To ask your opinions on cannabis and legalisation

[orangeleopard]

I’m just curious about people’s opinion on cannabis. I’m aware it’s illegal, but I believe it should be treated the same way alcohol is and be legalised. As one example why, I believe it can do wonders for people with chronic illnesses and pain. I think if it was legal I would likely consume it as a way to get me off taking the strong opioids I’m prescribed daily. It would be safer and have less side effects. I’ve seen stories of it helping peoples anxiety as well as helped people with neurological disorders etc.

On the other hand I think it can be very bad as most people I know who consume it have become very lazy, and angry when they don’t ‘smoke’ aka withdrawals and it likely caused their depression. But I’ve also known a person who has adhd and smoking has helped them remain focused and on track in day to day life. I suppose it does depend on the person.

I think my overall opinion is that it should be treated like alcohol - in all honesty it’s likely safer as no one has died from an overdose from cannabis. But I do believe it should be legalised and people should be able to safely access it like they do in the Netherlands for example. I honestly believe it would decrease crime a bit.

So what are all your opinions?

YABU- it shouldn’t be legal
YANBU - it should be legal

I hope they don’t. I’ve recently come back from America in a state where it’s legal, the constant whiff of it outside is disgusting. Haven’t been to the Netherlands so can’t comment on what it’s like there.

I think it’s awful stuff and so bad for your mental health.

I don’t think it should. It fucking stinks.

It just leads to people taking heroin and cocaine, it also leads to mental health issues big time. In addition it stinks and I don’t want to breath in second hand cannabis smoke

yes it can help medically and I would have no problem with it being dispensed legally, by GPs, for those it can help such as those in pain etc. but it has to be controlled

smoking it should remain illegal.
it stinks.

pharmaceutical preparations, well studied and quality controlled - fabulous for many

I’m not sure that this is accurate.

Are rates of cocaine and heroin abuse higher in states where cannabis is legal?

I know quite a few recreational cannabis smokers who lead successful law abiding lives other than their smoking.

I don’t know that it causes substantially more damage to people than alcohol and while I hate the smell, not sure that this should warrant people being criminalised for using it.

No it doesn't, there are many reasons to be against legalisation but none are listed in your post 🤷‍♀️

I sort of agree but my DDs friend who smoked weed as teens ALL have mental health issues. Issues so bad it affects their daily life. Two of the three cannot even work. It may be coincidence but it's a pretty close call.

I would like drugs deregulated in some way to keep users safe. I'm not sure how tho.

There are some places in the UK that you can legally get medical cannabis on prescription. I am all for the controlled usage for medical conditions and it is a shame that it is so difficult for people with prescriptions to get it.

Portugal decriminalised all drugs and started treating the people who took them as patients rather than criminals. There was a huge reduction in addiction related deaths.

i don’t think England has as big of a problem where this step is needed but Scotland needs something drastic to help with their addiction issues. Maybe decriminalising things is the way to go.

no it doesn’t lead to heavier drugs , that is not a fact .

I’ve had a prescription for cannabis for ages, the comments about it leading to heroin are insane. In fact it has helped me to reduce my prescription opioid medication.

A lot of the mental health issues can either be explained by those people already having issues, and/or them using incredibly strong product. If it was regulated they would know what amounts and strengths would be appropriate.

Alcohol is proven to be a much
more dangerous and unhealthy substance.

100% in favour.

Legalise it, regulate it, tax it. Just like alcohol & tobacco. Stop wasting police & court time enforcing ridiculous, outdated, pointless prohibition.

I absolutely hate the smell of it. There was a mother smoking it in the play park the other day...felt sorry for her kid breathing that shit in

Legalise it definitely.

One thing legalisation could help is regulating the different strengths of cannabis. Ie skunk is a different kettle of fish from most resin, but if you leave it in the hands of criminals, teenagers often are exposed straight away to very strong, damaging stuff.
Crudely it’s like drinking a pint of beer vs a pint of vodka.
If people knew what they were getting and could access this safely I think this would help - regulating for only being able to buy strong skunk in small amounts say.

Its risks are on a par with if not less than alcohol and it certainly can be a beneficial drug to some people

I hope it’s never legalised. Mainly because of the link between use and developing psychotic illnesses. But also because in places where it’s legal, e.g. New York, it seems to be seen as perfectly acceptable to smoke it everywhere -you have to walk through billows of weed smoke every time you walk down the street. Somehow it’s seen as perfectly ok, whilst cigarette smoking outside had largely disappeared. I’d hate for that to happen in the UK.

I would have no objection to it being used in medicinal form as long as it isn't smoked. However, I think it would need to be a last resort as a medical treatment as it has such a damaging impact on people's mental health.

I am very strongly against the legalisation of smoking cannabis as it's so antisocial - I can't bear the smell and felt sick so much of the time when we went to Amsterdam.

As a mental health professional who deals daily with individuals who have cannabis induced psychosis and the impact this has on them as well as others I hope never.

It's stinks like shit and I don't touch it, but I still think it should be legalised.

On the other hand I think it can be very bad as most people I know who consume it have become very lazy, and angry when they don’t ‘smoke’ aka withdrawals and it likely caused their depression.

See I find that odd unless most people you know are heavy smokers?

I know about 7 people who smoke and non of them are like that. They're just like any other normal person but absolutely stink

I think that if it continues to be illegal then they need to make alcohol illegal also.

I think my issue with legalising it is that there is no social etiquette (for want of a better word) about using it. Most people would feel weird walking down the street at lunchtime with a can of beer, and most people drink either in pubs or at home (mostly in the evenings).

Friends I had at Uni who were into weed were really into it, to the detriment of their studies. I drank a lot, but the social “rules” around alcohol meant I didn’t drink from the moment I woke up.

I support legalising it, but perhaps only on prescription or in specially licensed premises.

Do you now

Also, if it were to be legalised, they would be able to control the strength of it? I meet many people who use it for pain relief. While I really hate the smell, I appreciate the positive health benefits people find from its use.

I agree it should be legalised and regulated. If it was age restricted, subject to health assessment before purchase, controlled dosage and there were designated areas to use and purchase it I think a lot of the problems we see with it now wouldn’t be so prevalent. Those who use cannabis before their brains are fully developed, ie teens are at higher risk for developing mental health issues / aggravating underlying conditions. The benefits of cannabis when used correctly can be a lifeline for some people with conditions such as ADHD, chronic pain, cancer etc. It could be a huge money maker for the government in taxes too.

Legalise it and tax it. The UK is already the biggest producer and exporter of medicinal cannabis in the world so why should private companies British Sugar be the only one who profits? The treasury could earn billions more if the gen pop could purchase it too.