Legalise Cannabis: The Start...

[Lulu]

Right then, cup of tea, anyone?

I'll start buttering the rich tea

Lulu Reviewed by Lulu on 01-09-2005. Legalise Cannabis: The Start... The past couple of days has seen me in an exceptionally wierd mood. I can't quite understand what it is that I'm going through; depression, alienation, loneliness? Whatever. Anyways, I've been doing alot of thinking during this time (of which unabatable wierdness continues to haunt me), and have been trying to arrive at a solution to the age old argument of wether or not Cannabis should be legalised. All of this preamble has a point (eventually lol). So, whilst I continue to ponder Rating: 5

[Lulu]

The men who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed.

Lloyd Jones

[RESiNATE]

Have any of you heard of "The Wooton Report"?
I hadn't...until now
(http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/...ootton_toc.htm)

I have just waded through the whole document and have arrived at some encouraging conclusions.
I'm not going to discuss those conclusions here and now, save to say that if you meet with disapproval from people about your habit, then you would do well to point them in the general direction of this report.

Anyways, just thought I'd pass on the knowledge
And to let you know that I am beginning to formulate plans lol

If anyone wanted to help, then you could do this:
Just ask people that you meet; "What would worry you about cannabis being legalised?"
If you could make notes about the general consensus of opinion, then post them, I would be grateful - I need to know why people are objectionable to the legalisation of cannabis...(obviously, don't be asking your stoner mates lmaoo...kinda defeats the object hehehe)

Thanks
Res...

[poorman3]

o.k. res, i`ll ask the few people i know that do not partake in our habits. it might take a while though as we seldom seem to meet. lol.

[RESiNATE]

Cool, Poorman...yups about seldom meetings lol
Oh, and try not to get drawn into an argument lol, just accept their answer and then change the topic lmao...

It's easier to defend/discredit an opinion if we know what that opinion is (generally) before argument takes place...ever wondered why 'disclosure' was made law?


If anything (if the person questions your interest), just adopt an anti-drugs air about you, and say that you are doing a paper for college, or summat...maybe you can draw a bit more from them...'knowledge is power', to coin a phrase

Muchos gracias!

[poorman3]

hey resinate, have you tried the keyhole.com satilite program? you can type in the address you want to look at and it moves to your address. you can focus in and out. pretty cool, i think its free for 7 days then you have to buy it. that is if you can take a break. lol. i had it for 6 days then got rid of it.


o.k. i`ll not let them get under my skin. peace.

[GHoSToKeR]

If anyone wanted to help, then you could do this:
Just ask people that you meet; "What would worry you about cannabis being legalised?"

The few people i've asked in the past while have said things like this:

• It can cause long-term psychological problems, ie pyschosis etc
• If the government were to legalise Cannabis, then it would give people the opinion that the government encourage the use of it.
• The strain, financial and otherwise, on the government, were they to legalise it, would be enormous, and the tax-payer would suffer.
• They trust their government, and if the government wont legalise it, then it must be for a legitimate reason.

Most arguements revolve around those four points..

[RESiNATE]

Thanks GHoST

Here are some possible retorts that you could offer those people:

"It can cause long-term psychological problems, ie pyschosis etc

(taken from 'The Wooton Report' http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/...ootton_toc.htm)
This extensive study of cannabis use and it's affects upon it's users, and society, concluded that "...One medical witness mentioned having seen a few cases of acute psychosis following cannabis-use, but did not feel completely satisfied that cannabis had been the cause." ... and..."Having reviewed all the material available to us we find ourselves in agreement with the conclusion reached by the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission appointed by the Government of India (1891-1894) and the New York Mayorâ??s Committee on Marihuana (1944), that the long-term consumption of cannabis in moderate doses has no harmful effects."...and..."There is no evidence that this activity is causing violent crime or aggression, anti-social behaviour, or is producing in otherwise normal people conditions of dependence or psychosis, requiring medical treatment.

"If the government were to legalise Cannabis, then it would give people the opinion that the government encourage the use of it."
This is quite simply a ridiculous fear - Alcohol is legal, and yet we see much evidence of its affect upon society...therefore, are we to trust the government that they are concerned with our health?...the same can be said of tobacco, which is attributable to many deaths per year:
(taken from http://www.ash.org.uk/html/factsheets/html/fact02.html)
Illness caused by smoking

Smoking has more than 50 ways of making life a misery through illness and more than 20 ways of killing you. In general, smokers endure poorer health than non-smokers. It has been estimated that, in England, 364,000 patients are admitted to NHS hospitals each year due to diseases caused by smoking. This translates into 7,000 hospital admissions per week, or 1,000 day. [1] In 1997/98, cigarette smoking caused an estimated 480,000 patients to consult their GP for heart disease, 20,000 for stroke and nearly 600,000 for COPD"

"The strain, financial and otherwise, on the government, were they to legalise it, would be enormous, and the tax-payer would suffer."
The UK government is currently funding the 'war on drugs' at a cost of over £400Million per year!...and it aint working!
(taken from http://society.guardian.co.uk/drugsa...1103%2C00.html)
"The reality is that, after five years of effort and with a budget now topping £400m a year, despite relentlessly hard work from some 5,000 dedicated people on the ground, there is an alarming shortage of effective treatment and no sign of a reduction in demand for drugs."

"They trust their government, and if the government wont legalise it, then it must be for a legitimate reason."
lmaoo...just mention the war on Iraq!!!...ask them if THAT was legitimate, and how they can attribute it to the government's awareness of legitimacy!

Thanks for the feedback, GHoST
I am getting deeper into this, and along the way I am realising a great deal more than I previously did about this!
There is soo much more to consider, than just health issues.
For instance, there is much corruption to consider.
The tobacco industry is a very powerful lobby, as is the alcohol industry...it would be enlightening to know how much funding to the government these organisations are supplying

Res...

[GHoSToKeR]

The problem, RESiNATE, is that the Wootten Report was given to the Home Secretary in 1968. The only change in Cannabis legislation since 1968 has been declassification; unfortunately, you can still be arrested, charged and sent to prison for possession, as in most cases, the severity of the punishment comes under the discretion of the arresting officer(s), or the judge dealing with the case. So, since the Wootten Report, there has been nearly no change.

I would like to hear some of your ideas and thoughts

[robert42]

res and ghost u 2 know ur shit man with u guys as the future the future is lookin more green then ever

LEGALIZEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE