Should I be jailed for breaking the law?

[Conrod]

Nice try, but we both know the truth.

I think the youngsters would say 'whatever' at this stage. I'll just igore you for a bit and see if you go away.

[Halibut]

I think the youngsters would say 'whatever' at this stage. I'll just igore you for a bit and see if you go away.

 

Ain't going to happen.

[HeadingNorth]

Should cannabis be illegal? No. We have legalised far worse things, and we have ample proof that even in the case of far worse things, there are more problems associated with criminalising the substance than with legalising it.

 

Should people be prosecuted for breaking an unjust law? Yes. If people were allowed to choose for themselves which laws were unjust, we would have anarchy; if Halibut, or Conrod, or myself, were allowed to choose for everyone which laws were unjust, we would have fascist dictatorship. The only policy that has any hope of ever working is to have laws decided by elected government, and applicable to everyone.

 

 

 

For the record, I agree with Conrod that anyone using drugs is a complete fool. I also agree with Halibut that all drugs should be legalised. It should not be illegal to be foolish, unless by doing so you endanger others; and the vast majority of dangers caused to the general public by, say, heroin addicts, only exist because the drug is not available on the NHS.

[harvey19]

Going off at a bit of a tangent maybe but how can tobaco be legal when cigarette packets carry warnings of the damage they can cause to the health of smokers and when this damage can be seen in those suffering from COPD.

The government even takes tax from a product which it clearly identifies as causing health problems.

[Conrod]

Should cannabis be illegal? No. We have legalised far worse things, and we have ample proof that even in the case of far worse things, there are more problems associated with criminalising the substance than with legalising it.

 

Should people be prosecuted for breaking an unjust law? Yes. If people were allowed to choose for themselves which laws were unjust, we would have anarchy; if Halibut, or Conrod, or myself, were allowed to choose for everyone which laws were unjust, we would have fascist dictatorship. The only policy that has any hope of ever working is to have laws decided by elected government, and applicable to everyone.

 

For the record, I agree with Conrod that anyone using drugs is a complete fool. I also agree with Halibut that all drugs should be legalised. It should not be illegal to be foolish, unless by doing so you endanger others; and the vast majority of dangers caused to the general public by, say, heroin addicts, only exist because the drug is not available on the NHS.

Now that's what I call a well-considered and balanced post.

 

As you say, none of us has (or should have) the individual ability to decide what is and what is not legal - our views are biased and never impartial, and any among us who thinks his or her view of right/wrong is better than that of the elected government is closer to Hitler than they realise.

 

I too can see some strength in the argument that legalising some drugs could be beneficial in the long run - but whilever it is illegal, the law must be treated as law.

[gularscute]

Should cannabis be illegal? No. We have legalised far worse things, and we have ample proof that even in the case of far worse things, there are more problems associated with criminalising the substance than with legalising it.

 

Should people be prosecuted for breaking an unjust law? Yes. If people were allowed to choose for themselves which laws were unjust, we would have anarchy; if Halibut, or Conrod, or myself, were allowed to choose for everyone which laws were unjust, we would have fascist dictatorship. The only policy that has any hope of ever working is to have laws decided by elected government, and applicable to everyone.

 

 

 

For the record, I agree with Conrod that anyone using drugs is a complete fool. I also agree with Halibut that all drugs should be legalised. It should not be illegal to be foolish, unless by doing so you endanger others; and the vast majority of dangers caused to the general public by, say, heroin addicts, only exist because the drug is not available on the NHS.

 

One minute you're smoking a joint, the next you're goose stepping down the street, off to invade Poland? A bit melodramatic perhaps. Fair enough, if people went around stealing, murdering and raping, it'd be a sorry state of affairs but if someone breaks an unjust law and hurts no-one, damages nothing and deprives no-one of anything then no harm is done to society, there's no decline into Fascism.

 

Is someone a fool for using alcohol, analgesics or caffeine too?

[HeadingNorth]

Going off at a bit of a tangent maybe but how can tobaco be legal when cigarette packets carry warnings of the damage they can cause to the health of smokers and when this damage can be seen in those suffering from COPD.

The government even takes tax from a product which it clearly identifies as causing health problems.

 

Cannabis was not made illegal until after attempts to impose duty on it collapsed in miserable failure. It's just too easy for people to grow the stuff in their own back garden.

 

Tobacco will not become illegal until the duty collected from it is no longer worth bothering with. Alcohol will probably never become illegal, despite being far worse than either - because the tax take from alcohol is staggeringly huge.

[HeadingNorth]

One minute you're smoking a joint, the next you're goose stepping down the street, off to invade Poland? A bit melodramatic perhaps. Fair enough, if people went around stealing, murdering and raping, it'd be a sorry state of affairs but if someone breaks an unjust law and hurts no-one, damages nothing and deprives no-one of anything then no harm is done to society, there's no decline into Fascism.

 

Is someone a fool for using alcohol, analgesics or caffeine too?

 

Alcohol, yes; caffeine, yes, although it's less harmful than most. Any form of recreational drug.

 

Heroin is an analgesic, so I'm not sure why you asked a question I already answered.

[onewheeldave]

Ah, so breaking the law is ok as long as it's not a law you agree with?

 

Oh, I forget - you know far more about drugs than the UK Government or BMA. Of course you do!

 

It's OK to break the law if that law is wrong and immoral.

 

And, in fact, I do consider myself to know more about drugs and the issues surrounding them, than the government does. Recall that several professionals employed as advisors to the govt on drugs, have been sacked when they gave advice the govt didn't like, or, resigned, when the govt ignored their advice.

 

The govt is actually pretty thick when it comes to drugs.

[onewheeldave]

I guess it would be okay in your view for people to distil their own vodka as well?

 

And maybe make aspirin and paracetamol in their kichens and sell them as home recipe alternatives to mainstream pharmaceuticals?

 

People who home grow their own cannabis are the only ones who can be guaranteed a pure product- the majority of cannabis from dealers is cut with all kinds of unhealthy rubbish.