This might sound silly but

[madasafish]

The high end criminal drugs business has all the resources money and to do this covertly through legitimate lobbying groups.

Just like any big business in the U.S. They would be stupid not to.

It doesn't take that much money to make U.S. politics protect an interest. Just research the Pro-Israel lobby and action commitees. This an example on public record where funding, on both sides of the houses, of politicians in the early stages of their careers works to ensure an interest is protected at great cost. There are others in agriculture, oil etc...

I am sure it happens (a bit more subtly ? ) in the UK.

After all decriminalising drugs will make a lot of rich people lose their income.

All you need to do is look at the various examples of politicians in the UK who overlooked various abuses because they had a personal interest in them.. (See Cyril Smith, Jimmy Saville and the separate Rochdale abuse scandals )

 

[Tom Bick]

I have lived on my narrowboat for ten years and a bit of a maverick as I don't smoke and especially don't smoke cannabis as it seems most people I know do. Some smoke it occasionally and some smoke it regularly. I am a bit negative towards it as it encourages smoking and I don't like smoking. However I have had some good evenings with large groups of people sat round a camp fire who drink a few beers and a few spliffs but do the same with just alcohol and there will be a falling out at some point in the evening. I have over my years observing this drug put people into two camps. The self motivated are ok smoking it as they will get up in the morning to go to work but the less self motivated have real problems and do a great deal of talking about big plans for the future. I have seen a few cleaver people waste good years smoking it as the years just drift by. A very good friend who has smoked it for many many years and said the stuff people smoke today is closer to a class A than the mild resin he used to smoke in the good old days. Personally it's an ok drug if people smoke it in moderation the same as alcohol.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I see more than two camps here -
There are those that want it legalised in some form to use as a medicine: alleviate pain (even old queen Vic used it to control her PMT - might explain her size - PMS comfort eating combined with the munchies) lessen nausea, a miracle cure for cancer (do you in all honesty believe that if it were true that there wouldn't be cannabinoid chemo drugs available?) or even to raise the dead.
I can side with these, the medicinally beneficial effects in cannabis can be isolated and prescribed as a pill/injection whatever if there is a real benefit to it then prescribed, much the same as other drugs (Morphine, uppers,downers in and outers etc.) have been prescribed for decades.

There are those that cherry pick academic papers, surveys etc.and can formulate a 'sound' argument but don't really live in the real world and should stay in academia where they can do no harm (or little good really)

Then there there are the usual clowns who use the medicinal excuse to legaise the stuff in its present form so that they can smoke themselves into fairyland without having their collars felt - pathetic!

Okay, I'm a law enforcement officer so I do have a bias, spent most of my adult life pursuing the 'wily smuggler' and buried a few colleagues killed in the line of duty on the way - I've also seen the mess ' recreational' drugs can make of people's lives - victims as well as addicts. And make no mistake in all but name Cannabis can be addictive too - I've seen a person whose only drug was cannabis go cold turkey - not a pretty sight. Post mortems aren't a nice way to spend an afternoon either.

So if cannabis has medicinal benefits - make it into a pill but don't use the tragedy of chronic or terminal illnesses as an excuse for you to be able to grow a little blow in your conservatory.

And please let's grow up and realise that youtube is not real life (or indeed that factual) and don't bring it into an adult argument!

 

[Erichalfbee]

a friend says the stuff people smoke today is closer to a class A than the mild resin he used to smoke in the good old days.

Yes, I think it's changed a lot.
I used to have the occasional spliff as a student but I must admit all it did for me was make me hungry!
I tried a smoke many many years later and it was awful....hallucinations, palpitations....just awful!!!!!!! Like Tom says.....not the old style resin or the weak grass that some used to grow in a corner of the greenhouse before parents knew what it looked like.

The availability of cheap alcohol to those who don't understand how to use it has a lot to answer for

 

[Greatbigchicken]

I see more than two camps here -
There are those that want it legalised in some form to use as a medicine: alleviate pain (even old queen Vic used it to control her PMT - might explain her size - PMS comfort eating combined with the munchies) lessen nausea, a miracle cure for cancer (do you in all honesty believe that if it were true that there wouldn't be cannabinoid chemo drugs available?) or even to raise the dead.
I can side with these, the medicinally beneficial effects in cannabis can be isolated and prescribed as a pill/injection whatever if there is a real benefit to it then prescribed, much the same as other drugs (Morphine, uppers,downers in and outers etc.) have been prescribed for decades.

There are those that cherry pick academic papers, surveys etc.and can formulate a 'sound' argument but don't really live in the real world and should stay in academia where they can do no harm (or little good really)

Then there there are the usual clowns who use the medicinal excuse to legaise the stuff in its present form so that they can smoke themselves into fairyland without having their collars felt - pathetic!

Okay, I'm a law enforcement officer so I do have a bias, spent most of my adult life pursuing the 'wily smuggler' and buried a few colleagues killed in the line of duty on the way - I've also seen the mess ' recreational' drugs can make of people's lives - victims as well as addicts. And make no mistake in all but name Cannabis can be addictive too - I've seen a person whose only drug was cannabis go cold turkey - not a pretty sight. Post mortems aren't a nice way to spend an afternoon either.

So if cannabis has medicinal benefits - make it into a pill but don't use the tragedy of chronic or terminal illnesses as an excuse for you to be able to grow a little blow in your conservatory.

And please let's grow up and realise that youtube is not real life (or indeed that factual) and don't bring it into an adult argument!

I couldn't agree more.

 

[irishguy]

Irish Guy was agreeing with you on the benefits, Mike.

I also like Swarms last couple of posts, pretty much the same as i think about it.

Sorry mike I was being sarcastic. I totally agree with you

 

[Hivemaker.]

Maybe if there were tighter controls on it through being put on prescription it might work but if some dealer try to sell my children (yes I am old enough to have children) on the streets I would hunt then down like the scum they are.

I agree, but the problem is with alcohol, it is the biggest killer and causes many more problems...and there are dealers all over the country.

Alcohol

Street price: from £1
UK users: 40 million
UK deaths/year: 40,000

Alcohol is a depressant but removes inhibitions at low doses. At higher doses, drinkers may experience slurred speech, reduced coordination, nausea and vomiting. Long-term use can damage the heart, liver and stomach.

Cannabis

Street names: dope, hash and bob
Street price: £40-140/ounce
UK users: 3 million
UK deaths/year: 1

This class-C drug is usually smoked. In small doses cannabis induces euphoria, relaxation and pain relief but in high doses it can bring on paranoia and short-term memory loss. Use can also lead to some form of dependency.

 

[REDWOOD]

Nothing medically good here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-term_effects_of_cannabis

 

[Hivemaker.]

Nothing much good here either...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-term_effects_of_alcohol

 

[irishguy]

Yes, I think it's changed a lot.
I used to have the occasional spliff as a student but I must admit all it did for me was make me hungry!
I tried a smoke many many years later and it was awful....hallucinations, palpitations....just awful!!!!!!! Like Tom says.....not the old style resin or the weak grass that some used to grow in a corner of the greenhouse before parents knew what it looked like.

The availability of cheap alcohol to those who don't understand how to use it has a lot to answer for

Do you understand what that old style resin is made with, that stuff shouldnt have seen the light of day and is one of the main reasons why weed gets's a bad rap because anyone smoking that concoction of materials should have bad side effects. You mention that the old style grass also, that stuff just didn't have enough THC glands in it to get a big high. This new stuff, you just have to take very little of it to get a moderate high. Anyone smoking it like they would have done with the weaker stuff, well IMO they are asking for trouble!

 

[irishguy]

Nothing medically good here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-term_effects_of_cannabis

I get slated for using YouTube but here redwood is using wiki (which anyone can edit I must add). Yeah it must be legit!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

rather na silly argument really - how does the fact that alcohol has harmful effects make cannabis OK?
As we say in Welsh

'Brawd Mogi yw tagu'

 

[REDWOOD]

also........... but I do like a custard slice
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childhood_obesity

 

[Hivemaker.]

rather na silly argument really - how does the fact that alcohol has harmful effects make cannabis OK?
As we say in Welsh
'Brawd Mogi yw tagu'

It does not make cannabis OK, but neither does it make alcohol okay, in comparison alcohol should be a class A drug, as it does much greater harm, that is all.

 

[irishguy]

I see more than two camps here -
There are those that want it legalised in some form to use as a medicine: alleviate pain (even old queen Vic used it to control her PMT - might explain her size - PMS comfort eating combined with the munchies) lessen nausea, a miracle cure for cancer (do you in all honesty believe that if it were true that there wouldn't be cannabinoid chemo drugs available?) or even to raise the dead.
I can side with these, the medicinally beneficial effects in cannabis can be isolated and prescribed as a pill/injection whatever if there is a real benefit to it then prescribed, much the same as other drugs (Morphine, uppers,downers in and outers etc.) have been prescribed for decades.

There are those that cherry pick academic papers, surveys etc.and can formulate a 'sound' argument but don't really live in the real world and should stay in academia where they can do no harm (or little good really)

Then there there are the usual clowns who use the medicinal excuse to legaise the stuff in its present form so that they can smoke themselves into fairyland without having their collars felt - pathetic!

Okay, I'm a law enforcement officer so I do have a bias, spent most of my adult life pursuing the 'wily smuggler' and buried a few colleagues killed in the line of duty on the way - I've also seen the mess ' recreational' drugs can make of people's lives - victims as well as addicts. And make no mistake in all but name Cannabis can be addictive too - I've seen a person whose only drug was cannabis go cold turkey - not a pretty sight. Post mortems aren't a nice way to spend an afternoon either.

So if cannabis has medicinal benefits - make it into a pill but don't use the tragedy of chronic or terminal illnesses as an excuse for you to be able to grow a little blow in your conservatory.

And please let's grow up and realise that youtube is not real life (or indeed that factual) and don't bring it into an adult argument!

Do you not understand that the pharma companies didn't want to touch this plant because if they'd pump all that money into making a drug that has benefits, all one has to do is plant a few plants in their garden rather than pay ridiculous prices from these corporations!

As for mentioning YouTube, yes I understand there's a lit of hogwash on there but don't for one more min believe that there isn't very informative information. If you watch them documentaries yourself you'll see high standing members of society backing up what I say and when I say USM, I'm talking about judges/police men/whistle blowers for the pharma companies and many politicians, though the latter cant be really called a USM of the community.

 

[irishguy]

rather na silly argument really - how does the fact that alcohol has harmful effects make cannabis OK?
As we say in Welsh

'Brawd Mogi yw tagu'

No, were saying its lesser of the 2 evils but why have it still banned when there's not 1 death from it in 1000s of years man has smoked it but the same can't be said for drink/prescribed drugs and even vitimans.
Its abit of insanity really and really gets you wondering the real reason why its banned

 

[mbc]

Then there there are the usual clowns who use the medicinal excuse to legaise the stuff in its present form so that they can smoke themselves into fairyland without having their collars felt - pathetic!

So if cannabis has medicinal benefits - make it into a pill but don't use the tragedy of chronic or terminal illnesses as an excuse for you to be able to grow a little blow in

Similarly we shouldn't forget the law is an ass and it criminalizes thousands of sufferers self medicating for relief.
The biggest camp who use cannabis though are those who carefully and relatively harmlessly use it for pleasure, you know who you are you naughty, naughty people!

 

[irishguy]

)

Then there there are the usual clowns who use the medicinal excuse to legaise the stuff in its present form so that they can smoke themselves into fairyland without having their collars felt - pathetic!

Okay, I'm a law enforcement officer so I do have a bias,

What's wrong with people smoking themselves into fairyland! If one isn't harming anyone then why is there any need to "have their collars felt"

I do understand you are very biased but biased always van be changed with the 'proper' education

 

[REDWOOD]

There are lots of plants that have medicinal resins and if administered correctly can have great healing abilities, my grandfather regularly used one for a headache. The problem being most are habit forming and if made socially accepted they would be abused

 

[REDWOOD]

What's wrong with people smoking themselves into fairyland! If one isn't harming anyone then why is there any need to "have their collars felt"

I do understand you are very biased but biased always van be changed with the 'proper' education

If you know a drug addict that's all they think about is where they are going to get the money for their next fix, they usually bleed their families dry and then turn to crime so that's why they should have their collars felt