Cannabilise Legalis now
thish
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Should Cannabis be legalised?
- Thread starter The Truth
- Start date
thish
I think drugs policy is a complete disaster in this country and we need to have a completely fresh approach to all drugs, not just cannabis. I'm not a drug user, I don't even drink much, but I do think that the approach is ridiculous.
We have a situation where police time and the whole legal apparatus is spent catching, prosecuting, jailing and administering to people whose only crime is to be ill. I don't just mean the possession of narcotics, but also the fact that 60 to 70% of theft is estimated to be drugs related.
There are no glib answers as to what could be done but I do know that the present policy is not a success, and after nearly 50 years, it's time to try something else.
We have a situation where police time and the whole legal apparatus is spent catching, prosecuting, jailing and administering to people whose only crime is to be ill. I don't just mean the possession of narcotics, but also the fact that 60 to 70% of theft is estimated to be drugs related.
There are no glib answers as to what could be done but I do know that the present policy is not a success, and after nearly 50 years, it's time to try something else.
West Hoathly Seagull
Honorary Ruffian
I'm not sure that something should be legalised just because someone wants to do it - I would love to be able to drive down the motorway at night at 100 mph, but I accept that I cannot do it. However, I do have sympathy for the view that it is pointless to criminalise thousands of otherwise law-abiding people. If you want the view from the inside, and I mean literally, not a pun, read Stuart - A Life Backwards, by Alexander Masters. This is a biography of a homeless man, who spent a large part of his life in prison. The prison authorities decided to urine test for drugs. Cannabis stays in the system for three weeks on average. Tests were usually carried out at weekends, giving three opportunities for someone to get busted, having smoked one joint. Prisoners therefore turned to heroin, which stays in the system for much less time, but is clearly far more harmful. Stuart, the subject of the book, favoured legalising cannabis, but coming down on Class A drugs like a ton of bricks. Of course, on the con side, you now have far stronger forms of cannabis such as skunk. I used to be firmly against any form of decriminalisation, now I am not so sure. What does not work, however, is the approach tried by the Home Office under David Blunkett, where cannabis was downgraded from Class B to Class C, meaning that many people thought it had become legal, which it had not. The situation needs to be absolutely clear.
Durlston
"You plonker, Rodney!"
I used to smoke a lot of cannabis when i was younger and it was difficult to get motivated for certain things at such an important age. I felt so lethargic most of the time and everything seemed like such an effort especially when stoned. Powerful skunk made me terribly paranoid at times and started my mental health problems in my early twenties.
I've got to sit on the fence with this one. If it became legal the stuff would have no bad adulterants but it can still completely change people's personality and bring on schizophrenia.
I've got to sit on the fence with this one. If it became legal the stuff would have no bad adulterants but it can still completely change people's personality and bring on schizophrenia.
public school boy
Banned
Being a recovering alcoholic I know many people who are recovering from cross adiction and have seen what dope, smack, heroine etc does to people. I mucked around with dope until it became no fun. There are plenty of other ways to enjoy ones self without having to use chemical substances. Drugs are an escape from reality. They make you feel good for a while but when you come down all your problems are still there.
The Ringleader Returns!
Banned
I think the streets sum up the Booze/Web debate nicely
Allo, Allo, my names Terry and i'm a law abider.
Theres nothing i like more than getting fired up on beer,
and when the weekends here,
i exercise my right to get paraletic and fight.
Good bloke fairly.
But i get well lairy when geezers look at me funny,
bouncin' 'round like bunnies.
I'm likely to cause mischief,
good clean grief, you must believe
and i aint no thief.
Law abinding an' all, all legal.
Who cares bout my liver when it feels good.
What you need is some real manhood.
Rasha, rasha, bernie-casha
Puttin peoples backs up.
Public disorder, i'll give you public disorder,
i down eight pints and run all over the place,
spit in the face of an officer,
see if that bothers ya,
cos i've never broke a law in my life.
Some day i'm gonna settle down with a wife.
Come on lads lets have another fight.
Hello, my names Tim and i'm a criminal.
in the eyes society i need to be in jail,
for the choice of herbs i inhale.
This aint no wholesale operation.
Just a few eighths and some playstations my vocation.
I pose a threat to the nation,
and down at the station the police hold no patience.
Lets talk about space and time,
i like to get deep sometimes and think about einstein and karl jung,
and old kung fu movies i like to see,
pass the hydrator please.
Mmm..yea, i'm floatin on thin air,
goin to amsterdam in the new year,
top gear there.
Cos i take pride in my hobby.
Homemade bongs using my engineering degree.
"Dear Leaders, please legalise weed for these reasons..."
Like i was sayin to him, i told him
f*** with me and you won't win,
so i smacked him in the head and downed another carling
Bada bada bing, for the lads like
Mad fight. His face is a sad sight
vodka and snakebite
Goin on like a right geeze, he's a twat!
Shouldn't have looked at me like that!
Anyway...I'm an upstanding citizen
If a war came along i'd be on the front line with them
Can't stand crime either
them hooligans on 'eroin
Drugs and criminal.
Those thugs are the pinacle of the downfall of society
i've got all the anger pent up inside of me
No. I don't see why i should be the criminal
How could something with no recorded fatalities be illegal?
And how many deaths are there per year from alcohol?
I just completed gran turismo on the hardest setting
we pose no threat on my settee
Oh, the pizza's here. will someone let him in please?
We didnt order chicken. Not a problem we'll pick it out
I doubt they meant to mess us about.
After all we're adults, not louts
As I was saying we're friendly peaceful people
We're not the ones out there causing trouble
We just sit in this hazy bubble with our quarters
discusing how beautiful gail porter is
MTV BBC2 Channel 4, is on til 6 in the morning
then 6 in the morning the sun dawns and it's my bed time
Causing trouble?! Your stinkin' rabble boys sayin' i'm the one that's spoilin' it
You're on drugs!
Really bugs me when people try and tell me i'm a thug,
just for getting drunk! i like getting drunk.
I'm an upstanding citizen,
if a war came along i'd be on the front line with them
Now Terry. You're repeating yourself,
but that's ok, drunk people can't help that
A chemical reaction happening inside your brain
causes you to forget what you're saying
What? I know exactly what i'm saying!
I'm perfectly sane, you stinkin' student lamo.
Go get a job and stop robbin' us of our taxes.
Erm, well, actually, according to research.
Government funding for further education,
pales in insignificance when compared to how much they spend on repairing
lairy drunk people every weekend in casualty wards
all over the land.
Why you cheeky lil swine!
Come 'ere! I'm gonna batter ya!
Come 'ere!
From: Music Blogs and Videos | MusicBabylon
Allo, Allo, my names Terry and i'm a law abider.
Theres nothing i like more than getting fired up on beer,
and when the weekends here,
i exercise my right to get paraletic and fight.
Good bloke fairly.
But i get well lairy when geezers look at me funny,
bouncin' 'round like bunnies.
I'm likely to cause mischief,
good clean grief, you must believe
and i aint no thief.
Law abinding an' all, all legal.
Who cares bout my liver when it feels good.
What you need is some real manhood.
Rasha, rasha, bernie-casha
Puttin peoples backs up.
Public disorder, i'll give you public disorder,
i down eight pints and run all over the place,
spit in the face of an officer,
see if that bothers ya,
cos i've never broke a law in my life.
Some day i'm gonna settle down with a wife.
Come on lads lets have another fight.
Hello, my names Tim and i'm a criminal.
in the eyes society i need to be in jail,
for the choice of herbs i inhale.
This aint no wholesale operation.
Just a few eighths and some playstations my vocation.
I pose a threat to the nation,
and down at the station the police hold no patience.
Lets talk about space and time,
i like to get deep sometimes and think about einstein and karl jung,
and old kung fu movies i like to see,
pass the hydrator please.
Mmm..yea, i'm floatin on thin air,
goin to amsterdam in the new year,
top gear there.
Cos i take pride in my hobby.
Homemade bongs using my engineering degree.
"Dear Leaders, please legalise weed for these reasons..."
Like i was sayin to him, i told him
f*** with me and you won't win,
so i smacked him in the head and downed another carling
Bada bada bing, for the lads like
Mad fight. His face is a sad sight
vodka and snakebite
Goin on like a right geeze, he's a twat!
Shouldn't have looked at me like that!
Anyway...I'm an upstanding citizen
If a war came along i'd be on the front line with them
Can't stand crime either
them hooligans on 'eroin
Drugs and criminal.
Those thugs are the pinacle of the downfall of society
i've got all the anger pent up inside of me
No. I don't see why i should be the criminal
How could something with no recorded fatalities be illegal?
And how many deaths are there per year from alcohol?
I just completed gran turismo on the hardest setting
we pose no threat on my settee
Oh, the pizza's here. will someone let him in please?
We didnt order chicken. Not a problem we'll pick it out
I doubt they meant to mess us about.
After all we're adults, not louts
As I was saying we're friendly peaceful people
We're not the ones out there causing trouble
We just sit in this hazy bubble with our quarters
discusing how beautiful gail porter is
MTV BBC2 Channel 4, is on til 6 in the morning
then 6 in the morning the sun dawns and it's my bed time
Causing trouble?! Your stinkin' rabble boys sayin' i'm the one that's spoilin' it
You're on drugs!
Really bugs me when people try and tell me i'm a thug,
just for getting drunk! i like getting drunk.
I'm an upstanding citizen,
if a war came along i'd be on the front line with them
Now Terry. You're repeating yourself,
but that's ok, drunk people can't help that
A chemical reaction happening inside your brain
causes you to forget what you're saying
What? I know exactly what i'm saying!
I'm perfectly sane, you stinkin' student lamo.
Go get a job and stop robbin' us of our taxes.
Erm, well, actually, according to research.
Government funding for further education,
pales in insignificance when compared to how much they spend on repairing
lairy drunk people every weekend in casualty wards
all over the land.
Why you cheeky lil swine!
Come 'ere! I'm gonna batter ya!
Come 'ere!
From: Music Blogs and Videos | MusicBabylon
yes it should be legalised... has less chance of underage ppl getting it due to a regulated process, also ensures the cannabis is pure... will make shit loads of money through tax rather then the money going to criminals.... also frees up a lot of police time nicking youths for possession...
- Jan 18, 2009
- 4,887
I thought smoking was a bad thing?
Have I missed a meeting?
Have I missed a meeting?
Durlston
"You plonker, Rodney!"
Being with fellow addicts is far more help than a one-to-one counselling session with someone who has never taken an illegal drug and being preached to. A few years ago, once i'd had a few pints the craving for cocaine was uncontrollable.
thejackal
Throbbing Member
I support cannibalising legalists.
Cannabis is less harmful than alcohol or tobacco and criminalises a large number of otherwise law-abiding citizens.
The laws cost a huge amount of time and money to enforce but it's a completely victimless 'crime'. There's no common law offence in smoking a dried plant that you grew in your own garden. No-one is going to complain if you get stoned in your own house, save perhaps your boss, the next day, when you roll in late for work...
Apparently, California's November 2010 ballot forms will contain a vote on marijuana legalisation for recreational use, and the Governator is backing it.
Given the high proportion of pot smokers in the golden state, and the fact that it tends to set national trends over there, I would not be at all suprprised if the idea gains ground here too.
"Allows people 21 years old or older to possess, cultivate, or transport marijuana for personal use. Permits local governments to regulate and tax commercial production and sale of marijuana to people 21 years old or older."
The findings are very interesting:
Findings
1.
California's Laws criminalizing cannabis (marijuana) have failed and need to be
reformed. Despite spending decades arresting millions of non-violent cannabis
consumers, we have failed to control cannabis or reduce its availability.
2.
According to surveys, roughly 100 million Americans (around 1/3 of the country's
population) acknowledge that they have used cannabis, 15 million of those Americans
having consumed cannabis in the last month. Cannabis consumption is simply a fact of
life for a large percentage of Americans.
3.
Despite having some of the strictest cannabis laws in the world, tbe United States has the
largest number of cannabis consumers. The percentage of our citizens who consume
cannabis is double that of the percentage of people who consume cannabis in the
Netherlands, a country where the selling and adult possession of cannabis is allowed.
4.
According to The National Research Council's recent study of the II U.S. states where
cannabis is currently decriminalized, there is little apparent relationship between severity
of sanctions and the rate of consumption.
5.
Cannabis has fewer harmful effects than either alcohol or cigarettes, which are both legal
for adult consumption. Cannabis is not physically addictive, does not have long term
toxic effects on the body, and does not cause its consumers to become violent.
6.
There is an estimated $15 billion in illegal cannabis transactions in California each year.
Taxing and regulating cannabis, like we do with alcohol and cigarettes, will generate
billions of dollars in annual revenues for California to fund what matters most to
Californians: jobs, health care, schools and libraries, roads, and more.
7.
California wastes millions of dollars a year targeting, arresting, trying, convicting, and
imprisoning non-violent citizens for cannabis related offenses. This money would be
better used to combat violent crimes and gangs.
8.
The illegality of cannabis enables for the continuation of an out-of-control criminal
market, which in turn spawns other' illegal and often violent activities. Establishing legal,
regulated sales outlets would put dangerous street dealers out of business
Full pdf here: http://ag.ca.gov/cms_attachments/initiatives/pdfs/i821_initiative_09-0024_amdt_1-s.pdf
Toke it up!!
Cannabis is less harmful than alcohol or tobacco and criminalises a large number of otherwise law-abiding citizens.
The laws cost a huge amount of time and money to enforce but it's a completely victimless 'crime'. There's no common law offence in smoking a dried plant that you grew in your own garden. No-one is going to complain if you get stoned in your own house, save perhaps your boss, the next day, when you roll in late for work...
Apparently, California's November 2010 ballot forms will contain a vote on marijuana legalisation for recreational use, and the Governator is backing it.
Given the high proportion of pot smokers in the golden state, and the fact that it tends to set national trends over there, I would not be at all suprprised if the idea gains ground here too.
"Allows people 21 years old or older to possess, cultivate, or transport marijuana for personal use. Permits local governments to regulate and tax commercial production and sale of marijuana to people 21 years old or older."
The findings are very interesting:
Findings
1.
California's Laws criminalizing cannabis (marijuana) have failed and need to be
reformed. Despite spending decades arresting millions of non-violent cannabis
consumers, we have failed to control cannabis or reduce its availability.
2.
According to surveys, roughly 100 million Americans (around 1/3 of the country's
population) acknowledge that they have used cannabis, 15 million of those Americans
having consumed cannabis in the last month. Cannabis consumption is simply a fact of
life for a large percentage of Americans.
3.
Despite having some of the strictest cannabis laws in the world, tbe United States has the
largest number of cannabis consumers. The percentage of our citizens who consume
cannabis is double that of the percentage of people who consume cannabis in the
Netherlands, a country where the selling and adult possession of cannabis is allowed.
4.
According to The National Research Council's recent study of the II U.S. states where
cannabis is currently decriminalized, there is little apparent relationship between severity
of sanctions and the rate of consumption.
5.
Cannabis has fewer harmful effects than either alcohol or cigarettes, which are both legal
for adult consumption. Cannabis is not physically addictive, does not have long term
toxic effects on the body, and does not cause its consumers to become violent.
6.
There is an estimated $15 billion in illegal cannabis transactions in California each year.
Taxing and regulating cannabis, like we do with alcohol and cigarettes, will generate
billions of dollars in annual revenues for California to fund what matters most to
Californians: jobs, health care, schools and libraries, roads, and more.
7.
California wastes millions of dollars a year targeting, arresting, trying, convicting, and
imprisoning non-violent citizens for cannabis related offenses. This money would be
better used to combat violent crimes and gangs.
8.
The illegality of cannabis enables for the continuation of an out-of-control criminal
market, which in turn spawns other' illegal and often violent activities. Establishing legal,
regulated sales outlets would put dangerous street dealers out of business
Full pdf here: http://ag.ca.gov/cms_attachments/initiatives/pdfs/i821_initiative_09-0024_amdt_1-s.pdf
Toke it up!!
Last edited:
Kalimantan Gull
Well-known member
The Streets is it? Thats a beautiful piece of poetry, and spot on
Northstander
Well-known member
- Oct 13, 2003
- 14,031
No - Simple
Barrel of Fun
Abort, retry, fail
A friend got a police record and got thrown out of University for smoking weed. Countless students used to get drunk and disorderly and smash things/people up but were never prosecuted and were allowed to carry on with their degrees. No sense in that.
daveinprague
New member
Im happy for cannabis to be illegal, when alcohol is.
The fecking hypocrits who want cannabis illegal and a drug far more
dangerous but more appropriate for their lifestyles not, can do one.
The fecking hypocrits who want cannabis illegal and a drug far more
dangerous but more appropriate for their lifestyles not, can do one.
The Spanish
Well-known member
Are they chasing users?
I dont see the issue here. If you want to smoke weed you can its not hard and the chances of getting nicked for it are miniscule if you are not out in public. There are plenty of places where you cannot drink in public either, its not like everywhere is one big Gin Lane. You cannot f*** each other in public either its not hypocrisy its just standards. I hate it when I see people smoking weed in the street much as I hate people swigging cans of stella. Theres no need.
If you want to sell it and you get nicked then tough luck. Plenty of people sell untaxed booze and fags and get nicked too.
Legalising it will do nothing to alter the lives of most smokers except have every Euro-Mong and his dog beating a path to our shores like Amsterdam. Which is great for a holiday but you wouldnt want to f***ing live there.
daveinprague
New member
Yeah, with the liberal drug laws in Holland, Spain and Czech republic, the Euro mongs will be flocking to more expensive UK..of course!! Life goes on as normal in all these countries with relaxed cannabis laws. Have you lived in Amsterdam? Which area?
The Spanish
Well-known member
My point is Dave you can smoke weed just as easy in the UK if you dont want to do it in public. That level of liberalisation is unneccessary, arguably.
If I drove a bus full of weed across the border into any of these countries they are not exactly going to give me the thumbs up and wave me through are they.
daveinprague
New member
A bus full...no...(although, why not..its a plant).. but for example, you can hold 15 grams here without a criminal record. Not sure what it is in Spain... If you have specified venues such as coffeeshops, then people wont be wandering around the streets smoking..or at least, dont need to...
End of the day, how the hell do you legislate against nature? Its not like other drugs that require a lot of process to get the end product. Its a matter of personal freedoms, and more important criminalities that need to be addressed than people smoking a plant.
End of the day, how the hell do you legislate against nature? Its not like other drugs that require a lot of process to get the end product. Its a matter of personal freedoms, and more important criminalities that need to be addressed than people smoking a plant.
