .. I reckon we should be more concerned with the crazy legal or now illegal highs as they have all manor of crap in them
There should be a mature, informed review of drug use in this country by the law makers. At the moment the goverment probably see it as a vote loser to consider legalising some drug use due to the inevitable media hysteria. Obviously some drugs should never be legalised and there sale and use should carry more severe penalties than it does now, but I'm sure there are some that could be reviewed. Anything that puts scum bag drug dealers out of buisness has to be good news. I have no interest in them myself btw.
Legalising it won't remove the illegal trade it will just change it. It's not as if there's no illegal trade in tobacco or alcohol, criminals don't sell drugs because that's what they want to do out of some vocational impulse they do it because there's easy money to be made and if there's a legal taxed trade then there's still money to be made from selling illegal untaxed unregulated or counterfeit products. All you will get is a legal trade, with similar social problems to alcohol and tobacco, and an illegal trade with the same problems we have now.
Quite likely Shadow. But then we ordinary decent folk who enjoy a toke responsibly or those MS sufferers who need it for their pain, won't have to deal with criminals to purchase a small amount. i.e. the vast majority of people who enjoy alcohol, buy their beer etc from the offi or the supermarket or the pub. A minority use the illegal trade. There will always be a minority. The point would be to remove the majority into a regulated market.
I'd prefer to see a tolerated illegality in specific areas with a hardening of zero tolerance in other areas, maybe something like the Dutch coffee shop model with a crack down on dealing on "the street" and tolerance of personal use / growth. I don't subscribe to the school of thought that says legalise it and get the criminals out, they'll either sell the same stuff illegally or move on to selling something else be it Crystal Meth, smuggled alcohol, dodgy DVDs or fake Ducati parts. There's an element in society that will try to make easy money by whatever illegal means they can and moving the line of our overall acceptance of anitsocial and criminal behaviour just means those elements will push the new boundaries still further.
So assuming the government decides to legalise the sale and use of Cannabis in a regulated manner, presumably this would then attract similar levels of taxation as Tobacco and Alcohol in which case your £10 bag of weed from Spider down at the tattoo parlour (err I made him up, honest :winkwill suddenly cost £35 from the new regulated Sip 'n' Spliff coffee shop, whereas Spider will still have the same gear at £10. Take a look at the illegal fuel trade in Northern Ireland and here's a more recent story my point being that there's a perfectly good legal trade for something we all need but huge numbers of people will still choose to trade in illegal, potentially hazardous alternatives despite the fact that they are funding some extremely unpleasant and dangerous people, just to save a few quid. I don't care how many surveys suggest people would use a legal supplier if one was available, these are similar to the surveys that tell us everyone watches historical drama, news and sport and wildlife shows. Explain the careers of Dale Winton and Anne Robinson then. Everyone lies.
sounds like another whats the point to much hassle type approach, the vast majority i know would happily use a legal vendor and if it raises a few bob for targeted expenditure whats the problem.
No, it's a case of beware the unintended consequences. It won't remove the illegal trade, most people won't only buy from the legal trade and in a time when the government focus is on reducing smoking and improving the nations health they should not be encouraging other harmful activities.
