Should Weed be legalised?

[andrew "the ref" coyne]

I'm sure there are plenty of people who smoke it that don't do what Woyzeck assumes they do. In fact I don't know anyone who fits that description. None of the stoners I know come out with stories of things they did when they were high or make any reference to Bob Marley in the hilarious way you mention. Are you sure these people actually exist as you've been talking about them for years, surely if they annoyed you all those years back then you wouldn't still hang about with them?

 

Really? You've never seen these type of people? And not everyone who smokes weed is an idiot who can't shut the fuck up about it like they're funny and cool, but there are enough of them about. Look at the comments that always come out as soon as someone mentions Amsterdam, every time. If it ever got legalized, (it won't) then that's what we'll get all the time.

 

Used to smoke myself when I was younger and like SiMania I never knew anyone who fits that description.

 

I do. Don't get me wrong, I know that the majority of stoners arnt like that, but I have been on a trip to Thailand and met a bunch of prats JUST like that.

 

Having recently seen how Australia handles alcohol here, I believe a similar system for weed could work in the uk. Make it legal, tax the shit out of it's public use in cafes and impose heavy fines for abuse (not sure how that would work exactly, but it's a starting point).

 

[Kiffy]

If the biggest argument against letting people something they do all the time anyway, and moving the revenues away from organised crime and into the national purse, is that sickboy finds some stoners annoying (most grow out of that phase tbf, but you do certainly come across it) then I'd say it's pretty conclusive.

[Dead Mike]

This topic has cropped (pun intended) up here a couple of times & pretty much results in the only argument against the legalisation (or decriminalisation at least) being 'Drugs are bad mmmkay'. I don't remember one decent point in favour of prohibition. Also, the argument that it should be illegal because it's users are boring doesn't fare well for fans of the 'Games Workshop', those lads won't cope well in jail.

[Loki]

I'm sure there are plenty of people who smoke it that don't do what Woyzeck assumes they do. In fact I don't know anyone who fits that description. None of the stoners I know come out with stories of things they did when they were high or make any reference to Bob Marley in the hilarious way you mention. Are you sure these people actually exist as you've been talking about them for years, surely if they annoyed you all those years back then you wouldn't still hang about with them?

 

Really? You've never seen these type of people? And not everyone who smokes weed is an idiot who can't shut the fuck up about it like they're funny and cool, but there are enough of them about. Look at the comments that always come out as soon as someone mentions Amsterdam, every time. If it ever got legalized, (it won't) then that's what we'll get all the time.

 

Annoying , boasting Stoners probably still have absolutely nothing on the "man, I got so pissed up last weekend..." lot, who think that getting into a fight, cheating on "their bird" and smashing up a Bus Shelter is a "pukka night out".

 

Quite, as most "stoner" stories end up in a group hug and consumption of chocolate products rather than ABH.

 

On topic... I vote "NO". I like the fact that weed is illegal. The price hasn't really gone up in 20 years (though the weight you get has gone down from a lot of dealers), it's hard to get good stuff and requires maintaining good connections, and I don't have the government slapping pictures of mouth cancer on the baggie whilst taking 20%. And weed CAN be dangerous - I've known a few people in my life who's large cannabis intake has brought on serious mental health issues, so I'm not blind to the side effects.

 

Best to keep it illegal I reckon. The cachet of illegality is undoubtedly part of the fun for some.

 

Oh, and it DEFINITELY helps the creative process, well certain strains do. Sorry Woy.

[Jaffa]

I'm sure there are plenty of people who smoke it that don't do what Woyzeck assumes they do. In fact I don't know anyone who fits that description. None of the stoners I know come out with stories of things they did when they were high or make any reference to Bob Marley in the hilarious way you mention. Are you sure these people actually exist as you've been talking about them for years, surely if they annoyed you all those years back then you wouldn't still hang about with them?

 

Really? You've never seen these type of people? And not everyone who smokes weed is an idiot who can't shut the fuck up about it like they're funny and cool, but there are enough of them about. Look at the comments that always come out as soon as someone mentions Amsterdam, every time. If it ever got legalized, (it won't) then that's what we'll get all the time.

 

Annoying , boasting Stoners probably still have absolutely nothing on the "man, I got so pissed up last weekend..." lot, who think that getting into a fight, cheating on "their bird" and smashing up a Bus Shelter is a "pukka night out".

 

I lump them both in the same group. Blight on society.

 

 

But Stoners don't go around starting fights and smashing stuff up. Not to even mention domestic violence that stems from alcohol abuse, drink driving etc...

You stupid cunt, of course they do. Just go and talk to the lady living in the flat below me who had her face rearranged on Friday night because her boyfriend smoked too much and was convinced that she'd slept with his brother.

 

You stupid cunt.

[Chest Rockwell]

The price hasn't really gone up in 20 years (though the weight you get has gone down from a lot of dealers),

 

Paying the same amount for less is the same thing as the price going up. Your point is true for the most part, in that it's certainly cheaper than it would be if it was controlled by the government, but the overall price for the same amount of green of the same quality has definitely gone up. Even though it's illegal it's not totally in it's own economic bubble - for example the strong Euro was killing the margins for a while and this was definitely reflected in the price and availability.

[Thunderplex]

I'm sure there are plenty of people who smoke it that don't do what Woyzeck assumes they do. In fact I don't know anyone who fits that description. None of the stoners I know come out with stories of things they did when they were high or make any reference to Bob Marley in the hilarious way you mention. Are you sure these people actually exist as you've been talking about them for years, surely if they annoyed you all those years back then you wouldn't still hang about with them?

 

Really? You've never seen these type of people? And not everyone who smokes weed is an idiot who can't shut the fuck up about it like they're funny and cool, but there are enough of them about. Look at the comments that always come out as soon as someone mentions Amsterdam, every time. If it ever got legalized, (it won't) then that's what we'll get all the time.

 

Annoying , boasting Stoners probably still have absolutely nothing on the "man, I got so pissed up last weekend..." lot, who think that getting into a fight, cheating on "their bird" and smashing up a Bus Shelter is a "pukka night out".

 

I lump them both in the same group. Blight on society.

 

 

But Stoners don't go around starting fights and smashing stuff up. Not to even mention domestic violence that stems from alcohol abuse, drink driving etc...

 

Pot heads don't cause anything like the problems that drunken idiots manage in every City Centre every weekend.

 

--

 

Anyway, that has little to do with why cannabis should or shouldn't be legalised. "Booze is legal and it's much worse than Pot" is a poor defense. There are many better ones, such as the medicinal value of cannabis (that is poorly researched even these days due to the stigma that surrounds the drug) and the fact that it is already so established that Policing it is a huge waste of time and money - every arrest just gives new dealers a chance to pick up the slack. It's simple supply and demand. You won't get rid of it, and at the moment the only people making profit from it are criminals.

 

Legalise it, regulate it, tax the shit out of it and use that money to make schools and hospitals better.

 

I disagree with this. There are more incidents with booze because it is more widely available. I have been involved in many incidents where the paranoia elements of weed have come into play, and had to council the victims of this violence.

[Dead Mike]

So is prohibition the answer given that it doesn't work? I get the impression that for a lot of people it's a case of 'out of sight out of mind' as opposed to actually addressing the issue of the crap drug education we have in the UK, which IMO is the most important factor.

[Loki]

The price hasn't really gone up in 20 years (though the weight you get has gone down from a lot of dealers),

 

Paying the same amount for less is the same thing as the price going up. Your point is true for the most part, in that it's certainly cheaper than it would be if it was controlled by the government, but the overall price for the same amount of green of the same quality has definitely gone up. Even though it's illegal it's not totally in it's own economic bubble - for example the strong Euro was killing the margins for a while and this was definitely reflected in the price and availability.

 

That's why I qualified it with shortweight. If you buy by the ounce, though, the price hasn't moved anything like at the rate of inflation.

[Thunderplex]

So is prohibition the answer given that it doesn't work? I get the impression that for a lot of people it's a case of 'out of sight out of mind' as opposed to actually addressing the issue of the crap drug education we have in the UK, which IMO is the most important factor.

 

I'd say harder sentences for dealers, and cut the "Personal use" crap. Throw the book at people and they may start to pay attention.

[Dead Mike]

I'd say harder sentences for dealers, and cut the "Personal use" crap. Throw the book at people and they may start to pay attention.

 

We've tried that. We've more people in jail than any other country in Europe. It doesn't work....next idea?

[Your Fight Site]

Is weed and other drugs not banned because it affects you mentally, and can do so longterm? Whereas getting drunk just makes you temporarily coordinated (and why certain things whilst drunk is illegal, i.e. driving)?

 

I've been so drunk that I woke up in hospital yet could still remember my night until passing out in the bus shelter. I don't get these people who say they get so drunk they can't remember what they did and shagged a fat bird; no matter how drunk I've got I can always remember my night.

[Van Dammer]

No, the stuff fucking stinks.

[Dirty Eddie]

I'm sure there are plenty of people who smoke it that don't do what Woyzeck assumes they do. In fact I don't know anyone who fits that description. None of the stoners I know come out with stories of things they did when they were high or make any reference to Bob Marley in the hilarious way you mention. Are you sure these people actually exist as you've been talking about them for years, surely if they annoyed you all those years back then you wouldn't still hang about with them?

 

Really? You've never seen these type of people? And not everyone who smokes weed is an idiot who can't shut the fuck up about it like they're funny and cool, but there are enough of them about. Look at the comments that always come out as soon as someone mentions Amsterdam, every time. If it ever got legalized, (it won't) then that's what we'll get all the time.

 

Annoying , boasting Stoners probably still have absolutely nothing on the "man, I got so pissed up last weekend..." lot, who think that getting into a fight, cheating on "their bird" and smashing up a Bus Shelter is a "pukka night out".

 

I lump them both in the same group. Blight on society.

 

 

But Stoners don't go around starting fights and smashing stuff up. Not to even mention domestic violence that stems from alcohol abuse, drink driving etc...

You stupid cunt, of course they do. Just go and talk to the lady living in the flat below me who had her face rearranged on Friday night because her boyfriend smoked too much and was convinced that she'd slept with his brother.

 

You stupid cunt.

 

 

Oh yeah, sorry, I was too busy being a stupid cunt to pop down to your neighbours house for a little chat. How stupid and cunty of me!

 

 

Cannabis does certainly seem to have some mental-health effects on a very, very small percentage of users, but it's certainly not common. The type of people who end up smoking skunk all day every day until it turns them a bit mental are often the same type of people who would do the exact same thing with alcohol if there was no weed about. Some people are prone to addiction and substance abuse.

 

Education on the matter and control of what strains of cannabis get sold would help this situation hugely, rather than the whole industry being run under the counter by criminals.

[Jaffa]

Oh yeah, sorry, I was too busy being a stupid cunt to pop down to your neighbours house for a little chat. How stupid and cunty of me!

 

 

You said this:

 

But Stoners don't go around starting fights and smashing stuff up. Not to even mention domestic violence that stems from alcohol abuse, drink driving etc...

 

which is totally untrue and you saying it makes you a stupid cunt.

 

However, I agree with you about education. I'm not fussed about whether it's legalised or not, but your above argument is stupid and untrue.