[Politics] How would you vote in a referendum to legalise cannabis in the UK?

[WATFORD zero]

Exactly the same as tobacco smokers

I'm sorry but I'm really struggling to see any difference.

Have you been out in NY since legalization? If not then I can understand why you would be struggling to understand.

I said I was struggling to see the difference, you told me I was struggling to understand because I hadn't been to NY. Slight difference

One of us has obviously misinterpreted a post, so I'll leave it

 

[Napper]

will vote after amsterdam

 

[A1X]

If there was a referendum, i'd want to know exactly what would be implemented either way. A clear end goal, how, when, what. and the party in power cannot deviate or change from the plan. Set up a website which explains everything in detail

And there must be a clear majority of 60% or more

And all Politicians would be banned from campaigning or commenting outside parliament either way

Give over, here in the UK we have referendums based on vibes and “but who is more entertaining on HIGNFY”

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I presume it was this mum who was interviewed on Radio Five this morning. I have enormous sympathy for her family and others in this situation. The boy was having 800 fits a day which was ending up with him becoming partially paralysed and hospitalised. Cannabis had stopped all that and he had been able to lead a normal life since. She claimed that the boy was costing the NHS £200,000 a year but if he was prescribed cannabis it was £30,000 (? Couldn't be sure as dog barked at that moment lol!). Personally I believe it should be legalised and not just to help families like this, but criminalising large numbers of people is pointless in an activity that is ostensibly taken at the individual's own risk and not apparently infringing on anyone else's source of income as the dodgy dealers would have to look elsewhere.

I suppose he has been given football paraphernalia by relatives.

On a serious note, it is legal to prescribe cannabis on prescription now for people like the youngster who have multiple fits an hour. It is the CBD part of the plant with the addictive element (THC) removed.
I saw the Mum and young lad on Breakfast tv along with a doctor. The legistlation was passed 5 years ago but fewer than 5 patients are being prescribed it. NICE are still arguing it hasn't been tested enough.
The Mum in the photo would have to go to Holland regularly paying over £200 a bottle if he wasn't prescribed it.

Senior paediatric consultant Dr David McCormick, from King's College Hospital in London, says it was "disingenuous" of the government to suggest in 2018 that NHS prescribing was ready to take place.

Ministers "shifted the heat" to practitioners like him, he says.
"Parents were clamouring at our door, or phoning all the time, as they believed we were able to prescribe and that was not the case.
"The message went out, 'doctors can now prescribe cannabis products' and that put us in a difficult position, because in truth we need to apply for that to be approved by NHS England."

Ministers "shifted the heat" to practitioners like him, he says.
"Parents were clamouring at our door, or phoning all the time, as they believed we were able to prescribe and that was not the case.
"The message went out, 'doctors can now prescribe cannabis products' and that put us in a difficult position, because in truth we need to apply for that to be approved by NHS England."

 

[GingerBeerMan]

Have you been out in NY since legalization? If not then I can understand why you would be struggling to understand.

But it sounds like you haven't either which is what merited the face palm.
In Canada it is illegal to smoke in public places, which would completed solve your only objection. I gather you'd be fine to legalise it if this same law was enacted in the UK?
In Canada you can grow four plants, possess up to 'X' amount of weed, can't sell to adults or minors. It's still regulated but they've just removed the criminal aspect which places so much burden on society.

 

[S.T.U cgull]

But it sounds like you haven't either which is what merited the face palm.
In Canada it is illegal to smoke in public places, which would completed solve your only objection. I gather you'd be fine to legalise it if this same law was enacted in the UK?
In Canada you can grow four plants, possess up to 'X' amount of weed, can't sell to adults or minors. It's still regulated but they've just removed the criminal aspect which places so much burden on society.

It might be illegal but nobody listens to it - in Montréal/Ottawa last week and people are smoking on the street / parks / outside pubs. It’s the same rules as for cigarettes I’m told

It didn’t bother me but can see why others would object

 

[theonesmith]

Have you been out in NY since legalization? If not then I can understand why you would be struggling to understand.

I live in New York, and I'm not sure what you're getting at...

(Also, in comparison to most smells in NYC e.g. garbage, rats, exhaust fumes, the smell of cannabis is really nothing to be bothered by!)

The demand over here is more for edible gummies than smoking cannabis, and there are lots of emerging beneficial results to legalization including redistribution of wealth to historically impoverished communities and the mental health benefits of engaging with CBD as a supplement

 

[Guinness Boy]

Because people reak of it and you have to walk through a haze when you arrive and leave restaurants. I’m only going on what I have been told is the New York dining experience since legalization.

Since you're prepared to believe what you're told, I can tell you that cannabis might be illegal in England but you can smell it almost non stop on Hove and Brighton seafront these days. There was a standard joke between me and another runner when I was training seriously - 'going for a run on the front, will probably come back with the munchies'. The police have better things to do than check every person on every beach to see if they have a vape, a roll up or a joint.

Legalising would simply legitimise a de facto agreement down here and potentially increase both the amount of tax coming into the exchequer and allow for the appropriate policing of consumption 'zones' as happened in Amsterdam.

And, no, for those of you with long memories, this isn't inconsistent with my take on vaping in the Amex seats. Vapes are legal to sell and illegal to smoke in certain places. I'm saying the same should apply.

 

[thejackal]

I live in New York, and I'm not sure what you're getting at...

(Also, in comparison to most smells in NYC e.g. garbage, rats, exhaust fumes, the smell of cannabis is really nothing to be bothered by!)

The demand over here is more for edible gummies than smoking cannabis, and there are lots of emerging beneficial results to legalization including redistribution of wealth to historically impoverished communities and the mental health benefits of engaging with CBD as a supplement

Yeah, exactly, who in NY really wants a sense of smell anyway?

"Is that urine? I think I smell a dead guy!"

Paraphrased from Bill Hicks

 

[Marshy]

When they remove cash from society... the war on drugs and other illegal activity will really get going....interesting times

 

[StonehamPark]

In Canada it is illegal to smoke in public places, which would completed solve your only objection. I gather you'd be fine to legalise it if this same law was enacted in the UK?
In Canada you can grow four plants, possess up to 'X' amount of weed, can't sell to adults or minors. It's still regulated but they've just removed the criminal aspect which places so much burden on society.

Quick correction there, that isn’t true.

You can smoke cannabis in public just as you can tobacco. You can’t smoke near schools, win bus shelters etc (as is the case with tobacco).

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Since you're prepared to believe what you're told, I can tell you that cannabis might be illegal in England but you can smell it almost non stop on Hove and Brighton seafront these days. There was a standard joke between me and another runner when I was training seriously - 'going for a run on the front, will probably come back with the munchies'. The police have better things to do than check every person on every beach to see if they have a vape, a roll up or a joint.

Legalising would simply legitimise a de facto agreement down here and potentially increase both the amount of tax coming into the exchequer and allow for the appropriate policing of consumption 'zones' as happened in Amsterdam.

And, no, for those of you with long memories, this isn't inconsistent with my take on vaping in the Amex seats. Vapes are legal to sell and illegal to smoke in certain places. I'm saying the same should apply.

No, I don’t believe whatever I am told. That would make me stupid. You would be a pretty crap moderator of a website if you called its contributors stupid so I know you wouldn’t do that. I was just SHARING something I was told in a chatty way. Thank you for sharing your experience of Brighton beach. I will make sure I don’t go there as it sounds like another place spoiled. It would be nice if you considered me but I understand you won’t which is why I would vote to keep it minimized as far as possible and illegal.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

I live in New York, and I'm not sure what you're getting at...

(Also, in comparison to most smells in NYC e.g. garbage, rats, exhaust fumes, the smell of cannabis is really nothing to be bothered by!)

The demand over here is more for edible gummies than smoking cannabis, and there are lots of emerging beneficial results to legalization including redistribution of wealth to historically impoverished communities and the mental health benefits of engaging with CBD as a supplement

Fair enough. Different people have different experiences.

 

[GingerBeerMan]

Quick correction there, that isn’t true.

You can smoke cannabis in public just as you can tobacco. You can’t smoke near schools, win bus shelters etc (as is the case with tobacco).

Actually it is true in Calgary, which is where I lived last year. You can only smoke in private residences.

My point is that legalisation isn't a single 'one size fits all approach'. We can have the benefits of the legalisation while also regulating it in a way that removes the downsides most people reference which in this case is the public smell.

 

[worthingweird]

Already is on Worthing prom...

 

[GingerBeerMan]

No, I don’t believe whatever I am told. That would make me stupid. You would be a pretty crap moderator of a website if you called its contributors stupid so I know you wouldn’t do that. I was just SHARING something I was told in a chatty way. Thank you for sharing your experience of Brighton beach. I will make sure I don’t go there as it sounds like another place spoiled. It would be nice if you considered me but I understand you won’t which is why I would vote to keep it minimized as far as possible and illegal.

I'm not a moderator of this forum, so I think I'm free to call you stupid.

You're stupid

 

[Cotton Socks]

I suppose he has been given football paraphernalia by relatives.

On a serious note, it is legal to prescribe cannabis on prescription now for people like the youngster who have multiple fits an hour. It is the CBD part of the plant with the addictive element (THC) removed.
I saw the Mum and young lad on Breakfast tv along with a doctor. The legistlation was passed 5 years ago but fewer than 5 patients are being prescribed it. NICE are still arguing it hasn't been tested enough.
The Mum in the photo would have to go to Holland regularly paying over £200 a bottle if he wasn't prescribed it.

Senior paediatric consultant Dr David McCormick, from King's College Hospital in London, says it was "disingenuous" of the government to suggest in 2018 that NHS prescribing was ready to take place.

Ministers "shifted the heat" to practitioners like him, he says.
"Parents were clamouring at our door, or phoning all the time, as they believed we were able to prescribe and that was not the case.
"The message went out, 'doctors can now prescribe cannabis products' and that put us in a difficult position, because in truth we need to apply for that to be approved by NHS England."

Ministers "shifted the heat" to practitioners like him, he says.
"Parents were clamouring at our door, or phoning all the time, as they believed we were able to prescribe and that was not the case.
"The message went out, 'doctors can now prescribe cannabis products' and that put us in a difficult position, because in truth we need to apply for that to be approved by NHS England."

I may have misinterpreted your post there but medical cannabis is the whole plant, THC included. You can buy CBD oil in supermarkets. My mum bought some, was finding it beneficial & then stopped taking it as she had to go for a blood test as she was worried that the Dr would think she was smoking cannabis.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I may have misinterpreted your post there but medical cannabis is the whole plant, THC included. You can buy CBD oil in supermarkets. My mum bought some, was finding it beneficial & then stopped taking it as she had to go for a blood test as she was worried that the Dr would think she was smoking cannabis.

The article does say that medical cannabis contains the whole plant but also
Licensed cannabis drugs do exist for specific conditions - but they do not use the whole plant. For example one called Epidiolex contains another cannabis compound - CBD. It can be prescribed for epilepsy but does not benefit patients across the spectrum of epilepsy disorders.

That’s where the confusion arises.

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

I’ve heard some grim reports from friends about the stench around the bar/restaurant areas of NY since legalization. They won’t go out there anymore. Should be illegal. Do it in your own time if you want to rot your brain but don’t inflict it on others.

I lived in NYC before they legalized it and the stench of cannabis was pretty much everywhere then, especially places like Union Square, Times Square and 42nd St. I think they just took the view that usage was widespread anyware so they may as well legalize it and free up the NYPD and get some tax dollars. And yes, the stench was pretty disgusting

 

[Cotton Socks]

Firstly can I start by suggesting that we should get some cash together and buy young Alfie a 'proper' shirt & get a full matchday experience together for him to leave him in no doubt what team to support. And before someone says about the flashing lights he may not even suffer with that 'type' of epilepsy (there are a lot of 'types').

I think it's awful that children like Alfie are not being prescribed it, I can understand Dr's not wanting to be at risk of being sued by patients but there doesn't seem to be much common sense being applied here. Make the parents sign a disclaimer if they're that worried about it. Epilepsy kills people & can make life generally bloody miserable. I can't actually remember the finer details but our brains naturally contain cannaboid receptors & when they are activated it calms down the receptors that are causing the seizures (or something like that) but let's bear in mind that no-one has actually found out the 'cause' of epilepsy if there's no obvious brain injury etc, if it's working for people like Alfie then prescribe it.

The reason it can be a gateway drug is because 7 times out of 10 the dealers also have other things to offer. What is actually happening (that is really going under the radar) is that youngsters aren't actually bothering with cannabis, they're going for the coke. Coke is now the acceptable drug because it is everywhere. Alcohol & cannabis don't mix, however alcohol & coke are tempting partners to some. Legalise the cannabis then you can can get someones 18/21 year old brother/sister to get it from a shop for them like you can with vapes, cigarettes & alcohol. Or they can just use the fake passports they're already using. It does bloody stink but I'd prefer to see stoned kids than off their nut on coke kids. Cannabis is way down the harm list to individuals & society, alcohol is top of the list but we're socially conditioned to think that it is fine. It's a rite of passage for an 18 year old to have their first 'legal' drink & we all encourage it! Just to be clear I vape & drink & have no vested interest in seeing cannabis being legalised. In fact the last time I had cannabis (after alcohol) I thought I was going to be sick!