Well cannabis to be more specific. I'll be honest from the start and say that as a Probation Officer I've paid little attention to the subject, always having drawn a distinction between it and other potentially more dangerous mind-altering substances. I'm aware that cannabis strains have increased in strength over the years, but I've still never come across a case of anyone having been beaten sensless as a result of an assailant being high on the substance, unlike alcohol or crack cocaine of course.
On the contrary, I've been involved in several cases of cultivation for personal use which have been vigorously defended on the grounds of significant beneficial effect for serious medical conditions. I well remember one guy presenting the judge with a significant file of information, gleaned mostly from the internet, and which he agreed to read over the weekend before reluctantly imposing a two year Probation Order.
As far as I'm aware, and I speak as someone who has never tried exotic herbal substances myself mainly because I don't smoke, the most harm that can be caused by the stuff is that meted out by the Criminal Justice System. Having said that, there are always exceptions and I am also aware of the risk posed by say skunk if used grossly to excess and the possible mental health effects such as paranoia. But surely all this has to be seen within the context of the utter mayhem caused on Friday and Saturday nights by alcohol, together with the horrors of people assaulting their bodies with dodgy needles, filled with dodgy substances and in dodgy circumstances?
I have never subscribed to the view that cannabis should be treated seriously by the
authorities because it is a so-called 'gateway' drug. I think it's a ludicrous argument, especially as heroin users are far more likely to have started on alcohol. The only real problem with cannabis in my view is that it's illegal. At some point a future government is going to have to grasp this nettle, de-criminalise the substance and put it on the same footing as tobacco. That way we might all be spared the damned flypasts by the Force helicopter on a regular basis looking for 'hot' roofspaces with their infra-red imaging cameras.
I am convinced that the police (And customs, the Royal Navy and RAF) are spending huge sums of money trying to eradicate this and ignoring the real problems. A friend of mine works for HM Revenue and Customs. On two occasions he arrested the same man on two occasions for selling bootleg cigarettes (Dutiable value on each time, about £8000) each time the CPS dropped the case as it was "not in the public interest" Could you imagine the CPS dropping the case if he had arrested him for cannabis with a street value of £8000?
ReplyDeleteHi Jim,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your ongoing efforts to this blog, it's always worth checking out and I frequently find myself in agreement, likewise on this subject.
If I were in charge I'd legalise, regulate and licence the growth of cannabis for personal use. It would work like this; licences for a small number of plants per household (possession of a licence would include consent to unnannounced inspection of the plants and the application could include a section of relevent pre-existing or family mental health complaints). Seeds would be bought from regulated distributors, available strains selected carefully and seeds sterilised. I wouldn't strongly object to cannabis being sold at regulated outlets but possession would only be legal with proof of purchase or a licence for home growth.
As far as alcohol goes, i'm strongly in favour of massively increasing takes on off sales in an effort to re-juvenate the local boozers.
For info, I find this to be a very informative resource: http://www.kfx.org.uk/
Why don't we try taking a completely new approach to cannabis? Around three million people in Britain are regular users and whatever we do we're not going to be able to stop them.
ReplyDeleteWe waste billions every year on police, court and prison resources when a large proportion of society uses cannabis without any problem at all. In fact, the only real problem with cannabis is that it's illegal.
The risks to health are very small - much, much less than alcohol or tobacco. By a recent analysis of mortality, hospital admissions, toxicity and propensity to psychosis, cannabis is nearly 3000 times safer than alcohol. Why not introduce a tax and regulate system and realise the benefits?
That way we'd have a properly regulated supply chain with no criminals involved, no theft of electricity, no human trafficking, no destruction of property and disruption of neighbourhoods. Then there would be some control over this huge market. There would be thousands of new jobs, sales would be from licensed outlets to adults only with guaranteed quality and safety. Then our police could start going after some real wrongdoing instead of trying to fight a crime that exists only because of a misguided government policy.
Also, very importantly, science now proves that cannabis is one of the safest and most effective medicines for a wide range of conditions. While the government promotes the lie that "there is no medicinal value in cannabis", it has granted an unlawful monopoly to GW Pharmaceuticals to grow 20 tonnes a year for, you guessed it, medicine!
Cannabis Law Reform (CLEAR) published independent research on 14th September 2011 that shows a cannabis tax and regulate regime would provide a net gain to the UK exchequer of £6.7 billion per annum as well as reducing all health and social harms.
The only thing that keeps the present absurd status quo in place is weak politicians corrupted by Big Booze and the GW Pharma monopoly.
Go to the CLEAR website for full details: www.clear-uk.org
Thank you for speaking up. Autistic people are very afraid of the situation, cannabis being our medicine and it being illegal. To know that the authority figures we depend on for protection have a human heart and mind, as you do sir, is reassuring.
ReplyDeleteBest,
mamasatya
I actually disagree with you. It is totally absurd to require a licence in order to grow a plant. That type of legislation is like admitting that the plant is dangerous and requires regulation. In Cannabis' case, that is simply not true. We need to see sense and see it immediately. PLANTS CANNOT BE AGAINST THE LAW!!! Here is a quote from my site which accentuates the ridiculous paradigm surrounding the plant Cannabis Sativa :-
ReplyDeleteWhat these ministers don't understand is that they are trying to police a law that is in effect, unenforceable. Let me put this hypothetical but possible scenario to you all : a fox or bird who has eaten some Mary Jane plant, decides to visit your garden in late April, and defecates the seeds into the back end of your garden. Come late July, new plants are sprouting up and the police raid you for home-grown, because you did not recognise these plants to get rid of them. Here is another scenario, just as possible : you go mushroom picking in horse fields late September, and end up picking some magic mushrooms accidentally, just as a police car is passing the field - you are then arrested! God/Nature does not make mistakes - mankind does in trying to make natural earth products illegal! The law becomes obviously perverse in order to enforce unnatural sentiments.
Mark, I agree with you. It is absurd - but we are where we are. Much as it might make sense, there is not going to be a revolution and 180 degree U turn on cannabis.
ReplyDeleteTherefore, in order to make progress, we should accept, in fact encourage, movement towards a rational policy by promoting the idea of licensing which will help to dispel the fear and concerns of those who do not use or understand cannabis.