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

Yes it should be legalised and people should be able to grow their own, in small amounts.

I have Endometriosis and I just started having a bad flair up tonight.

I use edibles most of the time. This flair up was fast so I smoked instead an hour ago. I can walk now. Bend at my back. My stomach pain is bearable. I finished up the dishes, counters, laundry, took recycling and garbage out and walked the dog. I know that's not a lot but it would have taken me far longer than an hour for me to do that before. It is very life changing for me.

@Josette77 I can only find a study showing it’s between 2.5 and 5 not 20

https://drugfree.org/drug-and-alcohol-news/study-says-smoking-marijuana-worse-for-lungs-than-cigarettes/

considering the banning of cigarettes is coming through to 14 year olds, to try to prevent COPD, heart disease and strokes etc. why would the government legalise a drug that is used with tobacco and increases the harm - not at 20x the rate but still at 2.5-5x the rate

But this was the last sentence.

All of the smokers reported coughing and wheezing, but only tobacco smokers exhibited signs of emphysema.

whats your point?

The smell is so disgusting and intrusive. I hate it. The smell of people can be just so so strong , like on the bus etc. it’s gross.

smoke at home if you really have to. But I don’t want you near me thanks.

I'm rather fond of the smell
as a vegetarian I find the smell of my neighbour cooking meat to be quite disgusting, I wouldn't try to suggest that it be banned because I don't like the smell of it!

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/smoking-cannabis-doesnt-carry-same-risks-as-tobacco-ucla-study/

Anyone who has set foot in a nursery/ playgroup knows how a group of little people smell when put inside closed doors. Maybe we should ban children too
It has a distinctive smell, but I don't get the total repulsion to be honest.. it's a natural smell, like any other herb.

@Josette77 not sure if your link was the answer to the point? But the link doesn't work in England - a message comes up stating the link doesn't work in the country you're in

drugfree sounds like a nice balanced site 😅

It's not really illegal. You just can't possess or use it unless you meet certain criteria, such as having a prescription for it. You could argue alcohol was "illegal" because you can't buy or use it if you don't meet certain criteria like being over 18.

But yes I think it should be readily available. It would greatly increase the safety of the product, extremely strong variants could be illegal. Most people would probably opt for the freely-available versions over illegal ones.

I think it's only a matter of time. Once tobacco is phased out cannabis is the natural replacement for generating tax revenue.

It seems weird that people are talking about legalising this at the same time as banning smoking.

I think it is bad for your lungs and bad for your mental health.

I'm not sure that legalising it sends out the right message at all.

im not an advocate but the amout of damage alcohol does and is fully legal still is omg

Medical prescription, yes, not otherwise. And anyone taking illegal drugs should not be able to drive a vehicle, preferably permanently.

Indeed.

Children that smoke it from a young age before brain is fully developed often end up with poor outcomes

I used to smoke it a lot in my 20s. I don't know if it causes mental illness as such, but I do think it can exacerbate problems in those who are depressed, have anxiety, panic etc. that was my experience anyway. I was using it as a crutch and to help me cope and in the end it did more harm than good.

So as for legalising it, I don't think it's a good idea tbh.

Anyone who wants it can get it really easily. You don't even have to go outside you just order it to your door. Not even on the dark web. That's the same for any drug. The biggest impact that drugs have on the vast majority of users is that they get nicked in one of the very brief moments the law is being enforced and they have worse outcomes than people that used drugs and didn't get nicked.

You couldn't make drugs any more available even if you sold them in spoons. The application of the law isn't random either, black people and brown people get more grief and their outcomes are worse than white people who get caught in similar circumstances.

You can be in favour of decriminalisation and anti-drugs, they aren't exclusive opinions. There are various models around the world that show that this can be done well. In some countries with a decrim model they have higher average ages and less overall users of hard drugs per head. I don't think anyone saying they want legalisation or decriminalisation is calling for a total reappraisal of whether drugs are good or bad, they're saying let's try something else cos currently no one's winning except criminals.

I don't think the ocgs behind the commercial weed in this country will pivot into the legal market they'll just do something else. If there's any sort of retail/disposable/coffeeshop structure that ever appears the growers will be jumping through hoops and the govt will set it up so that only people in big legitimate business will be able to afford a look in.

Just let people grow it and hang out in social clubs swapping cuts and that'd be a great start. Imagine telling people they can't grow a plant that is pretty much the definition of over reaching moralising that a govt shouldn't really have an opinion on. IMO

There is so much ignorance on this thread.
No one minds if people go to the pub to drink literal poison and cause all kinds of problems with the law or NHS, cannabis is nowhere near as bad as alcohol, on many levels.

That's ludicrous. The alternative for me is morphine. That is also a street drug. Do you actually think I should have my licence taken away from me because I sometimes have to take strong medication for a disease?

And yes to PP who said people are just doing it anyway. I can get hold of it very easily whenever I want. I've been spoken to the police when I was younger about smoking outdoors, but they really weren't that interested. So really, all we'd be doing is bringing money into the economy rather than funding crime.

Countries where it is legal have been able to research and crossbreed the strains in ways that countries where it's illegal. ie the UK, have been restricted. As a result, odourless strains are being developed. For those of you that don't know, marijuana has many different types and strains, in the same way wine has different colours, flavours and aromas, but it's all still alcohol. I suffer from Crohn's disease and I find it helps me a lot, especially in comparison to the very harsh prescription drugs. I prefer edibles, but I do also use a dry-herb vape for rapid symptom relief.