Cannabis factory discovered in Selhurst (From Croydon Guardian)

Why don't we try taking a completely new approach to cannabis? In Britain, 30% of us use cannabis in our lifetime, three million people use it at least once per month and we consume more than three tonnes every day. The idea that we can prevent people using it is nonsense.

We waste billions every year on police, court and prison resources when a large proportion of society uses cannabis without any problem at all. In fact, the only real problem with cannabis is that it's illegal.

The risks to health are very small - much, much less than alcohol or tobacco. Professor Terrie Moffitt of the Institute of Psychiatry said recently that cannabis is "safe for over 18s". If we took responsibility and introduced a tax and regulate system we could protect children far more effectively than we do at present.

We could have a properly regulated supply chain with no criminals involved, no theft of electricity, no human trafficking, no destruction of property and disruption of neighbourhoods. Then there would be some control over this huge market. There would be thousands of new jobs, sales would be from licensed outlets to adults only with guaranteed quality and safety. Then our police could start going after some real wrongdoing instead of trying to fight a crime that exists only because of a misguided government policy.

Also, very importantly, science now proves that cannabis is one of the safest and most effective medicines for a wide range of conditions. While the government promotes the lie that "there is no medicinal value in cannabis", it has granted an unlawful monopoly to GW Pharmaceuticals to grow 20 tonnes a year for, you guessed it, medicine!

Cannabis Law Reform (CLEAR) published independent research last year that shows a cannabis tax and regulate policy would provide a boost to the UK economy of up to £9.3 billion pa as well as reducing all health and social harms.

The only thing that keeps the present absurd status quo in place is weak politicians corrupted by Big Booze and the GW Pharma monopoly.

No arrests? Why ever not?

Not all laws are there to protect or help us. Many reasons why cannabis was prohibited. Mostly vested interested and the fear of hemp production for logging companies in America, and Cotton farmers in Egypt. A lot of why it was outlawed had a lot to do with control, prejudice and racism. It had nothing at all to do with the effect from smoking cannabis. Alcohol prohibition had built an infrastructure, so when prohibition came to an end, many people including Harry Anslinger where going to be out of work. So working together with William Randolf Hearst, (a racist, owner of a huge chain of newspapers and had invested heavily in the timber industry to support his newspaper chain and didnt want to see the development of hemp paper in competition) they started the 'reefer-madness' campaign. Some quotes from Anslinger, an example of the propaganda -

the primary reason to outlaw marijuana is its effect on the degenerate races

You smoke a joint and your likely to kill your brother

Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind

There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz, and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and any others

Years and years of lies and propaganda have left the public misinformed and scared. The 'reefer madness' propaganda still exists, we see it in the Daily Mail all the time. So cannabis wasnt outlawed because it may have a small potential for harm when abused by an underdeveloped brain, it was everything to do with Money, vested interest and lies, and nothing to do with harm reduction. In fact, prohibiting cannabis has caused many more problems, harms and dangers than the cannabis itself. Simply by disallowing regulation gifting the control to the only people in society will taking to take a risk for freedom, criminals.

Why is cannabis still illegal today, even though we should have learnt our lesson from alcohol prohibition?

Vested Interest, Corrupt/Cowardly politicians, Propaganda and misinformation, The pressure from the alcohol lobby, GWpharma (who grow cannabis in Kent), the people getting paid thanks to prohibition (Alcohol, tobacco, pharmaceutical companies, drug testing companies, i could go on...) and of course, personal prejudices. Im not saying cannabis is harmless, but compared to aspirin, its MUCH safer. Its a medicine, and has been considered a medicine a lot longer than its been considered a street drug. No one would consider any psychoactive substance 'safe', but compared to alcohol, tobacco and pharmaceuticals, its so much safer for responsible adults to use.

''im fairly confident that cannabis is safe for over-18 brains, but risky for under-18 brains'' - Professor Terrie Moffitt, Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London, 2012

But the media love to lie about cannabis or any other drug for that matter.

"If a scientist announces their research has found ecstasy to be safer than alcohol, I know my job as a tabloid reporter is to portray this man as a quack." - Richard Peppiatt, Daily Star reporter, the Leveson inquiry

We need to take the control away from criminals. Undercutting prices and bringing it into a regulated market will see a decline in criminals selling it and children buying it. When a country regulates cannabis, drug use goes down and age of first use goes up. 99% of associated crimes decline. Prohibition has always done the opposite of what its meant to. Its a failed experiment having nothing to do with Expert advice, scientific evidence or our health and safety. Just say No to prohibition, it causes more harm than cannabis ever could.

"Officers from the Selhurst, Broad Green, West Thornton and Norbury"

How many does it take? What a waste, why not focus all these many Officers on real crime.

Anyone using force to promote health is not promoting health.

I for one refuse to listen to the harm of any drug until we take away the gun of prohibition.
"Put down the gun and we can talk!"

No arrests; and there never should be.

Booze, cannabis, excstacy, coke, heroin, uppers, downers etc etc. What a joke society this is where people feel the need to take mind-altering substances just to 'enjoy themselves', allegedly ;)

"Smoke the green and keep it real" - Ali G, my idol,

If you visit sittingbourne in Kent you will be near a state of the art, government approved cannabis farm. This farm grows 60,000 high potency cannabis plants of two different strains. This crop is processed by extracting ALL the active ingredients using CO2. The resultant potent oil is then diluted in alcohol, bottled and sold to the NHS at 10 times the street price of cannabis. The product is called Sativex and the government (MHRA) have approved it as safe and effective. So while big pharma tend their beautiful farm with impunity, people like this who grow on a far smaller scale have their gardens raided and destroyed. Cannabis itself, despite popular opinion, is NOT illegal. The only thing that makes this small operation illegal, along with thousands of others, is the fact that the growers do not have a home office licence to grow and sell cannabis. Instead of using the legislation to control substances the government are abusing the well meaning and sensible legislation to abuse and control us. All control of 'controlled' drugs is thus handed to international drugs cartels.

Surreydon wrote:
Booze, cannabis, excstacy, coke, heroin, uppers, downers etc etc. What a joke society this is where people feel the need to take mind-altering substances just to 'enjoy themselves', allegedly ;)

Why are you happy with criminals controlling the market?

SuperSilverSourDiese
l wrote:

Surreydon wrote:
Booze, cannabis, excstacy, coke, heroin, uppers, downers etc etc. What a joke society this is where people feel the need to take mind-altering substances just to 'enjoy themselves', allegedly ;)

Why are you happy with criminals controlling the market?

I'm not happy about criminals controlling any market. Just pi***d off with people 'needing' their fixes in order to get through their days.
If there was no demand there would be no market and the crims would have to move on.
And how about people driving while high, is this acceptable? I reckon the victims of drivers under the influence will say otherwise!

Surreydon wrote:

SuperSilverSourDiese

l wrote:

Surreydon wrote:
Booze, cannabis, excstacy, coke, heroin, uppers, downers etc etc. What a joke society this is where people feel the need to take mind-altering substances just to 'enjoy themselves', allegedly ;)

Why are you happy with criminals controlling the market?

I'm not happy about criminals controlling any market. Just pi***d off with people 'needing' their fixes in order to get through their days.
If there was no demand there would be no market and the crims would have to move on.
And how about people driving while high, is this acceptable? I reckon the victims of drivers under the influence will say otherwise!

I'm warming myself on the soft glow projected from Surreydon's sanctimonious halo.

But hey, a life without the odd high - legal or otherwise - must be a very dull life indeed... Mine's a double on the rocks.

Surreydon wrote:

SuperSilverSourDiese

l wrote:

Surreydon wrote:
Booze, cannabis, excstacy, coke, heroin, uppers, downers etc etc. What a joke society this is where people feel the need to take mind-altering substances just to 'enjoy themselves', allegedly ;)

Why are you happy with criminals controlling the market?

I'm not happy about criminals controlling any market. Just pi***d off with people 'needing' their fixes in order to get through their days.
If there was no demand there would be no market and the crims would have to move on.
And how about people driving while high, is this acceptable? I reckon the victims of drivers under the influence will say otherwise!

Cannabis has had a strong demand for 10,000 years. So its here to stay, its just with our current policy, unfortunately, criminals control the market. No one gets a 'fix' from using cannabis lol, its not a hard drug nor is it something you crave, although dependency can be compared at worst, to caffeine. I know people who cannot go one day without a tea or coffee, hey im one of them lol. But i wouldnt consider myself an addict because i use caffeine every day, nor is it a fix.

You mention driving while high, but driving while high from cannabis is a crime, so thats irrelevant. We have laws already in place. We have to use our heads as well as our hearts on this one. The amount of people dead from drink driving cannot be compared to the accidents while driving stoned. Its a bit of an exaggeration when people talk about high driving. Its much safer to drive stoned, than drunk, although i think ill stick with sober. Guess what, driving under the influence of anti depressants and pain killers is much worse.

If your really interested in knowing the truth of driving while stoned. You may want to watch this vid..

http://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=l5C0xdwbg
_4

peace

kingstonpaul wrote:

Surreydon wrote:

SuperSilverSourDiese


l wrote:

Surreydon wrote:
Booze, cannabis, excstacy, coke, heroin, uppers, downers etc etc. What a joke society this is where people feel the need to take mind-altering substances just to 'enjoy themselves', allegedly ;)

Why are you happy with criminals controlling the market?

I'm not happy about criminals controlling any market. Just pi***d off with people 'needing' their fixes in order to get through their days.
If there was no demand there would be no market and the crims would have to move on.
And how about people driving while high, is this acceptable? I reckon the victims of drivers under the influence will say otherwise!

I'm warming myself on the soft glow projected from Surreydon's sanctimonious halo.

But hey, a life without the odd high - legal or otherwise - must be a very dull life indeed... Mine's a double on the rocks.

Whatever.....