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"Drugs and legalisation (yes, some fool lets the debate spill into the forums)"

With cannabis virtually as good as legal now, for users if not suppliers, where do we stand on this?

A mass selling out of morals because of a general acceptance of it, even among non-users?

Where does the acceptance end? Are E's much further behind in the popularity contest? Or are the risks what seperates the two?

Should weed be legal? Should we judge by the Dutch situation, where there doesn't seem to be a problem?

I'll leave the merits of the argumens to be argued by anyone with strong views, except for this:

People arguing that it should be legal, with lines like 'it helps people with arthiritis...'
You don't want it to be legal it ease the discomfort of the guy your grandad knows. You want it legalised so you can get high. No other reason, so it's disrespectful to anyone who does use it for medicinal benefit to abuse their argument that way.
Also, it's a shallow line of reasoning that doesn't even touch on widespread use.
No, don't say you can use the bi-products to make hemp ropes...

I see the point Dr Duck, but the problem is that many people will smoke a hell of a lot of fags in a day, and probably wouldn't smoke as many spliffs of cannabis, cos they would get high, and stop. Smoking has no 'high' effect, and just gives the user their nicotine fix.

But still I see where you are comin from...

The tar produced from smoking cannabis is approximately 7 times that of an equal amount of tobacco, and is usually smoked without a filter, so in a way (though not really a legalisation argument affecting way!), it is worse than cigarettes.
Just thought it was a new angle on the cigs comparison thing.

wohoo someone agreed with me.

That 'I whole heartedly agree' was aimed at me wasn't it???

Please don't say no or I will cry...

:-)

anyway, I bet the pubs will be reeling it in to get more punters won't they?

I whole heartedly agree.

Perhaps if it was legal many people would be satisfied enough that they could go to the pub, roll a few joints (landlords would realise that legalisation would sell a lot of scampi fries (munchies), and that cotton mouth makes a person far thirstier than crisps ever will) and not think of using harder drugs. The main cause of the usage of hard drugs is other people, no matter who you are, or what the current legal stance is, chances are you will only try a hard drug because 'Dave just got some in' or something similar. I think the reasons people start on these substances is due to two things: convenience and hardship. Convenience, as i have stated - because the drug happens to be around you alot, or Hardship - using it as a hopeful 'release'.

As far as the issue concerning cannabis use being not as bad as regular smoking, of course it isn't - you don't *have* to smoke it. It can be vapourised, cooked, or brewed and had in tea.

The fact is, it isn't just no-good 'potheads' who use cannabis, it is anyone with the inclination. All generations. It is more common amongst younger people purely for social reasons.

I personally think (and the police force has also expressed similar views) that concentrating on cannabis prohibition is a nonsensical exercise when it takes time from helping real addicts with real difficulties... people who will die if left without help. The only people who do not seem to share this idea are the politicians, who seem to think they have to be seen to be coming down hard on every single issue, and so persue a plethora of so called moral crusades while completely ignoring mammoth disaters like the 3rd world debt (countries with no money whatsoever being made to pay back money they haven't got to vastly further economically developed countries as they watch their people die due to lack of adequate resources - "call off the debt??? but they *owe* is... it's like, the rules, and stuff..." a very moral outlook).

Whether cannabis is legalised or not, it is bizarre to hold it in the same viewpoint as heroin, cocaine, ecstacy, etc, - and the re-classification of it from a class B drug to a class C drug is a positive step, and i think reflects the opinions of the majority, who believe that it is not a threat to society. Hopefully this 'drop in status' for cannibis will also put an end to anyone seeking it out purely for notoriety.

Legal or not, you either draw something from it or you don't... i think its unfair to try to project a national view to everyone, whereby it has to either be good or bad. It just 'is'... and you 'do' or you 'don't'. And either is fine by me... Whatever suits you.

I have been thinking about this for a while.

Cannabis is not as bad (health damages I mean) as normal smoking, not as addictive, and actually has an effect on you rather than just getting you hooked. (cannabis gets you high)

Now some politicians argue that the only way to hard drugs is through soft drugs...

hmm does that mean we'll be banning nicotine and alcohol? No, didn't think so...

Anyway, cannabis is done by many people. If they can buy it legally, like alcohol and cigarettes, then they will not have to make contact with dealers of hard drugs. This will take a major cut out of dealers profits, and they won't be able to get cannabis users to try harder drugs that they may 'just happen to have in stock' as it were. So overall, in my opinion, legalising will actually help reduce usage of harder drugs. After all no-one says that drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes leads to hard drugs do they?

Anyway, that is my analysis, feel free to disagree or insult my morals. Oh, but here is a thing... is it morally right to buy drugs which may have come from Afganistan, (they grow lots of weed) so we would be (possibly) funding a terrorist war...

Legalise Cannabis there's no real risks from it, the only problems you get from it, is it does make you lazy, but at the end of the day Cannabis makes you chilled out and relaxed, where as Alcohol makes a lot of people angry and aggressive, there's no sense in it being illegal.

As for E's and other fun substances, no way should they ever be legal, they may make you happy, and make you love everyone but at the end of the day they really damage you're health, the sort of come downs you get off half these drugs make them not even worth bothering with anyway. If the harder drugs where legalised we'd have a nation of monged out Zombies.

This is the thing that confuses me about this sided of the arguement. What *are* the 'dangers' of cannabis? People who have little or no contact with it will tell you that it turns you into a lethargic, no-brain zombie. Yeah??? Well tell that to Mo Mowlam.

There's two ways of looking at it.

First, you could say that if cigarettes and alchohol weren't known about, but then somone discovered them, they would never be legalised.

They are both addictive, and they can both cause serious damage if overused, the same as drugs can.

However, the other side of this is that if they are both legal, why not legalise cannabis as well?

Afterall, everyone knows the dangers associated with drinking and smoking, so as long as everyone knew the dangers of cannabis, what's the problem?

I'm going to keep out of this one with my personal beliefs because I have way too many other things to get my anger going right now.
I will leave it with a Bill Hicks quote:

"Alchohol, Nicotine. These are good drugs. Coincidentally, these are taxed drugs. Pot? Bad drug, also an untaxed drug. Anyone seeing the connection here?
Alchohol and nicotine, two drugs that can kill you and poison you, leave you a 70lbs stick figure with social ills.

Mushrooms, LSD, Pot, drugs that make you realise that we're being f*****d every day of our lives?
Those drugs that allow you to percieve that we are all one consciousness under God?
Those drugs to make you realise that there is no such thing as death and we are all perfect and unique creatures of spirit and mind only and that our bodies are merely transient states and we should fear nothing and live in unconditional love for each other?
Illegal.
HAHAHAHA

You can see why they dont want those drugs legal! It'd **** up the economy! No defence industry because we'd realise we are all one spirit under one perfect destiny!
Nope, let's keep drinking beer and beating each other and watching tv."

Oh yeah.. i have returned. And i'm *still* a newbie! Arrrgh! :o) Grunt. Hillo dar all yoo happee peepole.