Chemical Pleasure...

[Flamin_Squirrel]

On the eve of cannabis being down graded, i tried to think of a good reason for them doing it, and i couldnt.

If it was to be legalised and sold like in shops like it is in Holland, i would understand because they could tax it, cover the increased NHS bills, and make a few bob on top... but they arent.

Opinions?

 

[throdgrain]

Saves the paper work of nicking people ?
Dunno. Bloody typical really, I give up after many many years, and 2 years later they almost legalise it .:/

 

[Mr.Monkey]

Originally posted by throdgrain
Saves the paper work of nicking people ?

I'm anti-smoking full stop. Does horrible things to people, that the cost of fixing is not covered in the tax generated by selling fags. =me paying yet more tax to cover it.

 

[xane]

Focus should not be on what people use for recreational drugs, but rather where they use it.

Personally I could not give a shit about someone chilling out in their own lounge or at some pub or club, but puffing away on a joint at the bus stop when I have my little son with me makes my blood boil.

Society has changed, not only is drug use more acceptable, but unfortunately there seem to be more morons who couldn't give a damn about the bystanders breathing in their habit, this is the aspect of drug use that needs to be curtailed, and it applies to legal substances too, not just sodding around with "categories".

Given that some street crime is fuelled by drugs, I'd welcome any legalization, but not if I have to get off the bus and have to find munchies caused by the excesses of the other passengers.

 

[Wij]

Originally posted by Mr.Monkey
I'm anti-smoking full stop. Does horrible things to people, that the cost of fixing is not covered in the tax generated by selling fags. =me paying yet more tax to cover it.

It is covered. Fag tax generates billions. Plus if you die young from smoking think of all the old-age years you aren't pestering the NHS with other problems.

 

[throdgrain]

Originally posted by xane

Personally I could not give a shit about someone chilling out in their own lounge or at some pub or club, but puffing away on a joint at the bus stop when I have my little son with me makes my blood boil.

Fair point that as usual .

 

[bigfoot]

I cannot reply to this thread personally as I would end up losing a few friends due to my views but just be careful where you go with it please.

 

[Damini]

As I've said before I don't agree with it being downgraded because I've had lots and lots of friends develop schitzophrenia, and I firmly believe that cannabis is a strong contributing factor in every single case. I'm not saying that cannabis in isolation is the cause, nor am I saying that everybody who smokes pot will develop schitzophrenia, but I do believe that it has helped screw up lots of lives of people I know.

If people want to smoke, fine, they will and they do. Downgrading does nothing beyond make it easier and less risky, which I don't believe it should be.

And before I get lectured for being a prissy straight laced person with no ideas of what pot is like, that's really not me. I used to smoke a lot when I was younger, and I gave up because it messed with my head in the end, and I stopped enjoying it. I don't lecture people that smoke it, but I don't agree with the government taking any steps that could be seen as legitimising smoking dope.

 

[Flamin_Squirrel]

Yus

The thing that sparked me to start this thread was reading an article about someone who was killed by a driver high on cannabis.

 

[ECA]

The problem is:

If you ban these drugs: alcohol/cannabis etc, you drive it underground and criminal gangs profiteer from it, if you legalise it you can tax it and ensure its safe.

The problem is: which causes the greater number of users, and which costs the government more money either to the health service, or via lost taxation.

Oh and I agree with xane, if people want to fuck themselves up fine, do it away from everyone else.

I dont mind coprophiliacs, but that doesn't mean I dont mind a shit smearing party in the park.

 

[ECA]

Originally posted by Flamin_Squirrel
Yus

The thing that sparked me to start this thread was reading an article about someone who was killed by a driver high on cannabis.

The question is, was cannabis a contributing factor?

Alcohol certainly is, but the top gear test on it, showed that cannabis made people more cautious and in small amounts they drove more safely.

 

[Flamin_Squirrel]

Originally posted by ECA
The question is, was cannabis a contributing factor?

Alcohol certainly is, but the top gear test on it, showed that cannabis made people more cautious and in small amounts they drove more safely.

I would assume so. The smoker was killed too.. cannabis was found in his blood, and a wad of it was in his pocket.

 

[Jonaldo]

[controversy]
I'd legalise heroin too. If you're stupid enough to start using it then you'd do the world a favour by dying of an overdose. Natural selection then means that there's one less stupid person in the world which is a good thing. Another job position created and possibly another home for someone to move into. Even more importantly it'd also probably mean one less car parking spot being used which, let's face it, is the major problems on the streets of Britain
[/controversy]

 

[Mr.Monkey]

Originally posted by ECA
The question is, was cannabis a contributing factor?

Alcohol certainly is, but the top gear test on it, showed that cannabis made people more cautious and in small amounts they drove more safely.

And governement sponsored testing (ffs Top Gear, that well known scientific institute)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1068625.stm

 

[throdgrain]

Moronic post alert

 

[Deadmanwalking]

My god monkey you are really on a roll today with the googling and link posting

 

[Damini]

I think thats a stupid position to hold. The majority of heroin addicts I've known have actually been quite bright people, not the type that would put the swimming bands round their ankles then wonder why they were breathing water. People get into heroin for all different kinds of reasons, and damning them all as stupid is a very unthinking response to the problem.

 

[Gekul]

I have to assume Jonaldo is being less than serious with his post. Atleast I hope so.

 

[Mr.Monkey]

Originally posted by Deadmanwalking
My god monkey you are really on a roll today with the googling and link posting

Dodging work.....

 

[Tom]

I'd prefer to see more money spent on educating people on the dangers of Alchohol, and the treatment of related disorders. It harms and kills many more people.

 

[Jupitus]

/me suggests people read Ben Elton - High Society for the legalise them discussion.....

 

[-KnoX-]

I have no problem with these people aslong as it doesn't bother me. Me and my buddies talk about this subject whenever we see some dude puff away on his filter in a bar or dico... and we see it a lot. We always come to the conclusion that if our government would legalise soft drugs then there would be a lot less of it going round. Just think about it... teenagers are statistically proven to purchase weed the most. Why do they do it? Cuz they want to experiment and broaden there horizons a bit. They start just because it's illegal and it gives them a kick. Why is beyond me. But if the government would just legalise it then the kick would be lost and weed would be boring.

But I often ask myself if this would be the case. It could be that they will just start using hard drugs as a replacement. Or maybe it'll just turn out to be like smoking a sigaret. Which brings me to another point. The government is just not doing enough to prevent purchasing of "grass" the same as they are not preventing underaged kids from buying sigaret packs from a nearby corner shop. I say it's useless to ban "shit" from the market as long as the local government just sits back and let it happen.

 

[Will]

I'm not sure if the legal changes apply in Scotland or not. I know we don't have cautions for possesion.

I'm in favour of legalisation. Once something is legal, it can be controlled and taxed more easily. Remember though, that cannabis is only decriminalised is Holland, it isn't actually legal, but they control and tax the more obvious sales avenues (coffee shops).

Also, if it was legal, people would no longer buy it from drug dealers. This would finally remove that crappy gateway drug arguement that people use. And would mean I could just pop to the corner shop for my half Q.

 

[tris-]

cannabis can be legal for all i care. its not my problem if people wanna smoke it and fuck their lungs up. on other hand i dont agree with legalising stuff like heroine, as it fucks other people up when the addict kills old ladys for 30p

 

[CAC]

personally id rather see all drugs legalised especially in light of recent events

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/3234701.stm

yes drugs can be harmfull but then so is crossing the road if your not paying attention to whats going on around you


the best solutution imo is legalisation and education

 

[Flamin_Squirrel]

Although that hasnt exactly worked with sex or alcohol...

 

[Embattle]

Originally posted by xane
Given that some street crime is fuelled by drugs, I'd welcome any legalization

Some crime is fuelled by drugs, although I fail to see how the legalisation of drugs would reduce all of the drug relate crimes.

Originally posted by Wij
It is covered. Fag tax generates billions. Plus if you die young from smoking think of all the old-age years you aren't pestering the NHS with other problems.

The report that came out a little while ago tried to prove that the Tax generated covers NHS costs but it was flawed because it only included certain health problems thus limiting the possible costs.

Originally posted by ECA
Oh and I agree with xane, if people want to fuck themselves up fine, do it away from everyone else.

Hmm don't think you would hold the same attitude if it was your son/daughter.

At the end of the day you are introducing a chemical into your body that isn't meant to be in it, the same applies to cigs, alcohol, pollution, etc and while we can't just ban everything we shouldn't allow the dangerous notion that the state approves another drugs use by legalising it.

I don't see this downgrade as any thing serious since it'll still never be made legal for a few very simple reasons. The first has to be the general feeling that cigarettes are less acceptable to the general public, thus why add another when you are trying to decrease the use of an already legal drug.

Another reason is the problem you get by shuffling the deck because you make another drug legal, it then moves one of the other illegal drugs to the fringe and people start asking for that one to become legal too.....a me too situation. A side effect of this can also be the lost belief of some youngster who may get there jollies by doing something illegal, it no longer is and perhaps they move on to something more dangerous.

Its sad to see that a lot of people are showing a 'I don't care attitude' since at some point in your life you are likely to be affected by drugs in one way or another....maybe not directly.

It's also sad that so many people don't realise the dangers of drugs until it is too late.

 

[Embattle]

Another thing to consider is exactly what sort of company is actually going to want to produce this stuff under a legal umbrella when at the same time that legal umbrella won't shield them from possible legal action, similar to the cigarette companies which are getting sued silly.

 

[Yoni]

Legislation and education is definately the way to go with all drugs. Believe it or not we are humans and the use of illegal drugs (although most were not illegal until relitively recently) has occured since time began and will continue to do so.

Which is better:

1] Being offered something in a club / pub and not being able to make an informed decision, but your feeling low and are tempted anyway.

2] Being able to make a decision knowing the full facts.


Before condeming people who take illegal substances why not talk to a few of them, their reasons are many and varied and not all "my mates took it *sniff sniff* so I fought i wud*. I wish I had known the full facts about some substances when I was growing up, instead of forming a reliabilty to an addictive substance, I may have made a more informed decision.

 

[Flamin_Squirrel]

Hasnt worked with ciggies though has it