Don Brash: "We should decriminalise marijuana"

[scissorhands]

shit must have missed all those stories about World Cup violence. Unless scissors means on the field in which case they are allowed neither alcohol nor cannabis.

Eindhoven police spokesman Johann Beelan said cannabis was a positive influence on public order at Euro 2000. "Cannabis ... was part of the conditions which meant everyone had a good time," he said.

[imdying]

Kind Regards

Phil Saxby

I think that says a lot more about booze than dope. Interesting read none the less.

[imdying]

shit must have missed all those stories about World Cup violence.

They didn't ban booze.

[Brett]

Your full of it, buy some grape juice instead of wine then

I didnt have cannabis for 3 days, then last night went out and had a small/moderate amount. I will have none again till I socialize with friends in the next few days.

I got friends with government jobs like police and fire service who have a bit at parties, or when they go the beach with mates

Stop drinking wine and buy grape juice, unless you like looking like a hypocrite

If I look like a hypocrite, so be it. I'm no soft cock that it is going to make me weep. Attack me all you like, but the fact remains, if pot were not used for it's effects, the issue of its legality/illegality would not exist. I do sometimes have a few more drinks than I technically should, nothing wrong with that, and I am not against people who like a few drinks every now and again. I AM against the pathetic drinking culture that is pervasive in this country (and many others) that lead to all kinds of violence, crime and social disorder and one of my issue with legalising pot (not decriminalisation) is that by allowing its use, there will be an increase in its use. The last thing we need is more high as a kite, fucked up clowns causing more social damage like we already have with alcohol and putting more strain on already limited medical and legal resources.

This debate is largely pointless. A bill to decriminalise pot will take a very long time to get traction, if it ever does. It has not even been proposed as a bill, simply stated by one (moronic) politician as his personal view. No wonder Don Brash failed as leader of National.

[scissorhands]

Fair enough mate. I know your coming from a good place, I just think your badly informed

[Mad-V2]

I suppose all info in this clip is unfounded bullshit too.

[Scuba_Steve]

I suppose all info in this clip is unfounded bullshit too.

Half of it yes but not all

I would call this the "hard left" argument to the "hard right" both are their to push an agenda & both contain bullshit laced with truth

[imdying]

[Brett]

Fair enough mate. I know your coming from a good place, I just think your badly informed

You might call it badly informed, I would call it "otherwised informed". Our different experiences condition us to see things differently and the people who surround us alter our views too.
My immediate circle of family and friends is made up of doctors, nurses, police, teachers - all people who see the tragic side of drug abuse (and I include alcohol here) and have to deal with the effects of it. This includes individuals who have literally lost their marbles and their grip on reality due to drug use and have become severe risks to society and who are incredibly likely to severely harm or kill others (and who wish to).
I have personally had a drug addict try and run me over and try and stab me more than once. So yeah, this would cause me to see things differently.

[Mad-V2]

Was the drug addict who tried running you down addicted to cannabis?

[mashman]

When was the last time someone took a drag on a joint because they liked the taste of the smoke? I would assume 99.9% of pot smokers do so for the effect. I, and many people I know, will have a glass or two of wine or a beer or two with dinner or at the end of the day with no intention of getting wasted (or anything close to it).
You can argue semantics on this all day, yes one *could* take such a small toke as to create no effect, and yes, there are those that will be leg-less after a single drink, but neither of these would constitute the norm.

I like the taste and smell of marijuana... just like some might like the taste and smell of a cigar. As I've said before, marijuana is as much of a social substance as alcohol, and groups of people often share a joint or 2 with no intention of getting wasted (or anything close to it)... hard as that may be to believe, it happens.

We could argue semantics all day... so you agree that you can manage both alcohol and marijuana affects by limiting/maximising how you use it. That should be the end of the "argument" then?

[Brett]

Was the drug addict who tried running you down addicted to cannabis?

Was one of the drugs, yes, but also was a meth user. Schizophrenia has proven links with cannabis use.

Researchers in New Zealand found that those who used cannabis by the age of 15 were more than three times (300%) more likely to develop illnesses such as schizophrenia. Other research has backed this up, showing that cannabis use increases the risk of psychosis by up to 700% for heavy users, and that the risk increases in proportion to the amount of cannabis used (smoked or consumed). Additionally, the younger a person smokes/uses cannabis, the higher the risk for schizophrenia, and the worse the schizophrenia is when the person does develop it. Research by psychiatrists in inner-city areas speak of cannabis being a factor in up to 80 percent of schizophrenia cases.

Professor Robin Murray (London Institute of Psychiatry) has recently (2005) completed a 15-year study of more than 750 adolescents in conjunction with colleagues at King's College London and the University of Otago in New Zealand.

Overall people were 4.5 times more likely to be schizophrenic at 26 if they were regular cannabis smokers at 15, compared to 1.65 times for those who did not report regular use until age 18.

Many researchers now believe that using the drug while the brain is still developing boosts levels of the chemical dopamine in the brain, which can directly lead to schizophrenia. Otago University.

[Brett]

We could argue semantics all day... so you agree that you can manage both alcohol and marijuana affects by limiting/maximising how you use it. That should be the end of the "argument" then?

Yes. If people moderated their use of both alcohol and pot responsibly, I don't feel that there would be much of an issue here. Most people don't, and that is the problem. Sharing a joint on a Saturday night with a few mates is nothing like smoking a whole joint yourself and worse, doing so every day.

[mashman]

Half of it yes but not all

I would call this the "hard left" argument to the "hard right" both are their to push an agenda & both contain bullshit laced with truth

Which half?

heh heh... vewy twue

[Brett]

who ever red repped me saying to see hightimes.com...I did. Bit of a hap-hazard website IMO. Designed by stoners for stoners, but I guess you work with the demographic.