Marijuana - legalise it?

[Counter_Press]

Went to New York last year where they've essentially legalised it. Bloody stunk everywhere. Was minging

 

[equaliser]

I accept that alcohol creates the same issues

Alcohol does not create the same issues! Alcohol creates 90% of the violent acts committed in our society (ask any cop or anyone who works in A
& E). It creates domestic abuse, broken families, chronic illness and death in millions, violently stupid men who routinely inflict pain and suffering wherever they go, and both mental and physical addiction (weed does not - at least not in the same way). There's no comparison. You have been conditioned by media messaging to believe how you act and who you are when you drink is normal and civilised (when it almost certainly often isn't) and to think of dope smokers as somehow deviant and dangerous, when they are invariably mild, kind and honest people who cause no social problems at all.

There's absolutely no case for keeping cannabis as an illegal drug, and no real case for criminalising any adult drug user. What we do with our own bodies and brains is our own affair, ultimately. It costs far more to keep a heroin user who has resorted to theft in jail than it costs to just supply them with heroin, whereupon they will be no trouble to anyone. Rehab treatment costs a lot - hence why most don't get it - and is only about 20-50% effective because even once you've cold turkeyed you still have the same friends, the same temptations.

 

[Johngannonsunderpants]

Alcohol does not create the same issues! Alcohol creates 90% of the violent acts committed in our society (ask any cop or anyone who works in A
& E). It creates domestic abuse, broken families, chronic illness and death in millions, violently stupid men who routinely inflict pain and suffering wherever they go, and both mental and physical addiction (weed does not - at least not in the same way). There's no comparison. You have been conditioned by media messaging to believe how you act and who you are when you drink is normal and civilised (when it almost certainly often isn't) and to think of dope smokers as somehow deviant and dangerous, when they are invariably mild, kind and honest people who cause no social problems at all.

There's absolutely no case for keeping cannabis as an illegal drug, and no real case for criminalising any adult drug user. What we do with our own bodies and brains is our own affair, ultimately. It costs far more to keep a heroin user who has resorted to theft in jail than it costs to just supply them with heroin, whereupon they will be no trouble to anyone. Rehab treatment costs a lot - hence why most don't get it - and is only about 20-50% effective because even once you've cold turkeyed you still have the same friends, the same temptations.

Totally agree, you know your stuff.

 

[Angus]

Alcohol does not create the same issues! Alcohol creates 90% of the violent acts committed in our society (ask any cop or anyone who works in A
& E). It creates domestic abuse, broken families, chronic illness and death in millions, violently stupid men who routinely inflict pain and suffering wherever they go, and both mental and physical addiction (weed does not - at least not in the same way). There's no comparison. You have been conditioned by media messaging to believe how you act and who you are when you drink is normal and civilised (when it almost certainly often isn't) and to think of dope smokers as somehow deviant and dangerous, when they are invariably mild, kind and honest people who cause no social problems at all.

There's absolutely no case for keeping cannabis as an illegal drug, and no real case for criminalising any adult drug user. What we do with our own bodies and brains is our own affair, ultimately. It costs far more to keep a heroin user who has resorted to theft in jail than it costs to just supply them with heroin, whereupon they will be no trouble to anyone. Rehab treatment costs a lot - hence why most don't get it - and is only about 20-50% effective because even once you've cold turkeyed you still have the same friends, the same temptations.

I was talking about drug and drink driving and it does create the same issues of people driving whilst under the influence.

Having people driving round whilst on drugs results in more accidents including death and injury it’s a very bad idea.

 

[Beazo83]

Alcohol does not create the same issues! Alcohol creates 90% of the violent acts committed in our society (ask any cop or anyone who works in A
& E). It creates domestic abuse, broken families, chronic illness and death in millions, violently stupid men who routinely inflict pain and suffering wherever they go, and both mental and physical addiction (weed does not - at least not in the same way). There's no comparison. You have been conditioned by media messaging to believe how you act and who you are when you drink is normal and civilised (when it almost certainly often isn't) and to think of dope smokers as somehow deviant and dangerous, when they are invariably mild, kind and honest people who cause no social problems at all.

There's absolutely no case for keeping cannabis as an illegal drug, and no real case for criminalising any adult drug user. What we do with our own bodies and brains is our own affair, ultimately. It costs far more to keep a heroin user who has resorted to theft in jail than it costs to just supply them with heroin, whereupon they will be no trouble to anyone. Rehab treatment costs a lot - hence why most don't get it - and is only about 20-50% effective because even once you've cold turkeyed you still have the same friends, the same temptations.

Does cannabis affect driving? I have absolutely no issue with people smoking it and it being legalised, but does it effect your ability to drive? Genuinely question as I’ve never smoked it.

 

[The Ruthsayer]

No chance it’s a gateway drug for harder drugs further down the line.

Won’t happen for some but most people with drug issue started on weed.

No, they start in alcohol. Having to ‘score’ weed exposes people to much harder drugs.

 

[The Ruthsayer]

I was talking about drug and drink driving and it does create the same issues of people driving whilst under the influence.

Having people driving round whilst on drugs results in more accidents including death and injury it’s a very bad idea.

You think legalising it will change the amount people use drugs and drive? I don’t.

 

[The Ruthsayer]

A large part of that is because people buy illegally from a drug dealer who does a bit of upselling. Like when you go to McDonald's for a Big Mac and you end up with a large meal and 20 nuggets.

Yup, said this below. Sorry for repeating. I k ow this from personal experience.

 

[Laughing]

Alcohol does not create the same issues! Alcohol creates 90% of the violent acts committed in our society (ask any cop or anyone who works in A
& E). It creates domestic abuse, broken families, chronic illness and death in millions, violently stupid men who routinely inflict pain and suffering wherever they go, and both mental and physical addiction (weed does not - at least not in the same way). There's no comparison. You have been conditioned by media messaging to believe how you act and who you are when you drink is normal and civilised (when it almost certainly often isn't) and to think of dope smokers as somehow deviant and dangerous, when they are invariably mild, kind and honest people who cause no social problems at all.

There's absolutely no case for keeping cannabis as an illegal drug, and no real case for criminalising any adult drug user. What we do with our own bodies and brains is our own affair, ultimately. It costs far more to keep a heroin user who has resorted to theft in jail than it costs to just supply them with heroin, whereupon they will be no trouble to anyone. Rehab treatment costs a lot - hence why most don't get it - and is only about 20-50% effective because even once you've cold turkeyed you still have the same friends, the same temptations.

Good post but it's essentially wasted on middle aged men who have made their mind up, regardless of facts.

 

[alcoholiday]

... I accept that alcohol creates the same issues but it would be impossible to ban it now having been legal forever.

Cannabis had also been legal forever until 1928

 

[atypical_boro]

Good post but it's essentially wasted on middle aged men who have made their mind up, regardless of facts.

It is a good post and my mind isn’t made up.

But, is the problem not that we’re just stuck with alcohol? Impossible to ban it now, even if it’s worse than some stuff that’s more illegal.

It would be a bold government that chose to supply heroin addicts with heroin to keep them out of jail, even if there’s logic to it.

 

[bumface]

I don't get this 'gateway drug' nonsense. I've been quite open about my youthful drug use on here and I did and still do know how to get hold of any drug in existence, very easily. It would only take a phone call. Just because it's on offer that doesn't mean that you're going to take it.

 

[Smogonsea]

I have never touched the stuff but don’t see why we can’t just legalise it and tax it like we do tobacco and alcohol.

 

[18MFC76]

Mike Skinner sums it up well with this song...

The Irony of it all

 

[Fat_Dragon]

Does cannabis affect driving? I have absolutely no issue with people smoking it and it being legalised, but does it effect your ability to drive? Genuinely question as I’ve never smoked it.

Yes, it can affect your driving ability in the following ways:

drowsiness
sedation
impaired judgement
slower reaction time
lack of concentration
confusion
blurred vision

The legal limit is 2 micrograms per litre of blood.

 

[MolteniArcore]

Nope.

Why?

 

[snowman1962a]

No chance it’s a gateway drug for harder drugs further down the line.

Won’t happen for some but most people with drug issue started on weed.

What a load of b***ks! That is like saying that drinking beer is a gateway drink to alcoholism. People that have drug problems is not because they started smoking weed just like people are not alcoholics because they started drinking beer. There are many other reasons why this happens and is usually to do with a certain personality, social issues and is only a small minority. Most drug issues today are to do with painkillers like fentanyl and the likes. There is no hard evidence in Canada after they legalized marijuana that there is an increase in use of harder drugs.

 

[BobUpnDown]

yes - not that I'd use it, as for it being a 'gateway' drug: tobacco, alcohol.. are a gateway

 

[guisborough_rob]

Why?

Purely personal tragic experience. I knew two young people (both under 20) who frequently used marijuana. It was proven to have have affected their cognitive abilities, in one case a lack of judgement in riding a bike which resulted in an accident where the user was killed by going under a bus, the second where the user was in a car and drove through a give way sign and into a wall. He wasn’t wearing a seat belt and went though the windscreen.

I’ve also seen first hand the memory loss it can cause.

I do support the use of marijuana for proven medical reasons.

 

[JackG]

That's part of the problem for me. Anything that's legal - drinking, sex, texting, watching telly, knitting - eventually people decide it's reasonable to do it whilst at the wheel of a car. I think we have enough legal things.

Ban driving.