MPs to debate cannabis legalisation- thoughts?

[cjbrandy]

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... signatures

After a petition has got over 200,000 signatures, MPs are now going to debate whether to legalise cannabis.

I have never smoked weed. I have no interest in doing so in the future either. However that does not mean I judge those who do, in fact I strongly disagree with its current status as a class B drug and think it should be legalised for the following reasons:

- It is less harmful than smoking and alcohol so if they're legal, why can't this be legal?
- The government could make money from taxing it
- Stores that sell it would make a lot of profit because it would sell like hotcakes, especially to persons aged 18-25
- The police can stop wasting their bloody time hunting people who possess or grow it and focus on serious offences like putting away paedophiles, rapists, home invaders etc

Of course, its incredibly unlikely it will be legalised with the fairly right wing Conservative government in charge. I will eat my shoe if it gets legalised here in the UK!

What are your thoughts on the legalisation of cannabis? Have/do you smoke cannabis? (Don't be shy, you're not going to be arrested!)

 

[Thekingin64]

^Completely with you there. I've never personally smoked cannabis with no intention to ever try it but I still agree with the points made about its legalisation.

 

[SaiyanHajime]

I think legalising cannabis in a country with a huge alcohol problem is a bad idea.

Is cannabis even half as bad as alcohol? Obviously not, and it makes no rational sense why alcohol should remain legal and it not, but I just think it'll be abused. People say that those who smoke will regardless of the law, but I don't think that's true. Plenty of people drink who would definitely not if it wasn't socially acceptable.

 

[Dar]

I agree with it being legalised. What are the downsides of it being abused though? If you have too much, you go to sleep! I've never heard of someone getting fighty on weed.

So I don't sound like one of those preachy stoners, there should be regulation akin to tobacco and alcohol. Research suggests it can affect development is smoked in teenage years, so maybe a minimum age of 20 before you can get it.

 

[cjbrandy]

I agree with it being legalised. What are the downsides of it being abused though? If you have too much, you go to sleep! I've never heard of someone getting fighty on weed.

So I don't sound like one of those preachy stoners, there should be regulation akin to tobacco and alcohol. Research suggests it can affect development is smoked in teenage years, so maybe a minimum age of 20 before you can get it.

I agree it would definitely need an age limit, probably 21 like the Americans use on everything. I know its not going to be legalised but it would be progress if it was lowered back to class C, class B is far too harsh.

 

[Smithy]

From a personal standpoint, no thanks. It stinks and the sort of people who use it round here could do with it being harder to get hold of, not easier.

I always laugh at the argument that "it's less harmful than cigarettes and alcohol", aye that may be true, and again from a personal standpoint I'd have no problems making them illegal either.

I don't really care enough either way tbh, I just cba for the arguments.

 

[Ian]

I regularly smoked a lot of weed in my late teens and early 20's. I had the occasional joint in my late 20's and now I'm in my mid-30's, I've not touched it for several years. I stopped smoking it because I didn't like the high it was giving me, and I started to feel less productive and ambitious. I don't see the problem with people using it recreationally providing it doesn't become a habit. People can do what they want to their bodies. That's their choice, but when it starts to affect society as a whole, a line must be drawn. I know several people who can't get through the day without puff and they are the dullest people I know. Sure, they might occasionally might come up with a few creative discussions but on the whole, I quickly become tedious of their company. I see those mates less and less nowadays. There's only so long I can watch others snigger at Family Guy whilst they automatically roll up another.

I say keep it as class B so it's not "a big crime" if somebody smokes the odd joint with their mates, but have the legislation in place to prosecute (or socially assist) those who do it all the time.

 

[furie]

I think legalising cannabis in a country with a huge alcohol problem is a bad idea.

I agree, but....

There's a definite case for am argument that the alcohol abuse issue in the UK has got worse since our became less and less socially acceptable to drink.

There's a chart somewhere (I'll dig it out when I'm not on the phone) that shows that the lower the age of allowed consumption and the more common small amounts of regular drinking there is, the lower the problem with alcoholism and alcohol abuse.

Anecdotally; my family, friends and I all drink differently now than we did twenty years or longer ago. Then or was common to have a drink at lunch time, after work or at night mid week. Just spontaneous drinking if maybe a couple of pints when you felt like it.

That's now considered socially unacceptable, so people wait all week and then binge.

When I was younger, the idea of Friday /Saturday nights of getting hammered every week didn't exist. Don't get me wrong, if we were going to get drunk, it would be the weekend ; but only planned for one night every few weeks.

So I agree that with the current climate for drinking, introducing pot is not a good idea. The only thing I would say is that a country with a pot abuse problem is considerably less violent, dangerous and loud that one with an alcohol problem

There's more to say, particularly about the criminal aspect, but I can't really get into that on a phone.

 

[gavin]

No drugs should be illegal, least of all cannabis. People - well, adults at least - should be allowed to shove whatever **** they want into their own bodies.

 

[GuyWithAStick]

If you have tobacco legalized, you should definitely legalize Marijuana too. It's not only safer, but it'll make the Government loads of money off of taxes.