Gorden Brown is making it so easy for me

[Del Lardo]

Originally Posted by Justsomebloke

In my day the first drugs you got your hands on were weak which gave you a chance to build up tolerances & get used to the whole Out of your head experience leading to a more gentle intro to drug taking.
Nowadays kids first drug experience is with top draw hydroponic skunk which Rips them from there safe little world where Mummy will save them & chucks them into a Whole world of potential mental issues.
If we was talking about the hash & weed of 20 years ago I'd agree with you mate but not these days with the factorys knocking out hydro by the lorry load.

And this is my point. Get it under government control so that the stuff being sold is not stupidly high grade so that even if kids do get their hands on it it won't mess them up.

Kids will get their hands on weed regardless in the same way that they will get their hands on alcohol. If alcohol were illegal in the UK the "dealers" would be selling bottles of super strenth moonshine that would be more than capable of killing kids in one night. Alcohol is legal so kids generally go for ****e like alcopops that whilst not good for them are at least a vaguely sensible strength.

[SidewinderINC]

There's a lot of things that don't make sense - and a lot of laws that often work out to "harm" certain people.

However that doesn't mean they shouldn't be enforced.

"moderate" cannabis use != "moderate" alcohol consumption

[Del Lardo]

Originally Posted by SidewinderINC

To add to my earlier post

I drank the same in pints per day as my friend had in joints per day (most days) during my second year of uni, pretty much for the whole year - He's dropped out of uni (after repeating his first year, and then not turning up to any of his second year) because he didn't ever go. He lied, stole and screwed up a load of friendships to get weed.

I was always able to get up, go to uni and pass and if I needed to stop drinking I could have done easily which I did do when my exams were on, and when I had coursework. He just didn't stop, and claimed he didn't have a problem.

Weed ruined his life, yet I've got through fine with my drinking.



I also don't see how legalising it to "stop kids getting it" would work, if they already get it now then what would stop them getting it when it's legal?

The thing is your are talking about two totally different people. I watched friends at Uni with very similar drinking habbits to mine (i.e. heavy) **** up, lose friends one by one and eventually drop out.

On the other side of the coin I've watched a good friend smoke several spliffs a day for 4 years at Uni and walk out with a 1st Class Honours in Electronics and Computer Systems Engineering (trust me not an easy task).

Just because a drug is bad for some people doesn't mean it should be banned IMO. If that was the case then alcohol would have to be illegal in the UK as well.

[Del Lardo]

Just as a side note I realise that this is a highly emotive subject for some people and I'm very happy/impressed at the quality of comments/answers so far. Please keep it up, whilst I may not agree with what anti drugs people are saying I want to hear it so I can better understand their point of view.

[SidewinderINC]

Originally Posted by Del Lardo

Just because a drug is bad for some people doesn't mean it should be banned IMO. If that was the case then alcohol would have to be illegal in the UK as well.

I'd wager that more people are succeptible to the negative effects of cannabis than are succeptible to the negative effects of alcohol (when taken on a like for like level, which is obviously not a scientific measure)


And regarding your post above - I agree, whilst I disagree with people that toke I can tollerate them, as long as they don't do it around me. I cannot understand the need, and never will, but accept some people do - in the exact same way as some people feel about alcohol.

[Justsomebloke]

Just a shame we are on a public board which restricts me from answering properly

In my own mind I'd like All drugs legalised so i can pop round the shop & pick up whatever i fancy at the time. I do feel that an Adult who lives alone should be able to do whatever he likes in the privacy of his own home if it does not effect anybody else, i.e. Get a crap load of hard drugs & go home & get wasted all week end. In the same way if 2 adults decide they want to get together & get wasted that should be cool as well if they are in there own home. Legalising it would reduce crime & guarantee a clean supply for those that use hard drugs.

On the other hand I would batter the person that sold my grandson hard drugs. As I use my own family to benchmark how I treat others then I cannot be for a legalisation of all drugs

Then on the other hand I cannot stand the one sided argument alcohol users have against us which is Completely unfair.
I have Never attacked anybody whilst stoned but I cannot post publicly what i have done to people whilst drinking, Needless to say it wasn't nice or pretty.
Piss heads go out & about smashing our towns & each other up every god damn week end even damaging property on there walks home but nobody says nowt about that.
I am bad because i smoke a little weed in my own home behind closed doors & curtains, Don't make me laugh.

Just one of those situations where I cannot be one side or the other. I want to be able to smoke a little weed without the threat of a court appearance but i don't want kids having access to hard drugs.

S'pose I would have to go with legalising it widespread & then controlling its quality & amounts being sold.
At least this way we could tax it & off set the losses that the non smoking culture has taken away from the coffers.

[Del Lardo]

Originally Posted by Justsomebloke

Then on the other hand I cannot stand the one sided argument alcohol users have against us which is Completely unfair.
I have Never attacked anybody whilst stoned but I cannot post publicly what i have done to people whilst drinking, Needless to say it wasn't nice or pretty.
Piss heads go out & about smashing our towns & each other up every god damn week end even damaging property on there walks home but nobody says nowt about that.
I am bad because i smoke a little weed in my own home behind closed doors & curtains, Don't make me laugh.

Malc, you've pretty much just summed up one of my main objections to weed being illegal while alcohol remains legal (for the record I think they should both be legal).

For me Mike Skinner does one of the best jobs of pointing out the sheer level of hipocracy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwDRBm-qbQI

[Del Lardo]

Originally Posted by SidewinderINC

I'd wager that more people are succeptible to the negative effects of cannabis than are succeptible to the negative effects of alcohol (when taken on a like for like level, which is obviously not a scientific measure)

tbh I'd happily wager the other way but to be perfectly honest I have nothing more than anicdotal evidence and media reports to go on at the moment. Think how many violent assault are a result of alcohol on a weekend and how many people have done things that have seriously effected their career as a result of a night out on the piss with their collegues.

[SidewinderINC]

Originally Posted by Del Lardo

tbh I'd happily wager the other way but to be perfectly honest I have nothing more than anicdotal evidence and media reports to go on at the moment. Think how many violent assault are a result of alcohol on a weekend and how many people have done things that have seriously effected their career as a result of a night out on the piss with their collegues.

I see which way you're going there, and I totally agree in that case.

I was more referring to the long term mental/social problems of the self rather than to others.

[Pheebs]

I think smoking ANY substance should be illegal.

As for Cannabis to band B though... not sure. There's obviously some reasoning behind it.