British Man, 21, Faces Death in UAE

[shoes]

http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthinfo/problems/alcoholanddrugs/cannabismentalhealthkey.aspx

That link is utterly infuriating and sums up why the drug policies in this country are such a lot of utter ****.

What is the risk to mental health?

Depression
1600 Australian children aged 14 to 15 were studied for seven years,. The ones who used cannabis every day were 5 times more likely to become depressed and anxious by the end of the study.
Schizophrenia
If you start smoking cannabis before 15, you are 4 times more likely to develop a psychotic illness.
The more cannabis you use, the more likely you are to develop psychosis.
It isn't clear why cannabis use in adolescence seems to have such an effect, but it may be because the brain is still developing.

14 to 15? So when their brains are still developing then, yeah? I don't think anyone advocates the use of cannabis by 14 and 15 year old chindren?!

So apart from people smoking it from a stupidly young age, there is nothing else mentioned about the use of cannabis on mental health.

If it's so dangerous, why don't more of my friends get unwell?

Probably because most people don't use cannabis before they are 15 and don't go on smoking large amounts. Psychotic illness is quite unusual anyway – only about 1 in 200 people have it at any given time. Most of us probably don't know that many people so, even if cannabis does increase the risk, you aren't likely to notice an ”epidemic” amongst the people you know.

Ah do the study is, on the whole, completely irrelevant to the real world then. Psychotic illness is very rare and happens regardless of pot, so it may well be reasonable to argue that those who suffer with psychosis are already predisposed to the condition anyway.

What about other effects?

Education: the connection isn't clear, but regular cannabis use does seem to affect how you do at school or college.
Employment: cannabis users are more likely to leave work without permission, spend work time on personal matters or daydream. Regular users report that it has interfered with their work and social life.
Driving: a recent study in France showed that cannabis users are more than twice as likely to be the cause of a fatal crash than to be one of the victims.

It's not beyond the realms of posibility that those with less academic prowess are more likely to smoke cannabis due to another chemical imbalance already present. As it states, the connection isn't clear. It should never have been published.

Regular users who allow it to interfere with their lives as stated above are clearly using too much. Much like an alcoholic might show similar characteristics.

The last statistic is completely and utterly irrelevant. Clutching at straws.

Is cannabis addictive?

It has some of features of addictive drugs – a regular user has to take more and more to get the same effect (tolerance) and can get withdrawal symptoms.

3 out of 4 long-term users get cravings, half become irritable and 7 out of 10 switch to tobacco to try to stay off cannabis. Many find that they spend much of their life seeking, buying and using it. It is probably about as hard to stop as tobacco.

Infuriating, incorrect propaganda. What the actual ****. I cannot believe a professional institution is allowed to publish this bull.

What about skunk and stronger varieties of cannabis?

Love them tbh

The amount of the main active ingredient, THC, in herbal cannabis varies from 1% up to 15%. The newer strains, including skunk, can have up to 20%. On the whole, the newer varieties are probably about 2 or 3 times stronger than those available 30 years ago. They make you relaxed and cheerful more quickly, but also produce more unpleasant effects.

Can only speak from personal experience but just lol. Ok then.

How can I cut down my use of cannabis?

The Home Office has published a guide on cutting down and stopping. It suggests that you:
write down your reasons for wanting to change
plan how you will change
plan how to cope with withdrawal symptoms
have a back-up plan.
(www.homeoffice.gov.uk/materials/kc-stop.pdf).

It's easy, just stop smoking it. I'm not aware of anyone who I know who has stopped, or had a break from smoking it, to struggle not to smoke, feeling any cravings or generally missing it. Myself included. Yet more bull**** propaganda.

You can also work through the leaflet on the FRANK website.

Sounds like this will be some good roach material, I'm on it

 

[Shayper]

I have to +1 Shoes. That is a crock of ****

 

[Twirlywoos]

Are you all ex drug dealers or something? Who gives a damn how much it equates too in weight or street value.

In a country where an ounze of prevention is worth a pound of cure carrying even a gram of it should be enough to warrant death according to their laws.

Moral Point - Don't do the crime if you can't do the time. He will probably be set free anyway because he is British, but as long as his assets and wealth he holds in the UAE are frozen - just ship him back to the UK and let him deal the stuff "freely" over here.

 

[Deleted member 66701]

That link is utterly infuriating and sums up why the drug policies in this country are such a lot of utter ****.


<snip>

Haha - spot the pothead!

 

[Robbo]

Haha - spot the pothead!

 

[shoes]

He asked about there being any evidence of harm. The above clearly demonstrates there's at least some.

Technically yes, ok then, there is harm.

It's like saying that my emphysema ridden grand mother died running the london marathon ergo the london marathon is harmful to your health.

In the real world it's a completely useless conclusion to draw and irrelevant to the issue in hand.

 

[shoes]

Haha - spot the pothead!

dunno what you're talking about

 

[Castiel]

Well, no. It was last used for murder in '75... so wasn't used to combat the criminality relating to various post-war fallout. It only being used after that date for the war crimes/crimes against humanity/genocide fallout (obviously a special case, and not applicable to the criminal justice system as a whole).

so it is ok for some crimes, but not others?


In any case that only applies to one part of the Bosnian legislature....Republika Srpska says it has no remaining figures and it doesn't take into account that much of the capital criminality during the period was defined as a war crime or act against humanity.

Also War Crimes in postwar Bosnia defined many acts of criminality such as murder, rape, hostage taking, violence against the person, and it included these crimes amongst others as not only applying to the Customs of War, but also the Law at the time......

In any event the fact remains that the death penalty remained until recently and was used to restore order in the region.....many crimes such as rape and murder were prosecuted under the auspices of crimes committed as war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic crimes that in this country would be considered normal crimes, not specifically related to the war or ethnic cleansing.

For example the rape of a Bosniak woman by a Serb was tried as a war crime, when it was not clear that was the case.....another tried two other Serbs for war crimes involving the murder of several civilians, one admitted he was guilty, the other however was charged with crimes relating to the murder of another Serb and also sentenced to death.....the latter complained of being tortured and the only evidence against him was the testimony of the other defendant.

But given your previous statements as to the transition of Bosnia the facts remain contrary to what you are actually trying to prove as that transition to restore civilian authority was underpinned by the use of the death penalty and not to mention the use of authorised deadly force in enforcement, as is still the case today.

And given that you do not support the death penalty in any circumstance whatsoever, does the fact that War Crimes still carry the death penalty not that fly in the face of your earlier statements regarding the use of the death penalty as you are promoting Bosnia-Herzegovina as an example of bringing order without using capital punishment (which in fact it did)

and even if we accept that the use of the death penalty in such crimes is a special case, then that supports the use of such penalties in regions such as Somalia who are suffering far worse atrocities and criminality for similar tribal and ethnic reasons.....and thusly my point about transposing one set of circumstances as absolute as opposed to looking at the relative situation objectively remains.

 

[w1lliam]

The guy will get sent to jail and then pardoned by the king/leader during Ramadan(sp?) and probably never return to the UAE. What happens when he gets back? Does he face the UK system? Let out with a slap on the wrist?

 

[shoes]

The guy will get sent to jail and then pardoned by the king/leader during Ramadan(sp?) and probably never return to the UAE. What happens when he gets back? Does he face the UK system? Let out with a slap on the wrist?

Depends if he committed any crimes over here - if he was buying and selling pot in the UAE then it's highly unlikely he's broken any UK laws. If he was smuggling it out of the country, however.....

 

[realBabelfish]

I have to +1 Shoes. That is a crock of ****

+2

so my BS no wonder people ignore it when they find out otherwise.

 

[hardkore]

Crimes should always be responded to in equal and measured punishment.

Half oz of weed does not deserve the death penalty. Don't care where he is or where he's from. Ridiculous

 

[realBabelfish]

It was just a quick example, as the response was always going to be, "LOLOL YH M8. WATEVA". So you deny there being any harm from marijuana, even though the above link provides clear evidence of harm?



He asked about there being any evidence of harm. The above clearly demonstrates there's at least some.

but only if you are under 15. i would imagine drinking 5 pints of stella at 15 wouldnt do you much good either.

yes, the odd person might have a schitzo episode but then again so do people who have never drunk booze or smoked. i can find reports that contradict many other reports. the problem is many people who produce reports are paid by people who have a negative report in their best interest.

have a look at prof nutt's website to see how many reports are pure BS and paid for by pharmaceutical companies who sell products that compete with medical cannabis.

yes, it isnt as safe as tap water but then again neither is sport, mountain climbing, racing cars and any number of legal activities.

we should be informed of the risks and make up our own minds. adults only (like booze) and dont smoke and drive (just like you wouldnt drink and drive)

 

[realBabelfish]

Haha - spot the pothead!

many of us dont hide it

we arent ashamed to smoke a plant and we wont do you any harm by smoking it. why cant people let bygones be bygones and just 'be good to each other'. isnt that what life should be about?

 

[hardkore]

^ yes!

 

[InKursion]

Executing people is not stupid. If someone raped your wife or girlfriend, I'm pretty sure you would want the same thing.

Why let them live and give them the opportunity to re offend which is usually what happens. Once that gets the fear into people, no-one will commit crimes and the world will be a better place.

As said, one more dealer of the streets.

Wow please stop posting.

 

[dowie]

Depends if he committed any crimes over here - if he was buying and selling pot in the UAE then it's highly unlikely he's broken any UK laws. If he was smuggling it out of the country, however.....

I doubt a 21 year old brit was routinely smuggling into the country... not practical to smuggle long distance via air - can be sourced in that region but a y21 yr old westerner is unlikely to be running a network of growers/mules etc..

more likely he sold a bit extra on the side in addition to the stuff he's bought for himself

There is also the possibility either that he or the Syrian are the victim of entrapment and he has simply unwittingly introduced the undercover cop to the Syrian dealer or vice versa.

 

[smit101]

Shouldn't have gone to the **** hole in the first place, any regime that murders people for such things isn't really the sort of place I'd go to, not that I take or sell drugs but it seems life is cheap in the east/middle east.

Send Jack Bauer, Sam Fischer, the SAS and a crack OC'UK stealth/hit team to break him out! When he's out we'll nuke the place from space! **** 'em and their ****ing oil!!!

 

[dowie]

Isn't it Ramadan soon? Reasonable chance that he'll be out by the end of it so I guess he's quite possibly looking at being out within a couple of months or so... (albeit he's going to have to live with the small possibility he might still be executed throughout that time)

If he gets a few months completely bricking it in an Arab prison, then deportation, then he'll probably have learned his lesson.

 

[InKursion]

This is the problem it seems... a few people here seem to have a pretty unreasonable disrespect for small-time pot dealers. It seems some people are happy to let this guy die because of his crime, which is so heinous of course, that his life is expendable. An ounce of grass is a tiny amount with no worth and it poses no harm to a single individual, let alone wider society. The attitude where people say "one more dealer off the streets" is, frankly, terrifying. Hardly "one more dealer off the streets", is it? This guy isn't a heroin kingpin. It's a young punk that got caught selling a personal stash to someone else. It is categorically a minor crime.