To be a bit dubious about cannabis being legalised

[LeahJack]

William Hague called for legalisation today. And there is the discussion about legalisation for medical reasons, which is obviously great for people like Billy Caldwell, but has been used in the US as a back door for recreational legalisation as certificates are given out like confetti for everything.

I worry about this as DH used to smoke it. And like most users thought it was harmless but it made him absent minded and empty headed even when he wasn’t smoking it to the point where I was frightened to leave the children with him because he wouldn’t be able to react quickly if they did things like run into the road. Plus he was grumpy, irritable and short tempered when he wasn’t smoking it.

Another friend of mine who is a bit vulnerable had a complete breakdown into psychosis smoking it and lost her marriage and wasn’t allowed her children unsupervised for a long time as a result of cannabis smoking.

I also know someone who is currently smoking it claiming it is curing his depression, but it is quite obviously making his already poor mental health worse and tipping him into paranoia.

I know some people say it should be treated like alcohol, but if alcohol was discovered now, it would probably be banned too.

I think smoking it is a selfish act, and the price for recreational users legally getting stoned will be paid by their partners and children and vulnerable people who are made ill by it.

I hate that it’s effectively been decriminalised anyway and my children have to walk through clouds of stinking smoke on our high street.

@leahjack you do know how many people smoke weed and manage not to be mentally ill, obese and jobless right? I think you need to do some more research into what the proven effects of cannabis are

I have an anti-inflammatory decease, those who can access cannabis in the US says that it helps reduce the inflammation enormously, I have managed to heal myself with dietary restriction but it's tough to stick to I do it because the legal pharmaceuticals have horrendous side effects...
Interesting thing about tobacco, they think it's an anti-depressant - not much in the way of scientific investigations into the positive effects of nicotine - but that apparently is one of them.

One of the major factor in the success story in the Netherlands is that people who wanted to smoke weed no longer had to have a dealer who would be inclined to try and encourage them to try harder, more profitable drugs. Therefore, whilst marijuana increased very slightly, the use of harder drugs decreased because people just weren't coming into contact with the people who would supply them.

Its silly that I have to go to a drug dealer to buy cannabis. I dont know what strength it is, I occasionally get offered harder drugs and the profits from the sale go to fund crime.

Its just a no-brainer, cut out the drug dealers, use the taxes from the sale to help the NHS and make the product safer with regulation. I hate this nanny state where just because someone thinks it makes their DH 'grumpy' then no one should be allowed it.

FFS sake, we are adults! if it affects you in a way you dont like then stop smoking it!

Just to add LeahJack I'm speaking as someone that was in care (nothing to do with weed, just and abusive cunt), has MS (never needed it but friends do) and have smoked recreationally in the past (haven't done now for many years but enjoyed it when I did and I don't have any mental health problems), also never been overweight (size 8 even when smoking weed).

*an

I don’t understand why people are so confused about this. We’re talking legalising cannabis oil here not the drug. In the same way that opiate based drugs are legal but opiate based recreational drugs are not.

As for the argument that the “warr” on cannabis isn’t working so might as well legalise it, you could apply that to so many laws in the UK. Sex-based crimes for instance have a pitifully low conviction rate, and it could be argued that we are losing any kind of battle on those, and yet you don’t hear calls for rape and other sex-based crimes to be de-criminalised? And even the argument that alcohol does as much if not more damage, does that mean that because there’s a substance out there which is as damaging we should release more on to the market? No of course it doesn’t.

At the end of the day there are now clinically proven benefits to some patients who take cannabis oil. And given that cannabis oil is an entirely different product from weed which you smoke, legalising it for medical purposes isn’t going to lead to numerous stoners being able to get prescriptions to get high.

It seems crazy that we cannot legalise cannabis oil for medical uses when we have heroin available medically for pain.

^given that cannabis oil is an entirely different product from weed which you smoke, legalising it for medical purposes isn’t going to lead to numerous stoners being able to get prescriptions to get high.*

I think this is what some people are confused about.

I 100% agree with you.

yabu
they should lobby for medicines (researched, monitored, proven to be safe and effective) derived from cannabis to be authorised and marketed.
the cynic in me says they (the manufactures) don't want to because it costs money...

Shit, that didn't bold properly!

But would the tax be worth hits in other areas? Hospital treatment? Mental health issues? Family breakdown? Children going into care? Lower productivity, fatter people with more health problems

Have countries that have decriminalised seen big increases in these issues? People are smoking it anyway. If you legalise you could get rid of skunk and people would use much kinder versions (not sure if kinder is the right word).

I'm very anti drugs, but don't really get the Pearl clutching on this one.

Many states in America, like the Netherlands have legalised cannabis and like alcohol and sugar you have those who can use it responsibly and those who can't control themselves and damage themselves or those around them,

The fact of the matter is if someone wants to use cannabis they can, there is no point pretending otherwise. It's widely and easily available now with little to no legal ramifications if caught.

As such, I'm all for removing the illegal element of it, and taking the criminals and the harder drug pushers out of the equation.

If It wasn't widely available I'd probably have a different view, but it is, and that's not going to change, so make it safer for people to use it.

legalising it for medical purposes isn’t going to lead to numerous stoners being able to get prescriptions to get high

But that’s exactly what has happened in the US. The system has been exploited.

Are they talking about legalising it for general use? I thought it’s only for medicinal use.
We can get the cbd oil but it doesn’t contain any THC whereas the stuff used for medicine in other places (such as Canada) has a small amount in it (I think, I’m no expert)
When it becomes legalised for medical use I will be looking into it and hopefully getting some. I currently take medication where the side effects can be horrendous (cancer, tb and lymes disease to mention a few). I also cost the NHS quite a bit in blood monitoring to make sure my liver and blood is still functioning correctly. I’m not sure how this is more beneficial to treat me with than CBD oil where others with my condition on CBD have managed to come off 90% of the legal medication

But that’s exactly what has happened in the US. The system has been exploited.

They could just legalise the oil though, which I understand you cannot get high from (although please correct me if I'm wrong) so there is not the same incentive to game the system.

Also, I tend to think our system if prescriptions is a bit more robust than the US.

I have no issues with legalisation for medical use. I am on the fence about recreational use.

You cant get high from the oil though can you ? So what is the issue.

There is no doubt that cannabis is a gateway drug for a number of people who then start experimenting with more dangerous substances such as heroin.

Maybe if such substances are legalised then they could be sold at government stores at regulated prices. A proportion of the cost would be used to pay for an insurance product which would then pay the medical fees of anyone who succumbs to issues related to consumption of the product.

In fact,lets do that with alcohol as well. BAN the sale of alcohol at all the eight until late off licences and grocery stores and sell it at fewer more tightly controlled outlets with an insurance policy bolt on to pay for health consequences.

Another one agreeing with expat.

i support legalising the oil.

i'm not a fan of smoking but i don't think anyone like me who is basically fit young and healthy has any right to be saying to ill, sick people who have data it will help them, that they shouldn't be allowed it.

i don't think any fit healthy person should have any say in whether it's legal or not - it should be down to an independant medical panel who base their decision on the data/example cases.

and it seems that it has medical benefits and the social side effects limited, so why on earth not allow people access to it?

it seems rediculous.

We allow the medical use of Opiates and their use in pain killing medicines, there is zero difference with Cannabis oil and its benefits on certain medical conditions.

WTF has it got to do with rolling a spliff ?

But that’s exactly what has happened in the US. The system has been exploited.

Has it? I've got friends in the US and they generally say no.

There is no doubt that cannabis is a gateway drug for a number of people who then start experimenting with more dangerous substances such as heroin.

I think this is bollocks. If someone is going to be a smackhead they are going to be a smackhead. Nothing to do with weed.

I think it should be legal for medicinal purposes. Morphine is after all. Definitely not for recreational purposes.

You can’t get high from the cannabis oil which is currently legal in the U.K. because it has no THC which is the psychoactive ingredient. The cannabis oil which is not legal and which campaigners want legalised does contain THC so yes, that sort of cannabis oil does make you stoned.

I think the point of legalisation is that the dosage and purity can be managed because you just can't be sure that the illegal stuff you buy off the street isn't contaminated.
If people are going to use it then they will get it anyway, at least if it's legal then it can be managed better and available easier for people who really need it for medical reasons as well.
Plus the tax from it would be fairly high which could be used to give our NHS a much needed boost.
We already allow nicotine which is basically poison, there is no pros to smoking it but there are plenty of pros to cannabis.