Off Topic If you are a smoker and can't give up

Alcohol? That's a drug, surely? It alters the mind and it's the cause of a lot of crime.

If I had to choose between Alcohol and Weed for my kids to consume, I'd prefer them to smoke weed.

I think we are from different generations, Ron. It's all good, though

 

I don't smoke cigarettes but I’ve always used them to prepare my smokes. I couldn't just light a fag up, though. It would knock me sick.

'Billy' - I've never heard that term used before for Cannabis. We associate the term Billy with speed. 'Billy Wizz'

 

I don't drink much alcohol either Saffy. Half a glass of wine with my dinner and the occasional half a bottle if we go out. I even have a glass of lager sometimes if it is really hot weather. My favourite drinks are tea and hot chocolate. I like to be in control of what I am doing. Boring old fart I suppose. However, I can enjoy myself just as much as people who drink a lot

 

A billy is just a home made device.

 

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Yeah you boring git Ron.....

Everything in moderation I say although taking drugs like cannabis, speed etc is illegal so you shouldnt be doing it full stop. Drinking alcohol is not.

I was out last night with an old work pal in bristol and had a very steady 4 pints and a curry... Great evening without the need to get too sozzled...

 

you like to live on the edge eh ?

 

Absolutely Rudey....lol. Early start today in london so was up early doors leaving bristol.

Saturday will be a bit different...hopefully Cheltenham will be on..few beers .bit of a session up the local and on. No cannabis or speed..that's for losers. It's illegal. All about standards..

 

you do know the health stats ? biggest killers tobacco 100 , 000 deaths per year, alcohol , incalculable damage to individuals , family , friends , society for its misuse ........cannabis , no recorded deaths ever ,anywhere ........but you bury your head in silly legal regulations , a bit of research might shock you , check out the opium wars in china , british interests forced opium trade onto local population, for many years ........talk about hypocrites

 

I've never done any 'illegal' drugs but that's through my own choice, I have no moral high ground to stand on. I'm a firm believer that drugs should be legalised, regulated and taxed. I have no idea how I'd react to taking drugs, I don't like my state of mind to be altered and like to remain in control. They're my reasons. I'm also not set against trying them, I just never have. Nothing to do with legality for me. I like a drink but have always known my limits. The strange thing I always find with the 'legal'/'illegal' argument is that alcohol is one of the worst drugs that anyone can take, we know the damage it can cause, we know the risks, yet it's the general consensus that you're weird if you don't drink. With 'illegal' drugs there's very little actual research that can show the dangers, especially cannabis. However we have plenty of research on how it can benefit us. But because it's 'illegal' you're seen as weird for taking that. Strange world. My brother has smoked 2 to 3 joints a day for around 25 years with no obvious Ill effects. Whereas I watched my mother in law spend 3 years killing herself vodka after vodka. She weighed around 5 stone, was the colour of Marge Simpson and had less than 3% Liver function when a chest infection finally finished her off. We make our own choices, we have our own opinions on it but I know if my kids were to grow up and had the choice of a beer a day or a joint a day, I'd prefer the latter.

 

I live in County Durham. The police force up here won't arrest anybody for personal cannabis use. Whether that be growing a few plants or smoking it. They aren't interested. I've been self-sufficient with Cannabis for over a decade now.

I owned and ran a big CBD company. (CBD is the legal part of the cannabis plant) Over 80% of my customers were aged 55 and over. They were taking it for all the aches and pains you get as age hits us.

I've sat down with the police about the idea of opening a cannabis club around here and again they're fine with it (There's over 100 in the UK now) I'll always remember what they said to me. In every town and city, every weekend, they're arresting thousands of people which is alcohol related. Whether that be violence, criminal damage or whatever. He said cannabis doesn't bring any problems like that and what they realised was that the only crime people were getting brought in for with Cannabis was actually just smoking it. It wasn't leading to other crime or causing the problems in society that alcohol has always created.

Cannabis is being legalised all around the world. Will you stop calling us losers once it happens over here?

 

You've really shocked me here, Ron. You choose to drink tea over coffee? Heathen.

I'm the same in all honesty. I'm teetotal and get by on coffee and water. I can still go out with the lads but I just stick to soft drinks. Once it gets to 10pm and people start falling into me, slurring their words and talking ****e then it's time for me to go. I'm not really comfortable being around drunk folk.

I'll always have a joint whilst reading a book at the end of the day before bed, though. It helps to relax me. I suffer with a personality disorder. I'd be stuck in the mental health system without it.

 

I too used to join the lads in the pub (in the 60s and 70s) and drink Coke Saffy. I used to cop a terrible ribbing, but weed got me through it.

 

I am well aware of stats Rudey but as I said in an earlier post everything in moderation. I think the deal danger with weed/hash is the risk that it can lead to taking class a drugs. So for me personally it's right that it's illegal.

Appreciate alcohol can lead to a lot of problems but that's legal and weed/hash is not. There are lots of different opinions on this but I believe in a society that respects rules and the rule of law.

 

The crucial words in your post Smokey regarding your brother is 'no obvious ill effects. The stuff you can buy now is much stronger and plenty of medical evidence out there about the dangers of smoking it. As my previous post mentions...for me it's about respecting the rule of law and doing what is right. And unless you need to smoke drugs for medical benefits you shouldn't be doing it.

 

Appreciate lots of different views on this saffy but I believe in the rule of law as my previous posts mention. I have also seen the downside of weed and have had friends go on to be regular users of class A drugs. The reason...weed/hash started them on that journey..not good so for me it's right thst it is not legslised. Just my opinion though....

 

I respect your opinion on it. For me though just because something's illegal doesn't automatically mean you shouldn't do it. I doubt very much any of us drive around at the speed limit everywhere we go for example. Weed will be legalised in the UK when they eventually catch up with the rest of the world. I won't start smoking it just because it's legal. I get your argument and you're right in what you're saying but for me legal/illegal is a complete non issue with regards cannabis.

 

I'd imagine it was far worse back then for not drinking with the lads

 

It also seems a bit mental to me that the UK is the world's largest exporter of medicinal marijuana, yet it's still illegal over here.

 

The rule of law , weird , laws are human constructs , mostly made for the benefit of a ruling order to keep that in place . We have seen countless times how these who like to make laws to restrict others ,flout them when it’s opportune to do so .The ruling class make class laws , you only have to see the comparative punishments for some one caught fiddling benefits to a middle class fraudster who commits so called white collar crime .

 

Of course, Pops. I respect your opinion

As I alluded too earlier, I believe it's a generation thing and what you were told then and what we know now. For a start, I'll argue that Cannabis does not lead to hard drugs, that's a myth. Research after research shows that people have far more opportunity of being offered and consuming class A drugs through alcohol. People lose their inhibitions when intoxicated, but I don't believe that happens through smoking Cannabis.

I agree with what you said in your earlier post regarding the strength of Cannabis. It is getting too strong and the levels of THC would certainly need to be regulated. I've always argued for recreational use to be capped at around 18%. That's strong enough. You can get stuff thats 30% now and it's way to much for the average user. For medical use I'd argue it can be as strong as required.

Would you not also agree then that what's going on in the alcohol industry where cheap shots of 40% alcohol are being offered for as little as £1.50 also needs to be banned? If alcohol is to be enjoyed in moderation, which I think is anybodies business unless it directly negatively impacts society, then why do people need high strength booze? Why could we not dramatically reduce alcohol levels?

In moderation both are fine. The vast majority of people are sensible when consuming them.