Cannabis should not be decriminalised - AIBU?

as for the youth, legal weed can and should be be age restricted, like tobacco and alcohol.

But I suspect that for many youth today, they aren't that interested in weed, just as they aren't that interested in alcohol.

They seem to like boba and avocados.

#BobaForever

It's incredible how we live in a capitalist society and businesses will respond and thrive to changes in the law. But this is somehow bad because its weed? I'd rather someone was taking an edible than getting pissed. Unlike people drinking booze, people on weed are rarely violent because of weed - its usually chills people out.

People can also grow their own weed, or buy from a friend/neighbour who grows.

Decrimilising weed would remove any criminal element, encourge a growth buiness, generate employment and taxes, and make a great product (that millions are using anyway regardless of the law) widely available.

It would also remove huge numbers of the population, mostly otherwise normal law abiding people, from the "criminal class". If you met me you would have no idea that I use cannibus regularly and have done so for decades - while I was a student & getting a degree as an adult, in full time well paid professional employment for decades, being a mum & raising a family. No idea.

Hence the slogan "Dump the dealer". What self respecting cannabis user wants to rub shoulders with criminals ?

People are already profiting from it. Criminals.

Legalize it and you can regulate it, and tax it.

If it was legalised large corporate cannabis companies would strategize about how to reach new consumers, lock in customers, upscale their business, create loyalty, upsell, ensure it's always accessible and available 24/7 target consumers including the youth market. Is that what we really want?

Or grow their own ?

Interesting discussion. I have a problem with profit from something healthy harming and addictive. If it was legalised large corporate cannabis companies would strategize about how to reach new consumers, lock in customers, upscale their business, create loyalty, upsell, ensure it's always accessible and available 24/7 target consumers including the youth market. Is that what we really want? Of course we already have businesses profiting from addictive and healthy harming industries (alcohol, tobacco, and to some extent food) but do we REALLY need another? Yes it's potentially a billion pound industry will tax revenues but is that all that matters. REALLY????

Before everyone shouts me down, yes I'm sure people will say they've tried it and say it's not addictive, could give it up anytime etc etc. However for just as many it is addictive and ruins lives and mental health.

We're making progress in curtailing health harming products ( I wish more was done about the food industry) This is more progressive than legalising cannabis. As long as we have the NHS it doesn't make sense health-wise. Just because we can make money from it doesn't mean it is sensible. I wish we would think about things in a more long term way rather than the next 4 years/election cycle.

I think by far the most serious risk around cannabis is the increase in schizophrenia and psychosis among young people. It possibly doubles the risk of the former for some people. Schizophrenia is just a terrible disease.

Someone upthread mentioned it as supposedly a good treatment for anxiety. That is very much in dispute, some evidence suggests that although it initially seems to relieve symptoms, it actually makes them worse later. If anyone's doctor is recommending it for that they should take it with a huge grain of salt.

Terpenes. Although they were hardly hiding.

It's a 'gateway drug' because it's traded by criminals always happy to expand their business. Legalise it. Tax it. Take the business model away, crime will drop, tax will increase, prisons will cease to be so overcrowded. Madness to leave this criminal activity to thrive with little intervention.

I wouldn't allow smoking cannabis in public if it was my decision. Either in your own home or in specialist cannabis cafes. Plus you'd have edibles and vapes as well. It would cause far fewer problems than alcohol causes with all the drunken violence and stupid behaviour.

Happy to be snarky too.

All of those points apply to alcohol and most of them apply to tobacco.

Educated enough now?

Twelve pages of bait taken - nice work OP

Good luck.
you don’t have to smoke it. You can make edibles - I make brownies, keep them in the freezer. Lovely. It will hopefully help you feel better.

Or perhaps, those seeking escape start with whats widely available. Alcohol. Cannabis.
But if people want to bury feelings, they will.
Correlation ≠ causation.

Does tobacco affect your judgement for driving, ive never heard of that but happy to be educated

Cannabis has definitely got stronger in recent years, it absolutely stinks, I notice it all the time

Hope so!! 🤞

I appreciate the insight; far easier to evict indoor-smokers (canabis or otherwise) here in Canada, it seems.

It smells so much like a skunk has sprayed, genuinely hard to distinguish.

Though, seemingly, scientists have now identified the cause of the smell in cannabis, so I expect less pungent forms to be developed.

I see what you mean
what about oil under the tongue like how CBD oil works ?
The dry herb vape sounds better than the spliff though
But only for people who need it for medicinal purposes
As vape plumes are also a bit of a blight on our streets and pub beer gardens etc

but cannabis stinks like a fox has just sprayed all over and around the smoker , the vile stench makes me nauseous ! I guess it’s called skunk 🦨 for a reason.

Cannabis should be legalised and alcohol made illegal.

Needs to be simplified & streamlined, perhaps AI will help police with being under resourced

'gateway drug' is such a load of bollocks (and I'm not keen on weed really)

Look at the impact alcohol has as a 'pathway' - alcohol use is very very clearly linked to other drugs - so many cocaine users do it because they are drunk/disinhibited/ they use the coke to counteract the 'sleepy' effect of the booze.

Alcohol use makes it harder to stop smoking, over eating, doing other drugs.