Should we 'legalise illegal drugs'? - Poll.

[JIMSLAD]

After going to see my stepson on a mental ward the answer is definitely NO

[kestrelx]

Originally Posted by Restless

Anne. What kind of day have you had?

I am going back to what I have said before-- I was basically saying that people really need to stop classing cannabis with other illegal drugs.

People really NEED(capitals for emphasis) to be properly educated about cannabis. I think of cannabis like I think of alcohol. Both are drugs, both can be bad for you. Used in moderation, both are safe. Well Alcohol is dangerous to those uneducated in its use and then you can get carried away...factually I can't say the same for cannabis(untouched clean source, not plastic and chemicals), since I don't know of any instances where people have died from it.


I have never

Attacked anyone
Robbed anyone
Raped anyone
Burgled houses
Smashed their property for no reason
Beat a woman up
I am not racist, sexist or homophobic-- I have not been accused of racist hate etc
ETC

I used to smoke lots of cannabis everyday for 6 years and I never committed any of these crimes. But people are educated to believe that because cannabis is an illegal drug, the users will commit crimes like this. But yet. Alcohol can be the cause of at least 4 or 5 of the above crimes.


*Awaits red karma*

4

1+

[kestrelx]

Originally Posted by JIMSLAD

After going to see my stepson on a mental ward the answer is definitely NO

I can understand how you feel, was your stepson smoking cannabis or taking other drugs?

[Restless]

Thanks.

True I know at least one guy where it could've messed his life up. It is subjective in his case because he had personal problems to begin with and with any mind altering substance it is not good. But. In my opinion he would be a lot better of without it.

I was wondering at the time (if you could) be more specific and elaborate on what happened in your day that made you come to that conclusion-- I was gathering that you might have witnessed something at work in relation to drugs that further concreted your opinion in the legalization of (any) drugs in general

Originally Posted by annesingleton

I had a very difficult day Restless, thanks for asking, and I appreciate your other points - I know that a lot of people function ok whilst using cannabis regularly, I know some people personally who do but I know that for others it completely messes their lives up - and I know that legal substances do the same but that's not an argument for legalisation to me.

[annesingleton]

Originally Posted by Restless

Thanks.

True I know at least one guy where it could've messed his life up. It is subjective in his case because he had personal problems to begin with and with any mind altering substance it is not good. But. In my opinion he would be a lot better of without it.

I was wondering at the time (if you could) be more specific and elaborate on what happened in your day that made you come to that conclusion-- I was gathering that you might have witnessed something at work in relation to drugs that further concreted your opinion in the legalization of (any) drugs in general

Sorry Restless I can't go into details, so I suppose my post was a bit pointless really, it's just seeing the havoc that substance use can cause in young people's lives and how things could be different if they hadn't started in the first place.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by annesingleton

Sorry Restless I can't go into details, so I suppose my post was a bit pointless really, it's just seeing the havoc that substance use can cause in young people's lives and how things could be different if they hadn't started in the first place.

I've never worked with people on drugs but have seen the mess they cause Anne, they once brought a 19 year old on the chest ward where I was he had pneumonia, he'd OD and was lead on a park bench through a very rainy night, they eventually got the lad right, and he told us he'd finished with drugs, he'd learnt his lesson. Three weeks later I was reading the Observer and it was reported that this same lad had been found dead in his flat on Nuttall St. Accy, from a drugs over dose, a complete and utter waste.

[Restless]

Anne-- Well its just an opinion, but I thought your post was not pointless just flawed. Flawed because you throw cannabis in with a statement that could be about hard drugs. Without details there is no way to know-- I guess you work in a hospital or doctors? or some other job where info is confidential? you might of said before but I don't remember. That is fair if you cannot go into details. I am just interested. If this subject is gonna keep popping up here, its better imho to keep it factual and serious.

I am pretty serious about this subject because I have seen first hand the damage hard drugs can do. I can't stand to see them now. The latest thing is those 'legal highs' that are extremely dangerous. 'Bubble' that was made illegal earlier this year(debatable whether or not it has made the slightest difference) is very bad. It is plant fertilizer. Other legal highs as they are obnoxiously named are things like bath salts and other chemicals. There is a good documentary about it

I find it quite disturbing with all the deaths I have heard of recently in relation to 'bubble' I would predict that this drug will end up claiming more lives than ecstasy has.

Cannabis wrecks lives in the same way alcohol and gambling does but not the same way as hard drugs do.

Sometimes this sounds and feels like a rant but I think there is not enough awareness about drugs. Condemnation is not awareness.

Luckily I have not lost a friend to drugs, though I lost a friend(though we were not that close) recently due to a stomach ulcer bursting. He did nothing but drink alcohol and perhaps cannabis sometimes. He was 35 years old. Perhaps if he didn't drink at all he would still be alive.

Originally Posted by jaysay

I've never worked with people on drugs but have seen the mess they cause Anne, they once brought a 19 year old on the chest ward where I was he had pneumonia, he'd OD and was lead on a park bench through a very rainy night, they eventually got the lad right, and he told us he'd finished with drugs, he'd learnt his lesson. Three weeks later I was reading the Observer and it was reported that this same lad had been found dead in his flat on Nuttall St. Accy, from a drugs over dose, a complete and utter waste.

Yes. it is a shame.

Condemnation is not awareness. Perhaps with a bit of teaching this wouldn't happen. What drugs was this? I never understood how people could be so stupid to do stuff like heroin etc. Its a lack of knowledge/awareness for these kids, and they start taking drugs when they are young and some of them just don't know the difference, but then again some simply do no care. It is a sad thing

[kestrelx]

Originally Posted by jaysay

I've never worked with people on drugs but have seen the mess they cause Anne, they once brought a 19 year old on the chest ward where I was he had pneumonia, he'd OD and was lead on a park bench through a very rainy night, they eventually got the lad right, and he told us he'd finished with drugs, he'd learnt his lesson. Three weeks later I was reading the Observer and it was reported that this same lad had been found dead in his flat on Nuttall St. Accy, from a drugs over dose, a complete and utter waste.

Apparently 70's kids show presenters of "Playschool" smoked cannabis and were under the influence of cannabis during the show and the drug was used often in the BBC Studios!

http://uk.tv.yahoo.com/play-school-p...-round-up.html

Did it do these people any harm?

[Restless]

Can we give up on this subject? this comment feels to me like another attempt of bumping the thread (or more so to bring anne's attention to my post)

this subject has become somewhat boring--

Originally Posted by kestrelx

Apparently 70's kids show presenters of "Playschool" smoked cannabis and were under the influence of cannabis during the show and the drug was used often in the BBC Studios!

http://uk.tv.yahoo.com/play-school-p...-round-up.html

[kestrelx]

Originally Posted by Restless

Anne-- Well its just an opinion, but I thought your post was not pointless just flawed. Flawed because you throw cannabis in with a statement thing

[kestrelx]

Originally Posted by Restless

Can we give up on this subject? this comment feels to me like another attempt of bumping the thread (or more so to bring anne's attention to my post)

this subject has become somewhat boring--

No it's not bumping the thread mate! I just saw a link to this article for the first time and I thought it should be posted here, to inform people that cannabis was used by some people making this TV program in the 60's and 70's - this is apparently going to be shown in a documentary on the BBC soon. It's not bumping - just adding to the pot of information.

[Margaret Pilkington]

so because some childrens TV presenters in the dim and distant past did it...it's Ok?

Did you read the other article during the week where a young woman( who had been a long term user of cannabis) committed suicide? Still, perhaps you do not consider her death to be attributable to the cannabis...or the fact that her mental health had been affected by this substance.
I'm sure her family would find your comments very enlightening.

[kestrelx]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

so because some childrens TV presenters in the dim and distant past did it...it's Ok?

Did you read the other article during the week where a young woman( who had been a long term user of cannabis) committed suicide? Still, perhaps you do not consider her death to be attributable to the cannabis...or the fact that her mental health had been affected by this substance.
I'm sure her family would find your comments very enlightening.

But Margaret back in the 60's and 70's the cannabis was weaker - and I have covered this before in other threads that the way it's grown today (in artificial indoor environments) increases certain chemicals. I 've said all this before.

Also what newspaper did you read this about this woman comitting suicide, was it the Daily Mail? I would appreciate if you'd posted a link.

[Margaret Pilkington]

I can't remember...I read it online. I read a good variety of newspapers online....and now I can't remember where I read it.
My point wasn't anything to do with the strength of the stuff...it was, that because someone else(famous/celebrity) is doing something that is daft, and possibly dangerous and damaging to health doesn't make it the right thing to do for the rest of us.

[davemac]

You cant hold a discussion if one side of the discussion will not entertain the possibility of the other side having a point, all you have are rantings.

This is a point made clear by some of the posts we have on here.