Make cannabis a Class A Drug, say Conservative Police Commissioners...

Surely we have learnt that we have lost the war on drugs? Cannabis isn’t a problem, legalise it, tax it and control it that way. It’ll stop people going to the drug dealers where they’ll be offered easy access to actually harmful drugs.

We need to equally be sorting out the actual junkies committing lots of crimes, provide treatment for those that can be helped but treat those that can’t be helped/don’t want help as the criminals they are and lock them away. Glasgow Ciry Centre is a disgrace and it’s mainly due to the junkies being allowed to turn it into a cess pit.

We also need to be doing something to turn the tide against cocaine being so acceptable nowadays. It’s a truly damaging drug, and is everywhere. We need to stamp that out.
 
Angilion said:
I wonder if they're confusing it with synthetic cannabinoids.

Although there's evidence that cannabis has harmful effects on younger people and/or with high enough doses.

Selective breeding to increase THC levels and alter the proportions of the different cannabinoids (in favour of THC) and the scarcity of up to date research on that (or most aspects of cannabis, really), are also an issue.

With that said, decriminalisation and regulation are almost certainly the most effective ways to counter any problems. Including the "gateway drug" claim that's used so often (including by the commissioners that the OP refers to). Obviously buying drugs from illegal drug dealers makes buying illegal drugs much easier. That's the "gateway" - buying illegal drugs from people who also sell other illegal drugs.
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I would guess that is it. I mean its been a long time since uni days and the stuff these days seems to be crazy strong compared. So my comparisons are possibly a touch out of date.

I do know people who regularly smoke and I guess you would call them "functioning pot heads" :cry: They are all quite successful IT nerds.

The benefits appear, at first glance, to outweigh the negatives in all the countries that have taken more progressive approaches to cannabis.
 
Ahleckz said:
We also need to be doing something to turn the tide against cocaine being so acceptable nowadays. It’s a truly damaging drug, and is everywhere. We need to stamp that out.
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You'd think they'd be on top of that what with 11 out of 12 toilets tested in the HoP having traces of cocaine in them

www.google.com

Traces of cocaine found in the UK Parliament, including near Boris Johnson's office: report

The Sunday Times reported that there's a "cocaine culture" in Parliament that includes both "household names" and "ambitious young MPs and officials."
www.google.com www.google.com
 
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dLockers said:
Yeah but then who will the police fight against "at scale"?
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There's still all the other class A drugs to take care of and the gangs etc... oh and politicians breaking their own rules! ;)

I seldom drink, and the strongest drug I take is ibuprofen or sometimes codeine (though I can't remember the last time I needed to), however I wouldn't be anti-legalising if, and I mean if, the proper checks/controls are in place.

i.e.

Ensuring that it really ISN'T a gateway drug - I know people will argue it's not and that's fine, but at least let them measure/monitor the situation if they do legalise it.
Be absolutely ruthless for people caught drug driving.
Mental health support services for people using it regularly.
There also has to be something to do with work and not being 100% focussed or being "high" in a professional environment that needs to be considered.
Measure the toll (if any) on the NHS and health/emergency services once legalisation has been established.

There's probably a lot more - but if they bring in good control methods and measurement of how the "roll out" of legalisation is being undertaken then I'd have less issue. What I don't want to happen is if it does lead to carnage (it may not, it may well do the opposite, nobody knows) for it to be ignored.

Change is good, and I embrace it, but it has to be done in a sensible controlled and measured way.
 
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Rai200 said:
It reduces reported usage, many people may not have admitted to it due to illegality. It's a flawed comparison.

time.com

Want to Win the War on Drugs? Portugal Might Have the Answer

In 2001, it became the first country to decriminalize the consumption of all drugs.
time.com time.com

We can all find isolated studies to support our opinion.

Edit: Not that I want to reduce usage anyway.
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Why would they not admit to it? Usage isn't illegal and surveys anonymous.
 
People will still use drugs regardless of what the classification is but if certain drugs were legalised it would reduce organised crime, increases resources available to Police and bring in revenue through taxation.

I find it bizarre that Alcohol, knowing the damage it causes, if abused, is the only legal substance in the UK which is taxed. If the argument is that drug abuse causes a financial impact on the NHS and Police, why the hell not legalise drugs and place a tax on it.

Once again, we are doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
 
dcsarge said:
Just because you haven't heard of it doesn't mean it doesn't go on. HM Customs still seize significant amounts of black market alcohol and tobacco, usually of very dodgy and unsafe quality, at ports in disguised shipments. It purely to profit from low cost sales and tax evasion and is more often than not linked to criminal organisations in Eastern Europe and elsewhere.

The exact same thing will happen with the legalisation of cannabis or any other drug, especially if there are stronger strains that are still left as Class B.
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He's gone very quiet, hasn't he?
 
I'm not a user, but at this point I'd be fully behind legalisation and taxation. Make it legal, and then stringent rules mean you'll know the strength of each strain, not just buying some unknown crap from a dealer. That in itself would solve quite a few issues.
 
You know what’s great, thc oils and edibles. No smell but awful aftertaste and they are powerful, much more than say a joint/blunt.
I just don’t get why they don’t legalise it and tax it. The amount of money the govt would make would be insane from the taxes. I mean look at Canada and certain states in America??
 
I used to be more liberal on this and pro-legalisation but that was partly based on the belief that it wasn't too harmful (aside from the harm caused by mixing it with tobacco).

I think I'm more in favour of keeping roughly the status quo but perhaps allowing the seeds to be sold, it seems ridiculous for it to be a class A drug, I don't think there is much to gain from prosecuting people for possession of small quantities either or people growing a plant or two at home.

I think drug dealers are generally scum though and should be hit hard and locked up. I don't really buy (most of) the medical use stuff either, it seems pretty sus but perhaps some allowance for that should be fine but it is a bit iffy, this is also an obvious backdoor legalisation route as seen in the states - people in California could go to dodgy doctors and get a medical card for any sort of general anxiety, back pain whatever.

Basically there now seems to be evidence that long-term use is going to have some bad mental health side effects, this stuff will turn you a bit schizo essentially, the government shouldn't endorse this, just because a drug is popular or cool or otherwise seen as harmless in the short term isn't a good reason to condone its use. The government should continue to warn against using it and prosecute people engaged in serious drug dealing.

Seeds perhaps could be legal, I dunno if that would be feasible, I'm opposed to prosecuting individuals for small amounts, if someone with chronic pain really really wants some weed and has a couple of plants then whatever...
 
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