How long until Cannabis is legal in the UK?

[andrejuan]

Actually I was replying to the OP and this "Much of our crime is down to drugs" and trying to show that is not actually the case.

 

Yes, not me as you tried to say.

 

 

 

But it is recorded accurately, a burglary is recorded as a burglary, theft is recorded as theft etc. There may be mitigating circumstances but that applies to all crimes.

 

You cannot just dismiss mitigating circumstance because it suits your argument.

 

 

 

And who would these people be?

 

The Police, the courts, CPS.

 

I'm afraid you have a closed mind.

 

Can this now get back on topic !!!!

Edited May 13, 2017 by andrejuan

[apelike]

I'll just throw some number to the discussion - in US, 27.5 % prison inmates (averaged in state and federal prisons) reported being under the influence of drugs at time of their offense. 13.5 % inmates admitted they committed their offense to obtain money to buy drugs. I couldn't find equivalent statistic for UK but I guess it wouldn't be much different.

 

The USA has a much higher incidence of hard drug use such as heroin, crack and meth. I would assume that the UK would be much lower and it still would not amount to ""Much of our crime is down to drugs."

 

---------- Post added 13-05-2017 at 20:00 ----------

 

The Police, the courts, CPS.

 

I'm afraid you have a closed mind.

 

Can this now get back on topic !!!!

 

Far from having a closed mind I am very clued up on the subject. It is also still on topic, and you seem to have included something in my quote that I didn't write. If you dont know how to quote properly then please dont.

Edited May 13, 2017 by apelike

[andrejuan]

and you seem to have included something in my quote that I didn't write: "You cannot just dismiss mitigating circumstance because it suits your argument" so can you amend your post please.

 

For clarification that is me responding to your comment and the one above also. Read it again and you will see.

 

I am perfectly aware you believe you are "clued up".

 

I don't imagine people want to read about you disagreeing with my posts instead of discussing an interesting and important topic.

Edited May 13, 2017 by andrejuan

[monkey104]

Pherhaps there is someone who works in the judicial system that could tell us the percentage of shoplifters that are arrested who are sent for drug referrals following drugs tests whilst in custody!

[JNewton69]

Pherhaps there is someone who works in the judicial system that could tell us the percentage of shoplifters that are arrested who are sent for drug referrals following drugs tests whilst in custody!

 

I know a couple of guys who could do that.

[apelike]

and you seem to have included something in my quote that I didn't write: "You cannot just dismiss mitigating circumstance because it suits your argument" so can you amend your post please.

 

For clarification that is me responding to your comment and the one above also. Read it again and you will see.

 

I know its you responding but the way in which you have quoted is wrong as it looks as though I have stated things when I have not. If you want to quote and add your response then you need to learn how to do it as the above post is also out.

 

When you quote it should start with an opening quote such as:

 

(QUOTE=apelike; and then a quote number) The quoted text and then an end (/QUOTE) You then add your comment after so it does not get mixed up in the original quote. I have replaced the normal square brackets for normal ones in this instance. Then for each additional quote you do the same.

[biotechpete]

I believe it's the illegal 'skunk' (a particularly strong form of cannabis) that causes mental illness.

 

---------- Post added 13-05-2017 at 16:42 ----------

 

I think there's a strong case for legalising cannabis for medicinal purposes.

 

Cannabis is effectively already legal for medical purposes. Sativex is a botanical extract approved for various types of pain as well as MS.

 

---------- Post added 13-05-2017 at 21:24 ----------

 

Not really, it's THC which is associated with psychotic diseases, so there isn't any kind of cannabis that can be considered as "safe".

 

Current thinking is that it's actually the balance between THC and cannabidiol which determines the psychotic effects. High THC with equally high cannabidiol is safer than lower levels of THC without cannabidiol.

 

---------- Post added 13-05-2017 at 21:41 ----------

 

Actually only a small percentage of crime is down to drugs so I doubt this would do much to put a dent in that. If you are interested in the figure then the ONS has them. There were around 6.1 million crimes recorded in the year ending 2016 and out of that less than 200,000 were drug related.

 

But the cost to the police of prosecuting cannabis offences is quite high none the less. The Lib Dems estimated in London that £24 million and ~385,000 police hours a year were spent on cannabis possession prosecutions.

Edited May 13, 2017 by biotechpete

[apelike]

---------- Post added 13-05-2017 at 21:41 ----------

 

But the cost to the police of prosecuting cannabis offences is quite high none the less. The Lib Dems estimated in London that £24 million and ~385,000 police hours a year were spent on cannabis possession prosecutions.

 

 

 

On that I agree and one of the reasons that I believe it should be legalised as that would free up a lot of police time and also money. The only problem I have is how it would be controlled and/or taxed. Unfortunately one of the worst things ever done was to reclassify it from C to B, now I wonder what government did that!

[TORONTONY]

One last word from me on this. I think the more you make it illegal to do something highly popular, the more the criminal element becomes a major factor. A prime example was Prohibition in the US, organised crime was born through that stupid law. You ban booze and share a 3000mile undefended, border with a country that allows it LOL

It makes sense to legalise pot, in my opinion, just like it made sense to legalise off course betting in the early 60's Another thing. Everybody wins, and no I have never smoked a joint in my life, but I have been hammered by drink a few times when younger. I don't see any difference , neither is good in excess but in moderation, why not?

[Phanerothyme]

Cannabis is effectively already legal for medical purposes. Sativex is a botanical extract approved for various types of pain as well as MS.

Although it's weird that one company has been granted a total monopoly on cannabis medicine in the UK, where's the market in all this? There's also Nabilone and Dronabinol, but all these extracts are things that anyone can produce in their own home and nothing special.

 

Prohibition has resulted in a surge in the chinese production of israeli developed synthetic cannabinoids like JWH-018 (spice).

 

---------- Post added 13-05-2017 at 21:24 ----------

 

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Current thinking is that it's actually the balance between THC and cannabidiol which determines the psychotic effects. High THC with equally high cannabidiol is safer than lower levels of THC without cannabidiol.

Evidence for cannabis related psychoses is extremely poor, and most cited cases are cases for polydrug use, rather than just cannabis.

 

But the whole psychotropic profile depends on dozens of terpenoids, many of which are inactive on their own. It's still poorly understood, but the horticulturalists have explored the spectrum of terpenoid balances and found ones that are better for MS, some that are better for epilepsy, some that are better for nausea and appetite.

 

In terms of psychoses, Spice is far, far, far worse than any cannabis. Legal to possess, illegal to supply, import or manufacture.

 

 

---------- Post added 13-05-2017 at 21:41 ----------

 

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But the cost to the police of prosecuting cannabis offences is quite high none the less. The Lib Dems estimated in London that £24 million and ~385,000 police hours a year were spent on cannabis possession prosecutions.

 

The potential revenue from legalisation could be pretty significant.