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AIBU?

to wonder if this will have any effect on the legality of cannabis in the UK?

122 replies

ophelia275 · 26/12/2013 14:36

From 2014 in Washington and Colorado states in the USA, the recreational use of cannabis will be legal. It will also become legal in Uruguay, the first country to make recreational use legal. This has not been done lightly and legalisation will be tightly controlled and regulated after a lot of research was done on the impact in all 3 places.

It will be interesting to see if this has any effect on the future legality of cannabis in the UK. I think in the next few years more and more places will be making it legal to use recreationally, especially as there are potentially huge income streams associated with taxes/licensing of legal cannabis sellers.

Do people think it should be legalised in the UK if properly regulated/controlled in the same way as tobacco/alcohol is?

OP posts:

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maddening · 26/12/2013 16:26

Alcohol is worse imo - cannabis is less toxic and less addictive than alcohol - more lives are shattered by alcohol than cannabis when you discount lives lost due to the organised crime aspect of it - as if both were legal that element would exist on the same level as alcohol as far as black market is concerned.

Wolfiefan · 26/12/2013 16:28

What is your evidence that cannabis is less toxic and less addictive?

RedLondonBus · 26/12/2013 16:31

Can you honestly see this being legalised in the uk?

PigletJohn · 26/12/2013 16:32

It would be hard to find a substance more addictive and damaging than tobacco.

Gossipmonster · 26/12/2013 16:35

There is a NICE study somewhere with a graph, Alcohol comes way above Cannabis as more addictive and harmful think its third to a heroin and crack cocaine....

HettiePetal · 26/12/2013 16:42

What is your evidence that cannabis is less toxic and less addictive?

Endless studies have been done proving this.

How many people have died of alcohol poisoning? Countless.

How many deaths from cannabis? Zero.

And cannabis is not physically addictive - but it may cause psychological dependency.

Cannabis is considerably less harmful than either alcohol or tobacco. Considerably.

OldLadyKnowsNothing · 26/12/2013 16:44

Cannabis not even in the top 10.

HettiePetal · 26/12/2013 16:45

It's only a matter of time before cannabis is legalized in the UK.

And the time has come for us to at least consider the possibility of legalizing all drugs. The harm they cause is largely because they are illegal & unregulated.

The War on Drugs has been lost. Time to think again.

Gossipmonster · 26/12/2013 16:48

Agree hettie wish we were as brave as The Netherlands.

lifesgreatquestions · 26/12/2013 16:54

I was listening to a debate about this on R 4 during which someone said use would not increase dramatically if it were legalised, just that the people who buy it now would but it legally in the future. I don't drink much alcohol and have never been into drugs, but I could really see using marijuana and therefore thought the commenter was wrong. Surely there are one or two others out there like me who would consider using it if it were legal! I'm mature, I go to bed early, I eat a varied diet and look after myself. Clearly not a drug head.. marijuana is very different to alcohol, heroin, etc.

Mandy2003 · 26/12/2013 16:54

It would be better if the "traditional" forms of cannabis could be decriminalised and severe penalties for anything to do with skunk.

Gossipmonster · 26/12/2013 16:56

"Drug heads" are people with substance misuse issues same as people who misuse alcohol and should be supported and not looked down at.

scaevola · 26/12/2013 16:57

There are large swathes of the world where alcohol is illegal.

Perhaps if is as likely UK would emulate them as go the other way.

Controlled drugs can be made available on prescription. I should imagine a fair few MNetters have had heroin. So if there is a medicall use (and cannabinoids are being trialled, aren't they?) they can become available from doctors wino need to change them from being controlled.

fluffyraggies · 26/12/2013 16:58

3 times today i've read this thread title as 'cannibals'!

ivykaty44 · 26/12/2013 17:31

So due to both alchol and tabacco being dangerous legal drugs you build an argument to legalise another harmful drug around the fact…fact…

Dawndonnaagain · 26/12/2013 17:37

Legalising cannabis removes the dealer. Removing the dealer removes other options, ergo the option to try other drugs is somewhat more limited. This in itself is a good reason to legalise. It will also make it both cheaper and easier to study as the hoops that need to be gone through at the moment are time consuming and therefore expensive. I personally would not be happy if my teens smoked dope, but then again they are all AS and are therefore more likely to become addicted, be it psychologically or physically.

Lazysuzanne · 26/12/2013 17:38

We can only speculate as to the consequences of legalizing drugs there are bound to be unintended and unpredicted consequences.

Looking at other countries gives some clues but things will pan out differently in different cultures.

ivykaty44 · 26/12/2013 18:15

Removing a dealer doesn't get rid of the problems , it just creates more problems

Lazysuzanne · 26/12/2013 18:21

Surely anyone with an interest in this subject is familiar with the various arguments?
Whether you are for or against will depend on how much weight you give to various different factors. That in turn will probably depend on personal feelings and/or experiences.

I don't think that there is anything new to add to the debate. ..is there?

Dawndonnaagain · 26/12/2013 18:23

How ivykaty?

ivykaty44 · 26/12/2013 19:09

How are people going to get this drug? Who will sell it who will import it? Who will decide who can purchase it? Who will decide if someone should be prosecuted if it gets into the wrong hands? Who will blamed for mental illnrss ?

Making it legal also sends a big message that actually this drug is OK to use, when it is not OK to use and can cause long term health issues and lead to other drug abuse

Lazysuzanne · 26/12/2013 19:18

Ivykaty, re this point:

it is not OK to use

what are your criteria for deciding if something is OK to use?

PigletJohn · 26/12/2013 19:27

what message do legal cigarettes send?

What are the benefits of Prohibition?

Wolfiefan · 26/12/2013 19:38

Thanks for answering my question. I wasn't saying you were wrong. I didn't know the truth so asked.
Cannabis use worries me (I work with teens) but then so does alcohol!

complexnumber · 26/12/2013 19:40

Cannabis not even in the top 10.

OldLadyKnowsNothing

Hmm, a list drawn up by a discredited scientist, which makes no mention of the criteria used to rank the various drugs (unless I missed something in the Guardian article)

The Lancet paper cannot be accessed without registration.

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