Judge - I am the law and I'll do as I please.

[mafya 249]

One of the things that distinguishes cannabis from a pack of PG tips is that to obtain cannabis one must enter into circles in which other harmful substances are available and at the ready also; no one ever started on Twinings and then ended up on crack!

 

I have been smoking weed for 20+ years now, never considered crack or heroin so your gateway theory is tosh.

[RootsBooster 24]

I for one haven't said that,

You are correct! My apologies, I mistook the quote as one of Glamrocker's.

 

but you have to question why somebody feels the need to take an illegal mind-bending drug.

For the same reason(s) they take a LEGAL mind-bending drug?

 

I don't feel the need, and I'm quite willing to admit I don't understand why anybody else would - if they are (allegedly) fulfilled in life and balanced of mind.

 

Why do you keep referring to it as a "need" ?

 

I don't "need" to go to the pub and have a pint, but sometimes I do it. I don't "need" to eat nutella, but sometimes a lot of the time I do it.

[Magilla 510]

There's nothing foolish about not wanting to take 'recreational' illegal drugs

 

There's also nothing foolish about taking 'recreational' illegal drugs when those same drugs are proven to be less harmful than those that are legal.

 

or not wishing to support the illegal trade or degenerate culture that goes with drug use.

 

A self forfilling prophecy again. Illegality leads to a degenerate culture.

The points you make are the same ones used against alcohol in the 20's, the prohibition of which was such a spectacular success.

 

The profoundly misguided views of people who choose to fill their veins/noses/lungs with chemicals because they can't either deal with life or enjoy life without artificial aid should not be our concern.

 

Sounds a lot like going for a pint to me. Are people who like relaxing with a pint really that misguided?

[Magilla 510]

I have been smoking weed for 20+ years now, never considered crack or heroin so your gateway theory is tosh.

 

It's not complete tosh. The gateway theory isn't necessarily to do with the drug being the gateway, but rather the need to buy from a dealer who wants to get you onto something addictive and profitable.

 

The gateway factor is largely as a result of prohibition and lack of regulation.

[RootsBooster 24]

Mmm. Hurts no-one.

 

Tell that to the families of people who have lost loved ones to somebody whose long term cannabis use has sent them schizo.

Why not? We seem to accept alcohol even though that can have the same effect. ANY drug which is used in excess, long term, will cause problems. Somebody enjoying a spliff at the weekend is not an excessive drug user.

 

Or tell that to an employer who has unmotivated, lethargiuc dullards working for him who use cannabis.

Again, a casual smoker will not be affected like this. Same goes for a casual drinker.

Or to the relatives of somebody who was killed ina road accident caused by a fool under the influence of cannabis.

I wonder if I could somehow compare this one to alcohol

 

Or to the families of people who suffer depression as a result of their cannabis use.

Do the results of alcohol abuse not register on your moral radar?

 

I'm sure a man of your intellect can give appropriate consideration to such cases. The Royal College of Psychiatrists certainly can.

You mean like this?

 

I don't object to drugs being administered in response to illness and under medical supervision. Morphine's pretty good stuff - but I don't think we should let kids buy it on street corners.

 

Neither do I, I think it should be sold to adults, with age restrictions, from licensed sellers, like alcohol is.

[Phanerothyme 12]

If you were able to feel fulfilled about your life, enjoy your pastimes, and get highs through the activities you undertake, why then would you feel the need to take drugs?

 

I agree that getting high from an activity is not in itself immoral, as you point out many people do so.

 

I happen to enjoy the cerebral equivalent of BASE jumping. It gives me a high.

 

It's also a lot safer than BASE jumping.

 

Should all BASE jumpers be executed?

[Magilla 510]

you have to question why somebody feels the need to take an illegal mind-bending drug.

 

For one second, imagine it was a legal mind bending drug, like alcohol for instance.

 

I don't feel the need, and I'm quite willing to admit I don't understand why anybody else would - if they are (allegedly) fulfilled in life and balanced of mind.

 

Imagine it's alcohol, if you still don't understand, then I think you're stretching credibility somewhat.

Edited March 5, 2012 by Magilla

[Phanerothyme 12]

One of the things that distinguishes cannabis from a pack of PG tips is that to obtain cannabis one must enter into circles in which other harmful substances are available

 

Good point. Now why is that?

 

Is that because Tea is inherently good and Cannabis is inherently evil?

 

or

 

Is it because Cannabis is illegal, and Tea is legal?

 

(hint, it's not the first one).

 

Well it would be a good point if, on a visit to Tesco to buy some PG tips, I didn't end up going past rows of stimulant pills, thousands of varieties of stupefactant, opiate analgesics and refined sugar.

Edited March 5, 2012 by Phanerothyme

[RootsBooster 24]

The anti-cannabis posters on here seem to have a problem understanding something. Until this is resolved they will never get out of their flawed logic cupboards.

 

I used to think the problem was that they couldn't see the similarities between alcohol and cannabis along with their double standards attitude toward the two.

 

I think the real problem is that they can't distinguish between excessive abuse and casual use. All the problems associated with excessive abuse of cannabis can also be applied to excessive abuse of alcohol

 

With casual use, the two are very similar again.

Edited March 5, 2012 by RootsBooster
missed a word out

[Phanerothyme 12]

Didn't Ian Brady get high on drugs before murdering his poor victims?

[LeMaquis 10]

I for one haven't said that, but you have to question why somebody feels the need to take an illegal mind-bending drug.

 

I don't feel the need, and I'm quite willing to admit I don't understand why anybody else would - if they are (allegedly) fulfilled in life and balanced of mind.

 

The comedian Mark Thomas once had a joke about why drugs should be decriminalised;

 

Paul McCartney on drugs wrote Helter Skelter.

Paul McCartney not on drugs wrote The Frog Chorus.

 

Look at the amount of LSD that got dropped in the 60s. People didn't take it because they weren't fulfilled or were unbalanced. They just experimented and some used it for creative purposes. Some people ended up as basket-cases as a result but they made some great music along the way.

 

I don't do drugs myself but there are reasons to do them other than not being fulfilled or being unbalanced.

[LeMaquis 10]

Didn't Ian Brady get high on drugs before murdering his poor victims?

 

If you're going to quote someone like Brady then at least do the background research before mentioning his name. Was Hitler on skunk? Did Stalin snort a few lines? Pol Pot fair enough and Chairman Meow.