Ketamine

[Seagull27]

It's easy to criticise the government, but can't be an easy problem for them to solve. There's a reason why each successive government leaves things as they are.

There's certainly a case for it, but I've never studied the reality of it.

Yes, that is a bad thing. If impressionable people think it's fine to try anything, most of the drugs they try will be untested, some will be mixed, many will be addictive - even the ones that aren't supposed to be, where the dealer has added something for some repeat custom. Who knows what long term effects there will be on that persons mental health. It would be good to have more independant studies with the aim of legalising some drugs, allowing them to be produced and supplied through accountable outlets. If these studies can show what is and isn't harmful, and educate people, it would be great if people had a choice of drugs without turning to a black market. But I don't suppose it's that easy. It must be very difficult to know the long term effects of mind altering drugs (that would count for alcohol too, but there's a lot more information available).

Like I say though, it's not that obvious what is good and bad about all drugs.
Again not easy, but it probably is worth the government researching options.

The big problem with the government with regards to these issues is that they have been presented with the facts from numerous studies, and recommended by the experts in the field about how drugs should be classified based on their harm to people. The result? The government sacked the head of the group from his voluntary job because they didn't like what his results said, as it goes against their 'all drugs are bad and should be illegal - apart from those that make us tax' policy. Regardless of the fact that he is a professor in medical sciences and highly respected throughout academia.

Leaving things as they are doesn't seem to have solved many drug problems though has it?

 

[Durlston]

I started quite a controversial thread then!

What I wanted to know was people's experiences of ketamine; whether they were good or bad and the long-term effects. There's a mixed feeling to it obviously, which would apply to any drug with the benefits and harmful damage. I didn't want to start the thread by more or less saying why would anyone take ketamine to wreck their vital organs - I wanted to remain neutral, after all I'd be a hypocrite given I've tried other illicit drugs but seeing stories of people's bladders bursting and agonising stomach cramps on the news made me curious of ketamine. There had to be something in it to keep users coming back for more.

I certainly have no intention of trying ketamine; some of the effects sound frightening. Thank you for everyone's contribution to this thread.

 

[Triggaaar]

The big problem with the government with regards to these issues is that they have been presented with the facts from numerous studies, and recommended by the experts in the field about how drugs should be classified based on their harm to people. The result? The government sacked the head of the group from his voluntary job because they didn't like what his results said

Was that this government? It wasn't long ago it was another government, and then another before them.

as it goes against their 'all drugs are bad and should be illegal - apart from those that make us tax' policy.

Well that's obviously nonsense, because the government could easily charge tax on any drug they legalised.

Leaving things as they are doesn't seem to have solved many drug problems though has it?

That doesn't mean you just start legalising drugs in the hope that things get better than things are now. Holland has had a different approach for a long time, what's their current law? You seem to critisise out government, but it's seems pretty similar to most governments in the free world.