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"Cannabis"

Well, the drug is being (or has been) downgraded to class C. What does this mean? The government are keen to point out that it is still illegal, that those in possession will still be arrested.

On the news tonight, they used the phrase "Cannabis, a drug tens of thousands of people choose to smoke each week". I think they are seriously underestimating how widespread its use is. I wager everyone on here knows somebody who smokes it, I certainly do. Could decriminalizing the drug work in this country? There are huge benefits for the government in the way that it would free up a lot of police time, which could be used for catching those dealing/possessing harder drugs.

Is there any point whatsoever in downgrading the drug as they have done?

Do you have any views on the drug, or the questions I have asked above?

Silent-Scope wrote:
> People are just stupid enough to use drugs anyway..

Do you work for the Daily Mail?

I used to smoke cannabis very heavily, nowadays I just have a spliff every now and then. At the end of the day, weed chills you out and relaxes you, where as alcohol makes you hyperactive and in a lot of cases violent. Why ban Cannabis but keep alcohol legal?

You certainly hear of more alcohol fueled crimes than you do cannabis.

Pandaemonium wrote:
> ßora† SagdiyeV wrote:
> It's easy to dismiss those who use drugs as stupid isn't it?
>
> Yep. I love it. I'd like to point out that I know someone in a well
> paid tchnical job, who has very good academic qualifications from
> Gcse's to A levels, and has a degree.
>
> They have done everything but heroin.
>

Sounds like most people I have ever met...

It's natural human instinct to be curious, and if you enjoy yourself, it's up to you - only you will lose out, it's not like you're harming other people. Smoking & drinking is accepted even though passive smoking is thought to kill & drink driving/fights in pubs etc. also kill. Apparently less people die of drugs than do of sniffing glue or aerosol inhaling (can't remember which one) and the percentage of people that die from the glue/aersol sniffing is like 0.7%. All you have to worry about is memory loss - and that is up to the individual, if you can weigh up the options and say that you would prefer to take drugs, then so be it.

Anyway weed is so mild, if you only smoke it at weekends I highly doubt it would have much effect. The only reason I would advise someone who hasn't taken drugs before, not to, is because they probably already have a great time socially and don't need the drug to make their night better, whereas a lot of people can become reliant on a certain drug to make their night better and then start doing it on weekdays, needing a sliff before they go to bed and going to work tired every day.

But if you already do it and can control it - then why not?

I smoke cannabis on a daily basis and know that I am breaking the law. Why do I do it? Because I have muscular dystrophy and it causes me a lot of pain. I don't smoke continually - at the most two a day, just enough to ease the pain to an acceptable level. My doctor has prescribed me painkillers, but I prefer to smoke cannabis instead - the side effects are more acceptable to me. I don't sell it to anyone else; I don't tell anyone it's a good thing to do, I just do it for my own benefit.

It's very well saying drugs can cause problems - e.g. cannabis setting of Ros' friend's schizophrenia - but then virtually any kind of chemical, and a lot of foods, can do similar things; ever seen what happens to someone with a nut allergy when they eat a nut?

The biggest problem with acceptance is the lack of knowledge; people read things in the press and hear stories from mates, friends and colleagues and opinions are formed on that.

I know mamy, many people who smoke it.
As far as I am concerned, there is nothing wrong with a social spliff, taken in the company of mates on the weekend. But as for joint after joint after joint after hour after hour, there are bad effects.
I reckon if the government legalized it there would be a tax slapped on it and it they would milk it for cash.

I had a friend at University who had latent Schizopherina that was triggered by Canibis use. Had he stayed away from it, the Schizopherinia would likely have stayed latent. Just another reason I stay well away from drugs.

Drugs are good, they make you do things that you know you not should.
Drugs are neat, and you can buy 'em relatively cheap.
And when you do 'em people think that ayour cool.

And isn't that what it is all about?

Icarus wrote:
> Tsk, I'm like that most of the time anyway, bar the eating part.

You may well be, but if you smoke a joint or two, you'll find it exaggerates these feelings by quite a bit.

I’m not advocating drug use BTW…….

Tsk, I'm like that most of the time anyway, bar the eating part.

ßora† SagdiyeV wrote:
> I only smoke when I drink, which is most weekends. During the week
> I'm a T-Totaller.
>
> Giving up smoking would be easy for me if I was permanently sober,
> but willpower is not evident when I've had a couple of frosty ones.

Same here for me. My head nips a bit while I'm drunk at weekends ("Have a tab, haaaaveeeee a ttttaaaaaaaaabbbbbbbbb...........") but I'm using the "Sick Boy" method of giving up.

When someone who smokes asks me in future how I managed to give up, I'm just going to tell then "Oh, it was a piece of p***. I just stopped and didn't have another one", and watch their face ;)

I'm past the 2 week nic withdrawl symptoms, so it should be a breeze now.

As a side note, I got *all* of the following.

Irritability
Fatigue
Insomnia
Coughing, Dry Throat, Nasal Drip
Dizziness
Lack of Concentration
Tightness In the Chest
Constipation, Gas, Stomach Pain
Hunger
Craving For A Cigarette

Its quite difficult keeping up the facade on weekends however.......................

Icarus wrote:
> Never tried cannabis before, what's it like?

It's hard to explain to someone who's never experienced it. Suffice to say you'll find stupid things funny, will have glazed over red eyes, will appreciate music much more than usual, and will want to eat everything.