Cannabis

[Kwacky]

Is it time to legalise or decriminalise it?

A few countries have gone down that route, including America which has been anti drugs for close to 100 years.

William Hague has said that the war is lost and the government should look at changing their approach to the drug. The recent case of Billy Caldwell having his cannabis oil taken off him then for the Home Office to give him it makes the whole thing farcical. Especially when the UK already grows large quantities of the plant for sale overseas.

It could bring in massive amounts of revenue for the country if its use was allowed.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-44526156

[C00kiemonster]

Legalise it and punish those who dont buy it off legal sources.

It's the dealer culture that leads to bigger and badder drugs. Compulsory drug education in schools with worst case education to show what they do to people.

I'd be tempted to legalise them all and offer drug help in every shop that sells it. Getting rid of the criminality around drugs would make a huge difference to society imo.

[Monty]

Legalise it, regulate it and VAT it. (unless it's in a biscuit)

[Kwacky]

Biscuits attract VAT. Cakes don't.

[Monty]

The B@stards!

[Monty]

How on earth is it right that we can prescribe medicinal opiates, based on heroin, and not medicinal cannabis?

My question to the Home Office minister today.

Caroline Lucas

[Monty]

Theresa May, according to reports had repeatedly shut down any conversation at their recent cabinet meeting regarding the use of medical canabis, and had refused to back any legal reforms.

She has since added that there is a need to review how cases for the medical use of cannabis are handled, but as for actually changing the law to reflect any useful review is a different matter, the debate continues in the House of Commons today, with a statement to be released after 1.15pm.

The overriding priority of any government should be preserving the life and wellbeing of it's citizens. A number of recent cases, including that of Billy Caldwell and 6-year-old Alfie Dingle have highlighted the failures in the government’s unreasonable approach so far to much needed drugs.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued its opinion, and updated in December 2016, that cannabidiol (cannabis oil, CBD) is a medicine, meaning it can and should be used as and when necessary under licensing, regulation and prescription via a doctor.

Billy Caldwell’s parents should have been granted a license for the medicinal use of cannabis oil. However, the Home Office actively blocked it and prevented the family GP from issuing any further prescriptions. The Home Office then removed CBD and the family had to obtain the oil from Canada, at which point it was then seized by Home Office officials. Cannabis oil was first used to control Billy Caldwell's seizures in 2016.

Six-year-old epileptic Alfie Dingley has been waiting three months for the Home Office to process a licence application. The child’s MP, Conservative Mike Penning, says he will go abroad himself to get his constituent’s medical cannabis if the Home Office doesn’t address the situation in today's debate.

Good on Conservative MP Mike Penning

[Deegee]

Yet again we find career politicians of all ilks more concerned with what an action looks like like to the great unwashed, than actually doing what is morally correct. Caroline Lucas is spot on with her question imho.

[D41]

As a means of medication....yes.
As a means of uncontrolled self-medication....no.

The trouble with cannabis is it's considered by many to be a gateway drug....it'll ultimately, in many instances, only lead to more hard-core drug usage.

Worth considering also, that medical marijuana dispensaries are now being targeted in armed robberies....(a local man was murdered just yesterday during a robbery). Now that doesn't happen with alcohol....sure, liquor stores are robbed, but for money, not for the alcohol they stock.....there's no demand for it to be resold on the street, as is the case with pot.

Personally I'm not against it for recreational use....when it becomes an addiction is the problem.*



*Three years sobriety last week!!

Frickin' quitter.

[Deegee]

Congrats on your 3yrs wagon riding Daz.

[Kwacky]

Nice work D41

I don't believe that cannabis is a gateway drug. I do believe that drug dealers push other drugs as they're more profitable and easier to get addicted to.

[D41]

Nice work D41

I don't believe that cannabis is a gateway drug.

Yes...but surely most of that is because you're not an addict??

From my own experience....I went from beer, to mixed drinks, to just straight vodka.....and as much of it as I could get/consume....and then some!
One drink is too many, and 10 drinks is never enough, etc.

Similarly, with cannabis, you can only go with "more & more cannabis" for so long, until you start looking for a bigger, better, and more immediate high. Hence the "gateway" monicker the dispensaries hate so much.

[Monty]

It’s not the same thing D, you can’t compare the two.

[D41]

Yes, I can.

[Monty]

No, you can’t. One of them you know F@uk all about.

[D41]

Temper, temper.

Addiction is just that...addiction. It's that simple....the methods people use may differ, their goal is the same....an altered state of mind to mask an underlying issue.

[duke63]

Addicts will find another addiction, it’s not the product that draws people in to unhealthy usage of anything, it’s their predilection to being addicted.

[Monty]

You can’t compare alcohol addiction to weed. Alcohol is many many time worse.

[D41]

You can’t compare alcohol addiction to weed. Alcohol is many many time worse.

Is it??

A person could get arrested & jailed for buying weed.....the same could not be said of someone buying alcohol.

[Monty]

Is it??

Yes, and I speak from the experience of both sides. Not saying anymore on this on a public forum.

Monty out X