UK decriminalisation of cannabis

[mcsqueal]

:hugon :bowl :hugoff

Cannabis has just been downgraded from a class B to a class C drug here in the :uk. Essentially this means that you can't be arrested for possesion for personal use... dealing is a different matter of course.

Wondered if anyone had any thoughts, opinions or comments they'd like to share on this?

[SavingSelf]

As an :usa I have to say that I support decrimilization. I wrote my master's thesis on the US drug policy and used to be a strong supporter of making drugs legal until I realized the U.S. is way tooo intolerant to even consider such a radical idea. Decrimilization may be a small step, but it's definitely one in the right direction.

I believe in decriminalization, minor drug offenders take up valuable space in our prisons that should be suited toward hardened criminals. We waste billions, billions, billions of $$$ each year fighting a "war" that is getting us nowhere. And I believe the stepping stone theory is bogus if you try to solely blame marijuana -- if I want to be a drug abuser, chances are I'm going to do it regardless of if marijuana is legal or not. Not only that, I tend to think that alcohol and nicotine are the two worst drugs in our society -- and legal. One more point and then I'm done -- I live in a society where I could easily become a prescription medicine drug addict, I don't think we spend nearly enough time considering that.

Marijuana is an easy target and gives the politicians something to talk about and to advance themselves politically.

Hmmmph... should I tell you how I really feel ??? :cheesy.

Karley

[pageling]

:hugon Karley :hugoff

You rock! :sly Thanks for such a well thought out answer. So, I'll just say ditto, since I couldn't hope to articulate it that well. :grin Just one more thing, TO MY LIMITED KNOWLEDGE, isn't nicotine addictive and marijuana not? If that's the case, I think there's something really screwy there. That's it for me.

:love,
paige

[lovtophish]

Karley, very well thought out answer!! I have to agree completely. I would still like to see drugs legalized, but our government will never take that leap. The big corporations, especially tobacco, have our government in their pockets. There are more drug possessors in prison than rapists and they get a longer sentence than rapists. You would think our government would recognize that there is something wrong with that system.

Steph

[Feak]

Hmmm....Whilst I used to be an avid supporter of decriminalisation...I kinda reconsidering it at the moment....

I think that systems with drugs are ridiculous. I know of six dealers that live just down my road. Those are the ones I know about. I know that anytime I want I can easily find people to give me pot, pills, speed etc anytime, anywhere. And I think that sucks. I'd never touch anything other than pot btw. I am sixteen. Isn't their something wrong here?
I am :uk as well. I'm in Southend, which I guess is dealer heaven, near Dover port.

I agree though that arresting etc people just for smoking pot is rediculous, so I am glad that it's class C now. It practically already was. Everywhere I go I can smell people smoking the stuff! Trying to catch everyone is dumb, a waist of time and money. Police don't seem to give a shit about it anyway. The law changes wont make any difference to what's already going on!

Pot isn't harmless though. I used to be a complete stoner. Every day. I was never sober. I could never remember what I was doing, what I had done... I upset so many of my friends, just because I'd either not see them for months cause I couldn't remember when I'd seen them, or I'd see them two days in a row, and spend most of the second day describing to them what I'd done on the first day, only to have them inform me that they were with me! Now I still smoke it occasionally (not every day, but a few times a week still..too much). My memory is still fucked up. No one to blame but myself. People just think it's cool though. Smoking pot is cool. Doing drugs is cool. It's cool to not know whever the fuck you're coming or going. Loose youself in marojounana.

Ramble and rant! Sorry...this thread got me thinking!

[snookums]

I'm an American :fishy and support decriminalization of marijuana.

The others here have made some compelling points about decriminalization.

As a practicing physician, I also believe that marijuana has medical benefits for some people. It is really immoral in my opinion that the U.S. federal government does not allow the medical use of this plant.

Like with EVERY drug, there are downsides and side effects and risks to marijuana. In particular, in its smoked form, the irritants in the smoke are unhealthy. I support research into novel drug-delivery systems, such as by metered dose inhalers, etc.