Should drugs be legalised?

[russelldust]

calculate any of those numbers as a portion of the population and they are small- not insignificant no, but still small...

 

 

 

[russelldust]

QUOTE (Louise @ May 26 2004, 16:02)

as dawn said there is help if you need it but sometimes thats just a way of getting your fix or selling it on to get what you really want unfortunately some people out there are not as responcerble as the recreational user

Louise,

that is exactly my point- the law treats everyone the same. Why should I get in to trouble for doing things to myself just because some other joe bloggs if they did the same would end up robbing and causing violence etc???

 

you almost feel like there should be separate laws for these kind of people to the rest of us!!!

[LiquidEyes]

JR, I do take all your points on board. I agree that too many people think they're invincible and are reckless with drugs.

 

I just don't agree that, just because something can be abused, it should be illegal. Hence, my junk food analogy.

 

I'm not lumping all drugs under the same bracket, by any means. I'm thinking more of recreational drugs, such as E, which are only addictive in the same sense as junk food (or anything else which can be a form of escapism from your psychological problems).

[russelldust]

QUOTE (Jessica Rabbit @ May 26 2004, 16:29)

QUOTE (LiquidEyes @ May 26 2004, 16:22) Why have special rules for "drugs" when there's no significant evidence they're more dangerous than anything else? Wrong.   Sometimes it amazes me how little people know about what they are putting in their bodies. I am sorry but you show me one single study that shows pills (for one example) are any worse or any better (in terms of side effects) than drugs such as alcohol and nicotine...   you can't. There are no surveys statistically significant enough to argue the case either way.   I am not for one minute saying drugs aren't dangerous, nor that they have significant side effects, but the assumption seems to be that 'because they are illegal they are therefore very dangerous'   that isn't the case- the reasons for many drugs being made illegal have nothing to do with how dangerous they are- much of the time it is quite simply because those in power feel under pressure to make an example...   I agree jessica with your comments about drugs and psychiatric problems, but what about the positive effects of MDMA on people with traumatic stress disorder, dope on multiple scelrosis sufferers... ketamine in anaesthatising (sic probably) babies....   these are all positive things. Just because drugs end up being used for recreational rather than 'proper' purposes does not change them into evil, dirty things...   I honestly don't know whether legalising would make things any better- but the current nonense that lots of people risk jail sentences for doing nothing other than swallowing a few happy pills is not a situation I think that can continue.   Great debate though.

[Lisa]

I think what needs to be thought about is the different catagories & affects drugs have, before any type of legalisation is brought in, for instance we know that hash is by no means as addictive as say heroin etc.

[Aaron]

Agreed Lisa, the current classification on drugs are sadly like many other laws in this country are outdated. I cannot for the life of me see why Pills for example is lumped into the same category as Heroin, given the points that have already been raised in this thread.

 

Anyone know how other countries like holland for example classify drugs? given that they have legalised cannabis use.

 

And also, even though "officially" the penaltys are high for breaking the current laws of possesion/supply. Am i right in thinking that the police (unofficially) are much more relaxed on say possestion/supply of ecstacy, in comparison to say possesion/supply of heroine, that they used to be?

Edited May 26, 2004 by Aaron

[russelldust]

QUOTE (Aaron @ May 26 2004, 17:30)

Agreed Lisa, the current classification on drugs are sadly like many other laws in this country are outdated. I cannot for the life of me see why Pills for example is lumped into the same category as Heroin, given the points that have already been raised in this thread. Anyone know how other countries like holland for example classify drugs? given that they have legalised cannabis use. And also, even though "officially" the penaltys are high for breaking the current laws of possesion/supply. Am i right in thinking that the police (unofficially) are much more relaxed on say possestion/supply of ecstacy, in comparison to say possesion/supply of heroine, that they used to be?

Aaron- not really.

 

The only thing I would say is that the police treat (1) small amounts as possesion (6 pills is often quoted as the line in the sand), and (2) a distinction is made between dealing and getting some in for your friends.

 

The reality is that if you are caught with more than 6 pills you will almost definitely go to prison

 

(my friend defended someone in a club with no previous, basically just a lad flogging 2 pills for a bit of extra cash and he got 18 months).

 

Lisa/Aaron I agree completely with you- some distinction needs to be made.

Quite frankly some government money needs to be allocated to the study of recreational drugs and their possible impact on society...

[Lisa]

The prison issue, with pills, IMO, vary's on the judge on the day. I know of a friends, mate who had 7 pilss on him & went to prison for a few years & my close friend, got caught dealing, had almost 300 found in her home, along with substantial, incriminating evidence, to show she was selling, ie log books of sales etc, silly cow I know but, thats her, too organised, she went to caught, got a £250 fine & about 200 hours community service. I have heard of people going to prison for simply handing a pill over also.

[Aaron]

Jeezus thats just so stupid.

 

I must admit though, even though i've done it more times than I care to remember, i'm still on the verge of shitting myself everytime i go into clubs with them on me. Quite rightly so by the sound of it!

[Lisa]

TBH Vince, she had even been taking pills very long & she thought it would help out money wise, to sell a few here & there, but like a few dealers, she got greedy & careless, nasty to say, but true. When it came to light that she had kept all her sales etc written down, we could not believe it & when we first discovered she was dealing, I had a chat with her & she didnt even realise E was in the same catagory as heroin

[russelldust]

QUOTE (Aaron @ May 26 2004, 17:43)

Jeezus thats just so stupid. I must admit though, even though i've done it more times than I care to remember, i'm still on the verge of shitting myself everytime i go into clubs with them on me. Quite rightly so by the sound of it!

Just conceal them in a place that they wont look.

 

and be very careful when in the club- always go to the toilet rather than on the dance floor.

 

Lisa- your friend was very, very lucky.

[Aaron]

Sounds like the judge considered her nieveity(sp?) when passing sentance

Edited May 26, 2004 by Aaron

[Lisa]

QUOTE (russelldust @ May 26 2004, 17:48)

Lisa- your friend was very, very lucky.

oh was she ever, needless to say, she nolongers, takes them or goes clubbimg anymore for taht matter, she has tried to disassociate herself from the whole drug scene completely.

[ChrisT]

QUOTE (Jessica Rabbit @ May 26 2004, 15:24)

Some of my friends from uni were out in Camden not that long ago, they came out of the pub and saw a prostitute with a client on the street. The bloke said to the prostitute 'I'll give you £20 for a blowjob' and then pissed all over her. My mates chased him down the street but he ran off. They took the woman back to their flat to let her have a shower, gave her some clean clothes etc, and she was honest with them and told them she was a heroin addict, but she lived in waterloo and her medication was in Camden, she hardly ever has enough money to travel there and so is just stuck in a catch-22 situation. There are just not enough resources to help addicts, if heroin was legalised then perhaps we could do something to help people like this.

Thats quite funny in a sick way

[Ginge]

IMO drugs that are naturel or can be taken in their natural state should be legal coz it just seems stupid making a plant illegal reguardless of what it does.

 

Therefore I think mushrooms and weed should be legal (as long as they havent been altered before growing). If they were tested for purity before use and proved to be completely natural the I dont see the harm in it.

 

Thinking about it, caffine is a natural drug, too much caffine gives you the shakes and therefore makes it dangerous to drive but drinking coffee isnt illegal. Its the same with chocolate. Its been proved that eating a certain amount of chocolate has the same effect as cocaine as they come from the same plant but cocaine isnt in its pure form, its been manufactured and therefore SHOULD be illegal.

 

Anything that is chemically "enhanced" should be illegal IMO. Any man-made drug should be destroyed. Nature is the way forward.

 

Ecsatacy, Cocaine, Heroine, Crack, Acid, GHB, Speed, Base, etc should defo be illegal.

 

Shrooms, weed, natural highs, etc should be legal.

 

My dad use to be a herbalist and he had use to get opium and poppy seeds for medicinal uses. As soon as one of my so called "friends" found out, they raided his herb cupboard, so my dad gave it up but he could make some AMAZING remedies for all sorts of ailments.

 

Sorry for repeating myself, I've been out on the old hops and barley tonight.

Edited May 27, 2004 by Ginge