Legalising Cannabis

Shrews

Don't get me wrong, I've never touched the stuff!  But during my recent jaunt to the southern States it became noticeable that Cannabis was being smoked everywhere.  Clouds of weird smelling stuff wafted down hotel corridors, seemed engrained into the carpeting and furniture, and nobody batted an eyelid.  And that was in the good places I stayed. 

Then in Las Vegas I saw the signs, and then some shops, and it became apparent that this stuff was legal!  Out on the streets the smell hung in the air and I sort of got used to it. Smell it now and I guess I would be transported back to my time away, with a nostalgic wry smile.

It just seems to have become the norm.

And I wonder now how long it will be before it gets legalised on these shores?  After all if the masses are stoned enough then they are calmer and more manageable, plus many people smoke it anyway and the police don't seem too worried by it. The government would make a few quid in tax and there could be some health benefits, all big plusses in an economy on its knees.  

Maybe it's time to invest in some shares in the companies below!

munckee

When I was younger I thought it should be legalized as buying it puts young people in touch with criminals who had a vested interest in them getting into stronger and more addictive drugs. 

I’ve seen repeatedly the mental health problems it causes and my view has changed over the years. 

underdog

It should be legalized in the UK in my opinion. I don't use it, haven't for 25 years or more, didn't even like it as a teen (preferred anything that got me going rather than chilled me out), but the current UK law of letting everyone smoke it but it still not being legal is daft.

It could be legal, taxed, sold at registered outlets, this would remove a lot of criminal activity and boost the government coffers that could help fund the NHS etc.

WiresDreamDisasters

It's just scutty, whether it's legal or not.

Weed heads will argue till they're blue in the balls about all sorts of things to do with weed, but for me the bottom line is, they're stinky and annoying people; generally speaking.

Headphones

Prohibition really works.

Just ask the US whether there are any long term issues after their flirtation with banning alcohol...

WiresDreamDisasters

OI WEED HEIDS.

UR FUCKING STINKY! YOU SCUMBAGS! HAVE A BATH!

Bidley

There is no logical reason to legalise alcohol but not cannabis (or any other drug). Either both should be legal or none at all. Both can be equally catastrophic for your health.

(I say that as someone who packed weed in years ago)

dazzajl

The way it’s worked in the US has meant the tax has gone directly into State budgets and not the federal one. So many roads, hospitals and community projects have been founded and it’s been an extremely popular change. 

I’d imagine if we did the same here we wouldn’t see quite the same benefits and the licenses to produce and sell would all go to Johnson’s friends and donors 

richardhomer

Fucking hate the stuff - quite possibly the source of my ex-wife’s serious MH issues. Twice sectioned - it’s a ‘no’ from me....

ICBM

In my opinion all drugs should be fully legal, regulated and taxed just like alcohol and tobacco are. It would destroy organised crime overnight, largely eliminate property crime and prostitution, save billions in policing, and generate billions in taxation.

I am well aware that there are severe health issues with drug use, but in fact many of them are due to the lack of regulation and purity/strength standards. I don’t see any evidence that it would dramatically increase use since anyone who wants illegal drugs can already get them.

If the US experiment with prohibition of alcohol wasn’t an effective enough lesson then the abject failure of drug prohibition should have reinforced it more than sufficiently.

Dominic

It should be legal because it's an open secret and no law enforcement is too bothered.
Keeping it illegal will not stop anybody who wants to use and ,in fact,legalising it will destroy some of the clandestine thrill for teenagers.
As for the consequences ,there will be no change other than tax revenue bonus but it is very damaging to mental health and quite definately  the cause of two people in my family having  very serious issues .
It's shit  but it wont stop users.

ewal

Pretty much with ICBM. The drugs themselves aren't the primary issue. The society and culture that nurtures substance abuse is.

fastonebaz

I want to try lsd, but I'm worried I'd be addicted to it. 

WiresDreamDisasters

ICBM said:

In my opinion all drugs should be fully legal, regulated and taxed just like alcohol and tobacco are. It would destroy organised crime overnight, largely eliminate property crime and prostitution, save billions in policing, and generate billions in taxation.

I think this is pretty utopian in nature and there is very little evidence to suggest it's true.

IMO, the social issues that would explode from rampant and unchecked drug use, would eventually cause crime to rocket, policing to rocket, tax revenues to be depleted on social projects that don't work, and would fuel social decline to the extreme.

I used to think we should legalise all drugs, but I just don't see any evidence for it being a good idea.

LastMantra

fastonebaz said:

I want to try lsd, but I'm worried I'd be addicted to it. 

It not very addictive at all. You can get some shrooms easy enough for a trip.

earwighoney

richardhomer said:

Fucking hate the stuff - quite possibly the source of my ex-wife’s serious MH issues. Twice sectioned - it’s a ‘no’ from me....

I used to work at the Ministry of Justice's Mental Health department around 15 years ago which sounds impressive but my job wasn't - I spent most of my time photocopying records.

Whilst doing the above, there were fuckloads of patients who'd lost their shit from smoking too much skunk. 

I remember asking the top civil servants about this very issue and their opinions were like yours, as is mine.

I've also seen a few of my good friends lose their fucking minds from smoking too skunk, also from chop and drinking alcohol too.

cm01

Portugal decriminalised all drugs in 2001 ... interesting article here:

https://time.com/longform/portugal-drug-use-decriminalization/

There’s no doubt that high THC content weed has the potential to trigger serious mental health issues.  I work in AOD and know a few people who are now being prescribed low THC cannabis oil which has been extremely beneficial for them.

545454

I've seen the mental health impact in a friend, but to me that's actually an argument in favour of legalising. He was buying highly potent skunk because that is what was available.

Users will buy it regardless of legality, but I think giving them information and choice is surely a sensible approach.

Regarding increased usage - perhaps to an extent, but realistically, most people who want to try cannabis will not have been deterred by the legal status. 

ICBM

WiresDreamDisasters said:

I think this is pretty utopian in nature and there is very little evidence to suggest it's true.

IMO, the social issues that would explode from rampant and unchecked drug use, would eventually cause crime to rocket, policing to rocket, tax revenues to be depleted on social projects that don't work, and would fuel social decline to the extreme.

I used to think we should legalise all drugs, but I just don't see any evidence for it being a good idea.

Why would drug use become any more rampant than it is now? Illegality is no obstacle to use whatever. I’m not sure why you think it’s utopian - the evidence is all around us, it’s exactly the situation we now have with alcohol.

If anything I would expect health issues to improve if it was possible to simply walk into the equivalent of an off-licence and choose the type and strength of drug you actually want, as you do with alcohol - rather than being given no choice other than what the illegal drug dealer has.

I’ve never been more than a very occasional hash user, but I stopped entirely about fifteen years ago when all that seemed to be available was high-strength stuff that just made me feel ill.

Alcohol in excess is at least as dangerous as what are currently illegal drugs. You like a beer as much as I do... do you think it would be better if all we had was illegal backstreet gin with no idea of the strength or what was actually in it?

earwighoney

ICBM said:

In my opinion all drugs should be fully legal, regulated and taxed just like alcohol and tobacco are. It would destroy organised crime overnight, largely eliminate property crime and prostitution, save billions in policing, and generate billions in taxation.

I am well aware that there are severe health issues with drug use, but in fact many of them are due to the lack of regulation and purity/strength standards. I don’t see any evidence that it would dramatically increase use since anyone who wants illegal drugs can already get them.

If the US experiment with prohibition of alcohol wasn’t an effective enough lesson then the abject failure of drug prohibition should have reinforced it more than sufficiently.

In the USA, once weed was legalised the Mexican Cartels went from selling weed to selling Heroin/Crystal Meth.

The dealers will always be a step ahead.  Even if Weed or Heroin is legalised the dealers will find something else often much worse. Eg Spice for weed, spice was legal and fentanyl for heroin.

ICBM

earwighoney said:

In the USA, once weed was legalised the Mexican Cartels went from selling weed to selling Heroin/Crystal Meth.

The dealers will always be a step ahead.  Even if Weed or Heroin is legalised the dealers will find something else often much worse. Eg Spice for weed, spice was legal and fentanyl for heroin.

That’s exactly why they *all* should be legal, no exceptions.