Have your say: The Cannabis Debate
As Gordon Brown’s insistent signals that cannabis “is not only illegal, it’s unacceptable” get bing-bing-bonged straight out of the House of Commons this month, we want to know – do you think Cannabis should remain Class C or restored to its harder punished, more illegal status as a Class B drug?
Since January 2004 Cannabis has been downgraded to a Class C drug, meaning that, while still punishable by up to 2 years in prison for possession and 14 for dealing, the ‘erb now sits next to the likes of painkillers and tranquilisers in the eyes of British law.
Gordon Brown, however, insists that Class B is the only future for cannabis following widespread concerns from doctors and MPs that the current class C classification does not reflect the health dangers of using the drug
Class B would mean that users found in possession could face up to five years and/or an unlimited fine. But do more years in prison really mean anything, if the concerns are entirely health driven? It would seem that Brown is just bubbling up the legal hot water to cover up a failing control on the influx of drugs to the UK, a disaffected youth and a larger social issue about the effectiveness of the law?
...Or has he got a point? Last year, a study concluded that smoking cannabis increases the risk of developing schizophrenia by 40% and there is mounting evidence that the skunk that is flooding the UK’s streets has even greater long-term mental health side effects than thought ever before
But would changing the law do anything?
What do you think? Cannabis definitely offers release to users suffering from MS, Arthritis and a number of other crippling muscular ailments and, let’s face it, it ain’t crack. But smoking cannabis can lead to swinging in circles of drug-users who take harder drugs and the mental health issues associated with long term use of the drug are worrying.
Should Cannabis be restored to its previous Class B status, or remain (as the House of Commons have decided) in a more hazy Class C level?
Let us know by hitting ’Post a Comment’…
Image courtesy of lior-mazliah
Since January 2004 Cannabis has been downgraded to a Class C drug, meaning that, while still punishable by up to 2 years in prison for possession and 14 for dealing, the ‘erb now sits next to the likes of painkillers and tranquilisers in the eyes of British law.
Gordon Brown, however, insists that Class B is the only future for cannabis following widespread concerns from doctors and MPs that the current class C classification does not reflect the health dangers of using the drug
Class B would mean that users found in possession could face up to five years and/or an unlimited fine. But do more years in prison really mean anything, if the concerns are entirely health driven? It would seem that Brown is just bubbling up the legal hot water to cover up a failing control on the influx of drugs to the UK, a disaffected youth and a larger social issue about the effectiveness of the law?
...Or has he got a point? Last year, a study concluded that smoking cannabis increases the risk of developing schizophrenia by 40% and there is mounting evidence that the skunk that is flooding the UK’s streets has even greater long-term mental health side effects than thought ever before
But would changing the law do anything?
What do you think? Cannabis definitely offers release to users suffering from MS, Arthritis and a number of other crippling muscular ailments and, let’s face it, it ain’t crack. But smoking cannabis can lead to swinging in circles of drug-users who take harder drugs and the mental health issues associated with long term use of the drug are worrying.
Should Cannabis be restored to its previous Class B status, or remain (as the House of Commons have decided) in a more hazy Class C level?
Let us know by hitting ’Post a Comment’…
Image courtesy of lior-mazliah
Reviews or Comments (37) See all»
Since an early age (as far as i can remember) i have suffered from terrible Migrane attacks.
Following many scans, tests, trips to the hospital and doctors, i was prescribed a drug called pizotifen.
This drug worked for me, but with terrible side effects, I basicly slept through the day, dozey as ever as this is an anti-hystamine. Following another trip to the doctors, i was then prescribed propranalol, which is a beta blocker, this basicly inactivates the receptors in the brain that respond to the presence of adrenalin.
Again, this cured the headaches, but i became agressive at times, unemotional at others, and most of the time i would sit there, with no thought processes whatsoever, in a sort of zombie like state.
But tollerance to this drug soon built up and the doctors said I had to go back onto pizotifen, i turned a blind eye to this descision and started to grow some cannabis for personal useage. The cannabis i grew worked wonders for me, my sleep pattern returned to normal, headaches became a thing of the past, and my emotional state became much more stable.
What i think the government need to do is start to understand the reasons for people using medicinal marijuana, if they knew of the suffering that some people go through, despite doctors doing the best they can, they would then understand why some people turn to medicinal marijuana. My grandmother was raided not long before she died, and charged with possesion of marijuana. She was suffering from Osteosarcoma, an agressive type of bone cancer. Having lost both her legs as a result of the disease,(and two of her fingers in her right hand) the pain was tremendous, and she decided to take things into her own hands, but in the eyes of the law, she was a criminal who deserved to go to jail. She died with dignity, before her court case, and I vowed to fight the cause, to legalise medicinal marijuana for people like her.
I think that the government are too concious of their image. They aren't interested in the people of the country, but only their international image. Being America's "little brother", I think that the British government have felt obliged to incorperate a proactive stance against drugs, just to follow suit.
I belive that the government need to review their policies, and take a look at marijuana from a different angle of view, as they only concentrate on the "knife and gun crime" related to drugs. Yet when they talk about "drugs" the first one that comes to mind is marijuana, yet over 80% of drug crime did not involve marijuana.
Is it me, or is there too much prejudice against this plant?
Following many scans, tests, trips to the hospital and doctors, i was prescribed a drug called pizotifen.
This drug worked for me, but with terrible side effects, I basicly slept through the day, dozey as ever as this is an anti-hystamine. Following another trip to the doctors, i was then prescribed propranalol, which is a beta blocker, this basicly inactivates the receptors in the brain that respond to the presence of adrenalin.
Again, this cured the headaches, but i became agressive at times, unemotional at others, and most of the time i would sit there, with no thought processes whatsoever, in a sort of zombie like state.
But tollerance to this drug soon built up and the doctors said I had to go back onto pizotifen, i turned a blind eye to this descision and started to grow some cannabis for personal useage. The cannabis i grew worked wonders for me, my sleep pattern returned to normal, headaches became a thing of the past, and my emotional state became much more stable.
What i think the government need to do is start to understand the reasons for people using medicinal marijuana, if they knew of the suffering that some people go through, despite doctors doing the best they can, they would then understand why some people turn to medicinal marijuana. My grandmother was raided not long before she died, and charged with possesion of marijuana. She was suffering from Osteosarcoma, an agressive type of bone cancer. Having lost both her legs as a result of the disease,(and two of her fingers in her right hand) the pain was tremendous, and she decided to take things into her own hands, but in the eyes of the law, she was a criminal who deserved to go to jail. She died with dignity, before her court case, and I vowed to fight the cause, to legalise medicinal marijuana for people like her.
I think that the government are too concious of their image. They aren't interested in the people of the country, but only their international image. Being America's "little brother", I think that the British government have felt obliged to incorperate a proactive stance against drugs, just to follow suit.
I belive that the government need to review their policies, and take a look at marijuana from a different angle of view, as they only concentrate on the "knife and gun crime" related to drugs. Yet when they talk about "drugs" the first one that comes to mind is marijuana, yet over 80% of drug crime did not involve marijuana.
Is it me, or is there too much prejudice against this plant?
08-05-2008
anonymous
After several years in pain and prescribed pain killers for a misdiagnosis of arthritis and these pain killers making my pain worse I myself eventually turned to cannabis.. One joint as they call it (must note i was most reluctant to light the rolled product) and I had no pain over the next six months.... It changed my life completely.... I had previously spent most of the previous 2 years deprived of sleep through the constant pain I was in.. This was making life a misery for my family as due to lack of sleep I was easily angered or in tears at the slightest thing... During divorce the pains returned and I did go try prescribed drugs first before turning back to cannabis... In all this time I'd not been able to hold down a job because of the days off sick.. Eventually I was diagnosed correctly with gall bladder and helicobactor pylori (present with ulcers(no wonder the amount of pain killers were making symptoms worse)... I can honestly say the most relief I got was through smoking cannibis. Would I use it again? If need be I would but right now I have no use for it. I'm not an addict and it never wanted me to go out fighting(in fact it was a total opposite feeling) It is a relaxant and therefore helps to relax severe spasms which can cause intense pain..... Only other drug that helped was Morphine given in the hospital but the only way to get Morphine was to attend A & E regularly and to be made to feel like a burden to the NHS.....Since being cured and thanks to the relief I got from cannabis I went on to take 3 diploma's and set up my own business so i don't think it destroyed my brain either..Are not some of the prescribed drugs open to abuse and able to have some severe side effects too. If they want to ban cannibis because of the worry about side effects then i think they should also ban everyday pain killers we get from the chemist..... Nothing is without risk but it can be modified. If cannabis is prescribed in it's natural form with directions (i.e labelled with how often the patient should take the drug)........ Yes people will misuse it just as they do aerosols, glue, anti-depressants and alcohol.... Why should the ones that really need it suffer the pain just because of the few that are willing to abuse it... We are allowed alcohol which can induce violent behaviour and wrong doing and quite right those people are arrested and the same rules could apply to the use of cannabis...
07-05-2008
Mark
I cannot believe that the PM and Home Secretary are reclassifying cannabis, I will not accept their decision as informed or in the best interest of the public (whom they are supposed to be representing, and looking out for). The biggest problem I have with this, is the way they, ignored their own appointed experts, and are doing absolutly nothing regarding the much more clear and present danger of alcohol, as a drug itself it is worse not only for the individual, but for society as a whole. They like a drink so they will not do anything about it. I find it entertaining that Gordon Brown who is effectively PM by default, has decided to overturn a decision that was educated, endorsed by the majority of the public, and made by OUR appointed PM (Tony Blair). I noticed that Gordon Brown didn't hold a vote when Blair stepped down, because he knows he would never have been voted in. I will be interested to see the outcome of the next general election, I'm sure he will regret going against his advisors, public opinion and common sense (legalise and tax it). The labour party is drowning this country in a political mess with no regard for the public wants, I am sure they will lose power in the central government as they did in the recent local elections.
Cannabis shold be legal starting from now...
Cannabis shold be legal starting from now...
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