[Politics] How would you vote in a referendum to legalise cannabis in the UK?

[BBassic]

So it's alright for millions of people to drink every night but not for people that want to relax with a spliff? What harms it doing? Far less than alcohol I imagine. Anyway looking forward to my best mates stag do in Amsterdam in July [emoji377] [emoji5]

Sent from my SM-A326B using Tapatalk

Amsterdam, wooo-boy.

I like a smoke but when I go there I have to be very careful.

First time I went we ended up in some coffee shop or other I had a couple of tokes and that was me done for the day. Strong doesn't being to describe it.

When I go now I tend to buy one pre-rolled joint a day and that does me a treat. Buy the joint, find a park, watch the world go by.

 

[highflyer]

Legalize in order to better control it. And to improve education.
The long term mental health implications of the current widespread use of weapons grade skunk by kids is pretty scary

It may be 'natural' but so is being struck by lightening.

 

[Springal]

I think I am for it if medicinal dispensed like the US. But I’m still surprised how many drug drivers there are based on smell of passing cars - and also how many people are happy to expose their kids to cannabis smoke.

 

[Giraffe]

It's a dripping tap isn't it. Make this legal, what is next. I recognise all the arguments but for this reasons alone I would vote to keep it illegal.

 

[Commander]

Legalize in order to better control it. And to improve education.
The long term mental health implications of the current widespread use of weapons grade skunk by kids is pretty scary

It may be 'natural' but so is being struck by lightening.

It's also not natural, it's completely genetically modified. You don't get that kind of stuff growing wild!

 

[The Clamp]

It's a dripping tap isn't it. Make this legal, what is next. I recognise all the arguments but for this reasons alone I would vote to keep it illegal.

To my knowledge, no territory in the west has ever gone on to legalise any class A drug after legalising cannabis. What is it that concerns you?

Not a dig at you but your post does highlight the general lack of knowledge about cannabis. Saying that legalising cannabis could lead to legalising say, heroin or cocaine is akin to saying that legalising cannabis would lead to legalising burglary. The two things aren’t related. Apple and oranges.

Having said that, people need to be educated about all drugs. I don’t use any controlled substance and haven’t for years. There are many types of cannabis and many ways to imbibe it. It pays to know about them if one is planning on smoking it.
I had a close family member who smoked himself into a depressed, paranoid stupor on the stuff. Lost jobs because he couldn’t get out the front door in the morning and when he was there made himself very unpopular by being a stoned Negatron, spent all his spare cash on it, became fragile and over-sensitive, selfish, let people down because he was always stoned. Still does as far as I know. How depressing.

I’ve worked with heroin and crack users who were more reliable than most dope smokers I know.

But is still say it would be better if it were legalised. I think heroin should be as well, for registered addicts in a controlled environment. They dole out methadone quite happily which is bloody ghastly stuff to get off and worse for you than clean heroin. By a long way.

But methadone does protect vulnerable people from exploitation, to a degree. Legalising heroin would cut other crime rates massively and protect vulnerable addicts, prevent women from having to sex work, shoplift, burgle etc.

I’ve responded when women have been gang-raped by drug dealers simply because they went into the wrong flat to score. Heroin is not a party drug. For addicts it is no more enjoyable than taking medicine. All addicts want to get off it. There’s an argument for keeping them safe while they are trying. They would certainly be more positive members of society.
But that’s a different debate.

 

[RandyWanger]

It was a long time ago since I studied history but it's William Randolph Hearst's fault it's illegal. Drug legislation being made by governments to help keep their mates rich. Sounds familiar

 

[highflyer]

It's also not natural, it's completely genetically modified. You don't get that kind of stuff growing wild!

Very true.

 

[schmunk]

Great point, hopefully with legalisation of cannabis we can also relax some of the rules on smoking, my supply of menthol fags that I bought before they were banned is getting low.

I will support legalisation if it leads to the sale of menthol fags……….

Have you tried popping a Polo Mint over the end of your fag?

 

[willalbion]

Legalise the lot IMHO. It's a no-brainer. Imagine the funding the NHS etc would get from the tax on recreational drugs. Imagine how much money would be kept from genuinely evil people. People want to get high, they'll do it whether it's legal or not. Legalise and control it all. (Never going to happen)

 

[willalbion]

It's also not natural, it's completely genetically modified. You don't get that kind of stuff growing wild!

There's an argument that the criminalising of it has led to the insane strains you can get these days - there was an incredibly interesting interview with a drug csar on the radio t'other day. I'll try and post a link to it.

 

[BadFish]

Portugal swapped from seeing drugs as a criminal thing to seeing it as a health issue. They decriminalized all drugs in 2000 and have seen impressive results in usage and deaths. Not sure it has all been smooth sailing but from what I have read it has enjoyed better results than the war on drugs method adopted by other countries.

https://www.theguardian.com/news/20...licy-is-working-why-hasnt-the-world-copied-it

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Slightly peculiar photo on this BBC page about legal use of Cannabis:

Parents feel misled by ministers over medical cannabis pledge

Fewer than five patients have been prescribed whole-cannabis medicine, despite it becoming legal in 2018.

www.bbc.com

 

[GingerBeerMan]

Portugal swapped from seeing drugs as a criminal thing to seeing it as a health issue. They decriminalized all drugs in 2000 and have seen impressive results in usage and deaths. Not sure it has all been smooth sailing but from what I have read it has enjoyed better results than the war on drugs method adopted by other countries.

https://www.theguardian.com/news/20...licy-is-working-why-hasnt-the-world-copied-it

At this point we have all the evidence we need from Canada, USA and Portugal. The fact it's not even decriminalised now is for reasons other than 'public safety'.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Slightly peculiar photo on this BBC page about legal use of Cannabis:

Parents feel misled by ministers over medical cannabis pledge

Fewer than five patients have been prescribed whole-cannabis medicine, despite it becoming legal in 2018.

www.bbc.com

View attachment 166357

And that kids is what happens when you take drugs.

 

[Chicken Run]

I don’t like the smell of it

 

[Questions]

I would definitely get sidetracked and forget to vote on it……

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

It's a dripping tap isn't it. Make this legal, what is next. I recognise all the arguments but for this reasons alone I would vote to keep it illegal.

The old “where will it end argument”

What’s next is an entirely separate discussion.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Legalise it. There’s no sane argument to keep it illegal.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Slightly peculiar photo on this BBC page about legal use of Cannabis:

Parents feel misled by ministers over medical cannabis pledge

Fewer than five patients have been prescribed whole-cannabis medicine, despite it becoming legal in 2018.

www.bbc.com

View attachment 166357

I presume it was this mum who was interviewed on Radio Five this morning. I have enormous sympathy for her family and others in this situation. The boy was having 800 fits a day which was ending up with him becoming partially paralysed and hospitalised. Cannabis had stopped all that and he had been able to lead a normal life since. She claimed that the boy was costing the NHS £200,000 a year but if he was prescribed cannabis it was £30,000 (? Couldn't be sure as dog barked at that moment lol!). Personally I believe it should be legalised and not just to help families like this, but criminalising large numbers of people is pointless in an activity that is ostensibly taken at the individual's own risk and not apparently infringing on anyone else's source of income as the dodgy dealers would have to look elsewhere.