British Cannabis Laws Strengthened

[Cassie]

Cannabis is to be reclassified as a class B drug, Jacqui Smith has said.

The home secretary said she wanted to reverse Tony Blair's 2004 downgrading of the drug because of "uncertainty" over its impact on mental health.

The move from class C means the maximum prison sentence for possessing cannabis rises from two years to five years.

Her statement to MPs came despite the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs' review - commissioned by Gordon Brown - saying it should stay class C.

Since cannabis was downgraded there has been widespread concern about the increased prevalence of stronger "skunk" varieties.

Ms Smith said this now accounted for 80% of the cannabis seized on the streets and the drug was nearly three times stronger than in 1995.
From here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7386889.stm).

Maybe it would be better to leave the Cannabis laws as they have been but classify 'skunk' seperately as a class 'b' drug?

[Rowan Darkmoon]

I think that the problem with that is that they indicated that stronger "skunk" varieties were now 80% of what they were confiscating.

And since cannabis is still cannabis, it would be hard to delinate where you draw the line between what as too strong for a Class B and what wasn't.

[teishabee]

I do think its high risk for mental health but then there still needs to be research into this.

As people are going to and throw on the health benefits and risks.

I think keep it as class C.

[brymble]

From here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7386889.stm).

Maybe it would be better to leave the Cannabis laws as they have been but classify 'skunk' seperately as a class 'b' drug?
Maybe it would be better to LEGALIZE, TAX AND REGULATE. Prohibition didn't work for alcohol, it doesn't work for other drugs.

[brymble]

I do think its high risk for mental health but then there still needs to be research into this.

As people are going to and throw on the health benefits and risks.

I think keep it as class C.


There has been research into this, it's just been difficult to do because of cannabis's legal status, and has been supressed and underfunded when it has been carried out. Read Dr. Andrew Weil's The Natural Mind.

[Happydeadkitty]

Again.... It's a plant. It shouldn't even BE an issue.

HDK

[Sequoia]

Maybe it would be better to LEGALIZE, TAX AND REGULATE. Prohibition didn't work for alcohol, it doesn't work for other drugs.

QFT!!!

[Shawn Blackwolf]

It is two crocks of yak manure to state the pot now ,
is stronger than the pot I smoked when I was younger...

I live in one of the growing capitals of the world...
My neighbor , came in second place in the High
Times Cup Competition...and the pot I smoked ,
shared , and sold , when I was younger , was so
much stronger , than what is espoused to be the
best today...and I know , I grew many times , in
the past...and had people traveling long distance
to acquire what I had...( no longer doing it )

When I was younger...I started out with Acapulco Gold ,
Red Columbian , African , Jamaican , Thai Stick , Vietnamese ,
Nepalese Temple Ball Hash , Alaskan Thunder **** , Guerrero
Gold , Afghani ( from there )...the list goes on...@

They have no idea what strong was...seven people to one joint...
not being able to talk , walk , let alone drive...sometimes just
sitting there , giggling your ass off for a half hour...:lol:

Yeah , we had some strong pot...:fpraise:

Leave it alone...the true mentally handicapped , are often the
politicians , in public office...help them first...:thumbsup:

@ Edit : Forgot Panama Red...how could I ???!!!

[brymble]

regarding concerns about mental health should pot be legalized: the people i know who self-medicate and are addicted to pot are far less scary and dangerous than the people i know who self-medicate and are addicted to legal alcohol.

[teishabee]

well not being that mentally balanced in the first place, it scares me.

Reading stories about pot users going schzophrenic. Mind you it can develop in late teens and early twenties, so could be co-incidence they were heavy users

[Shawn Blackwolf]

Reading stories about pot users going schzophrenic.

Media scare tactics...or goverment...or some group ,
which wants to lock your mind into a mundane framework...

They have been publishing scare tactics , since before the
film "reefer madness"...

Maybe...just maybe...1 in 10,000...maybe...pretty good odds...

It has been used by ancient cultures...all this is just modern
desires for controlling the populace's consciousness...

Scare tactics , and misinformation...

[Cindlady2]

They have no idea what strong was...seven people to one joint...
not being able to talk , walk , let alone drive...sometimes just
sitting there , giggling your ass off for a half hour...:lol:

Yeah , we had some strong pot...:fpraise:

:rollingla OH HE!L I REMEMBER!!!!:falloffch

But really.... there are people who can abuse ANYTHING! (Yes, even water!) and there are people who don't handle it well, however, there are many, many more that you probably don't even know smoke it! I also know a handful of people that I would not want to be around if they did not smoke pot!
It's one of the very first "drugs" man found and it's not going to go away.... let's just deal with it and be happy!

[Cindlady2]

It has been used by ancient cultures...all this is just modern
desires for controlling the populace's consciousness...

Scare tactics , and misinformation...
No one put up a stink until the 1930's or so!

[LostSheep]

The only thing I'll say here is, they dont' care about whether or not it might or might not be potentially harmful, it's all about control, as usual. Brown, remember, says that he's here to "lead"; whether we want him to or not. They don't care about people; they just want to control them. Cannabis, smoking, drinking next, probably. That's all I'll say.

[Cassie]

On the one hand they threaten to lock people up for 5 years for smoking the occational spliff (or life imprisonment if they are deemed to be in possession of enough to supply others) on the other hand we frequently hear of convicted rapists serving less than 3 years. It's a mad world.