How does this forum feel about cannabis legalisation? Saw this article earlier and found the possibilities quite interesting:
And this one too:
Interesting to see the benefits outlined in terms of potential revenue and job creation, as well as the current impact on organised crime.
What do you think?
0 voters
Too stoned to read all that.
Read an article recently discussing some if the supposed risk of use.
Turns out a lot are myths, and a lot is correlation rather than causation. Still at work so not keen on searching for that at the moment.
Also found it interesting a lot of the arguments given against in states that legalised it in America didnāt come close to fruition.
The big scare story is that the new more powerful skunk will turn you schizo.
Weirdly enough though, despite everyone now having moved to it, there hasnāt been a jump in schizophrenia.
The public health issue is the one thing that does hold me back a little from being completely pro-legalisation - a family member has developed severe mental health issues as a result of drug abuse which has completely fucked up her life. Obviously sheās been on stronger gear than just a bit of weed, but I think we do have to be careful about the potential risks involved with more permissive drug use in society.
It says a lot when you are more conservative than America on a policy area.
Most every country is relaxing laws or at least looking to do it. We are banning things like poppers despite there being no evidence of any harm.
Then again, that probably isnāt surprising. Scientific knowledge on this subject has long been ignored or worst punished if not in line with what the government of the time has wanted (Labour & Tory are equally bad for this).
Honestly donāt know why Labour even bothered commissioning Nutt to do the research on recreational drugs. Completely ignored him when, as expected, he started making comparisons to our legal stuff and suggested that we should decriminalise.
Iāve seen a couple of friends ruin their lives because of smoking excessive weed, so Iād say no.
How do you mean āruinā?
Even if the case is made, alcohol is far worse in the ruination stakes, simply because it isnāt just the person partaking likely to suffer.
Just because alcohol is worse, it is no justification to legalise something that we know is harmful. Anyway you generally have to smoke tobacco to use weed, so the drug itself might be less harmful, but the shit its wrapped in certainly is.
Well, one suffers from mental problems apparently accelerated due to smoking excessive amounts of weed (according to his parents this is what the doctor said - weāre not able to see his anymore).
The other is dead after getting into heroine. You could tell he was going to get like that after starting smoking weed at 14. One drug led to another.
And thatās why I canāt support it. Donāt give a shit comparing it to other things, maybe they should ban those other things firstā¦
Originally posted by @CB-Saint
Just because alcohol is worse, it is no justification to legalise something that we know is harmful. Anyway you generally have to smoke tobacco to use weed, so the drug itself might be less harmful, but the shit its wrapped in certainly is.
Iām simply pointing out the hypocrisy of the position. Every single week there is drink-fuelled violence, whether it happens at home, or in the streets. 33K people die from alcohol related illness every year.
And you donāt āgenerally have to smoke tobaccoā to smoke weed. The Americans donāt. Bongs & pipes are the order of the day.
Your point illustrates just how shitty the law is though. Smoke a joint, and the thing that is MOST dangerous for you is the legal component 
Just because alcohol is worse, it is no justification to legalise something that we know is harmful. Anyway you generally have to smoke tobacco to use weed, so the drug itself might be less harmful, but the shit its wrapped in certainly is.
Is it harmful? Iāve not seen any legitimate research into the subject and would be interested in seeing it. Obviously, any reasearch that starts with an agenda either pro or anti wouldnāt be of any interest.
Second, your position is that it is harmful so ban it. Iām not convinced by your premise, but bypassing that, should we then ban alcohol as it is evidentially harmful?
Third, you certainly dont have to smoke tobacco with weed. Youāre maybe thinking of resin or hash (very different to weed).
Originally posted by @Kingdom-Come
Just because alcohol is worse, it is no justification to legalise something that we know is harmful. Anyway you generally have to smoke tobacco to use weed, so the drug itself might be less harmful, but the shit its wrapped in certainly is.
Is it harmful? Iāve not seen any legitimate research into the subject and would be interested in seeing it. Obviously, any reasearch that starts with an agenda either pro or anti wouldnāt be of any interest.
Iāve not seen any research, however every arguement for legalising it states that it is less harmful, which suggest that there is harm being done
Second, your position is that it is harmful so ban it. Iām not convinced by your premise, but bypassing that, should we then ban alcohol as it is evidentially harmful?
Iām not saying ban it, Iām saying donāt legalise it - that is a subtle difference. If something was known to be harmful why would you legalise it? We have alcohol and tobacco, which are harmful yet legal, isnt that enough shit in the market place? Should we ban both, from a pure health standpoint, probably. From a practical standpoint - probably impossible. From a personal standpoint - if you banned wine, Iād probably cry.
Third, you certainly dont have to smoke tobacco with weed. Youāre maybe thinking of resin or hash (very different to weed).
Fair enough - although Iām pretty sure inhaling smoke of any type repeatedly into your lungs cannot be good for you.
Iād love to see how much we actually spend on investigation, enforcement and incarceration. With the role of Police Commissioner becoming politicised, weed busts are great for whacking onto the front page of the local rag.
Decriminalisation would be a welcome step in the right direction, but youāre still left with an unregulated, untaxed market. Why go for the half-measure?
With respect to CBās post above, thatās pretty typical. By his own admission, no real research done, and would be unhappy if an existing (and worse) vice was banned.
Seems to me weāre paying a lot of money to placate people who lazily claim that they donāt approve, yet actually have no real stake in the issue.
Originally posted by @pap
_ Iād love to see how much we actually spend on investigation, enforcement and incarceration. With the role of Police Commissioner becoming politicised, weed busts are great for whacking onto the front page of the local rag. _
Bankers gamble other peopleās money, commit fraud and crash the economy. No punishment.
Politicians, celebrities etc rape children for years, cover each others backs. No punishment.
Kid smokes a bit of weed. Criminal.
Ridiculous.
Yeah legalise it, Iād much rather deal with someone high on cannabis than someone out of their face on drink. Drink tends to bring out aggresiveness, dope tends to put you to sleep and make you very hungry (I swear this is why 24 hour garages were more common in Uni towns when I was younger!).
However we have to be very aware of the potential risks and the fact that it *IS* and can be a gateway drug.
I knew a lot of people at Uni that were heavy cannabis users and their lives did take a turn for the worse, lethargy, general donāt care attitude, being stoned during the day etc. etc.
There has been mention of the cost of drinking to the state, accidents, fights etc but cannabis runs the same risk. How many people will drive stoned because theyāve only had 1 joint??
Can we add a āsitting firmly on the fenceā option to the vote??
My balance is way too fucked for that.
Originally posted by @BTripz
However we have to be very aware of the potential risks and the fact that it *IS* and can be a gateway drug.
This isnāt an argument Iām hugely sold on. I know people that have used things that are much worse and not touched cannabis, I know people that have smoked cannabis and never touched anything else and most things in between. You can just as easily argue that alcohol is a gateway drug, which will usually be the first thing anyone tries.
Always reminds me of this
There has been mention of the cost of drinking to the state, accidents, fights etc but cannabis runs the same risk. How many people will drive stoned because theyāve only had 1 joint??
Yeah, obviously driving stoned should not be encouraged and should be punishable in the same way to drinking. But again, itās a weak argument for banning the substance out right. How many substances can you buy/be prescribed that mean you canāt drive? To link to another point you made, Iād rather someone was driving after a joint than after drinking. Not condoning either at all, but one is certainly more dangerous than the other.