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A step forward for cannabis users?

category international | rights, freedoms and repression | opinion/analysis author Monday March 23, 2009 11:22author by Conor. Mauthor email liberalconormurphy at ymail dot com Report this post to the editors

The Obama administration signaled it was ready to repudiate the prohibition and ''war on drugs'' approach of previous presidents, and steer policy towards prevention and ''harm reduction'' strategies favoured by Europe.
will the authorities turn a blind eye?
will the authorities turn a blind eye?

Seattle police chief, Gil Kerlikowske has been nominated for the post of director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the nation's drug czar. Kerlikowske has built up a reputation in Seattle for pursuing drug policies based on harm reduction. The state has an established needle exchange programme, has legalised marijuana for medical purposes and has made marijuana among the lowest priorities for law enforcement. President Obama has even said he is putting ''science above politics''. In a statement recently announcing the nomination of the new drug czar, Obama said: ''With escalating violence along our Southwest border and far too many suffering from addiction at home, never has it been more important to have a national drug control strategy guided by sound principle of public safety and public health.''

Former presidents of Mexico, Columbia and Brazil have dubbed the war on drugs a ''complete failure''. Each president is conservative but have called for an approach based on public health, including the legalisation of marijuana.

Is this a step towards the sick, the elderly and the toker gaining personal freedoms? What we eventually need is for the European Union and the United State to abolish the prohibition on marijuana and introduce legislation so the sick can get their medicine, the elderly can get their relief and the 'ordinary Joe' can enjoy a spliff in his house, like most people enjoy a beer, without fear of being labeled criminals. For now though, tokers the world over need to take advantage of the governments relaxed views on marijuana and join the right side on the 'war on drugs'.

Whether you smoke or not, if you believe cannabis users are not criminals be to sure to join the cannabis march in Dublin and Cork on May 9th.

author by ordinary workerpublication date Tue Mar 24, 2009 16:53author address author phone Report this post to the editors

This would free up millions of euros that our 'broke' government wastes on enforcing a failed criminalisation policy. If they want to be reactionary and ban something why dont they ban cigarettes? at least they are much more harmeful to citizens health.

author by lulupublication date Wed Mar 25, 2009 09:00author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Smoking cannabis/marijuana is also carcinogenic, as is smoking anything, but if laws were relaxed to allow people to grow their own, at least smokers would know what had gone into their smoke. Cigarettes are full of vile chemicals.

author by Conor. Mpublication date Wed Mar 25, 2009 16:03author address author phone Report this post to the editors

I would be lying if I said Cannabis is not harmful. The fact is, no comprehensive research has been done (REAL research) to indicate the level of damage done to your brain when using cannabis. Smoking is also bad and I would not recommend smoking anything, including cannabis. There are however other ways. The most obvious option is to ingest cannabis. There are no physically harmful effects and using a vaporizer causes no physical damage either. (Vaporizers heat the cannabis at a low temperature which evaporates the THC - The thing that gets you high - and using this technique is not carcinogenic)

If you measure this up with the medical properties of cannabis, the fact a lot of resin hash and most of Irish weed is contaminated with all sorts of crazy stuff because its in the hands of criminals, because its in the hands of criminals the money goes to crime, and if it was legalised the money would go into government gives the anti-legalsisation 'people' a pretty weak argument.

And another thing that struck me when listening to a British MP arguing for tougher penalties for marijuana users, distributors, growers etc etc... saying it was okay to smoke in the 70s because it was weaker. This made me think, ''if its legalised the government can control the strength''. Personally I do think the public should know about the harmful effects of smoking powerful weed, such as 'superskunk'. But the government wouldn't want to admit its mistakes, especially after spending/losing billions of Dollars, Euros, Pounds etc on battling (and losing) the ''war'' against marijuana.

Also remember... Marijuana used to make you a MURDERER, then a MANIAC, then a DEVIL WORSHIPER, then you supported 'RED CHINA' now it gives you schizophrenia. The latter may be true, it could also be a last ditch attempt at undermining the legalisation movement.

Legalsie!

author by lulupublication date Wed Mar 25, 2009 22:04author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Childbirth can also cause or exacerbate serious psychosis, but not once have we heard the Government or Medical Officers give a warning on that. Then there's the matter of all the weapons that are sold, often to highly repressive regimes, but that's treated as respectable business.

author by Mike - Judean Popular Peoples Frontpublication date Sun Mar 29, 2009 11:18author address author phone Report this post to the editors

There are other ways to consume the stuff besides smoking it you know.

In fact there are lots of uses for it besides just consuming it for the sake of plain old good times

author by lulupublication date Sun Mar 29, 2009 14:15author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Certainly, Mike, but I've many times heard the myth that 'It's only the baccy in spliffs is unhealthy'.....
Vaporisers work well, & can be constructed from a soldering-iron & a jar, but buds in salad, or better still in chocolate, are delicious.

author by Preacherpublication date Sun Mar 29, 2009 15:46author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Because Tobacco is legal it is "boring and lethal".

But cannabis is exciting.

Cannabis is exotic..to the simple minded.

I would not deliberately inhale ANY suspicious smoke into my lungs

I'd almost certainly pay a heavy price down the line.

Now...........Where did I leave that Double Whisky?

author by hidden agendapublication date Sun Mar 29, 2009 16:55author address author phone Report this post to the editors

The governements practically throw cigarettes and alcohol at us and now they want to legalise drugs because the thrill of illigality wore off. Sure lets all get drunk stoned and mellow and lets not have any energy left to fight the states new laws implemented to take our rights. Bye Bye freedom.

author by Einsteinpublication date Sun Mar 29, 2009 19:15author address author phone Report this post to the editors


I never saw the Government forcing drink down my neck.

I forced the drink down my own neck..

author by CD - cpdphlpublication date Mon Mar 30, 2009 16:22author address author phone Report this post to the editors

is this march on may 9 actually happening?

author by Conor. M - Seed (per cap)publication date Mon Mar 30, 2009 17:40author address author phone Report this post to the editors

There will be a march on May 9th. In Dublin and Cork

And to the conspiracy theroist, you can get cannabis on any street coner or any park in the counrty... what makes you think legalisation is a conspiracy? Massive pharma' companies will lose millions and people in general will benifit.

Lets take the ''gateway'' theory. Acording to 'them' when you smoke cannabis it opens a door to other harder drugs. This right-wing theory is actually correct! When you buy cannabis off a dealer, he/she may offer you other harder drugs to maxamise their profits. 'Dealing' cannabis is not about the love of your trade, rather quick cash. If it was legalised and legislated then true lovers of cannabis (like lovers of fine wine, good food etc) could promote and trade/sell cannabis. This would eradicate the ''gateway'' theory.

I think there are no real arguments left, in my opinion we need legalisation... even 'the economist' agrees

author by Conor. Mpublication date Mon Mar 30, 2009 17:47author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Sorry... my point is, you can keep the masses obedient by keeping drugs illegal because it leads to othe drug abuses (Thats why I talked about the Gateway theory). If its legalised the public will be much more aware of the negative effects of cannabis, legalisation = personal freedom!

author by no drugspublication date Tue Mar 31, 2009 00:38author address author phone Report this post to the editors

No way.
What is going on here have you not learned from the Dutch?
They introduce it, then make it illegal and keep this in the news making sure you hear the word every day. They controll the trade and are at the top of the chain. They eradicate any competition and use this by blowing it up to big proportions to feed the media. When everyone is familiar with the existence of drugs, do not see it as a big threath anymore or simply do not care and the sales are going down they legalise it. They tax it. They grab the euro's from the big pot filled by the tax payer. Who are they? The invisible laughing leprechauns at the other end of their piss-rainbow.

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