Forum Topic

The current Government stance on Cannabis fails our kids

The following is a statement by Author Robin Hitt talking about the American Government but its true of ours as well! The short answer is "yes". Government policy on cannabis has failed not only our kids but ourselves as a nation. Any government policy that distorts the truth is a failed policy. Our kid's need to learn the truth about cannabis, not some propaganda that has been scientifically proven wrong time and time again.When we, as parents or the government, lie to our kids we are sending the wrong message and our kids grow to believe it's okay to lie. When we throw a cannabis user in prison for life, but allow a drunk driver to get back behind the wheel we are failing our kids. When we treat all illegal drugs the same we are failing our kids.Up until the early part of the 20th century, cannabis was a useful textile and medicine. If only we would tell the real story of marijuana in our history books. Cannabis Sativa was demonized by our government to make it easier to control people they saw as undesirables, most notably black jazz musicians, who were drawing lots of attention from our impressionable white teens. Yes, any policy that began essentially as a racist act has failed our kids.Isn't it ironic that once WWII began our government forced many farmers to grow cannabis for the war effort and even produced a short film, entitled "Hemp for Victory", explaining the virtues of growing hemp instead of corn or cotton. This was one policy that may have saved all of us. Many of our fathers and grandfathers who fought in the Pacific theatre found out you could do more with cannabis than just make rope. Hint, Hint, Wink, Wink. But of course, as soon as the war was over cannabis was again the "devil's weed" used only by "undesirables". Sixty year's later and we are still lying to our children, yes, we have failed them.We must have an honest discussion with our kid's, we must tell them we were wrong, that our government was wrong. Cannabis could be a multi-billion dollar industry. We must tell them it's safer than alcohol and more useful than many of the synthetic poisons that the pharmaceutical companies manufacture. We must tell them cannabis is more eco-friendly than cotton and more durable. We must tell them hemp oil is a viable fuel and a heart healthy alternative to other food oils. Just as "pot" helped us win WWII it could help us save our own planet.Yes, when it comes to the government's policy on cannabis, we have definitely failed our kids, ourselves and our planet. I would venture to say we have even failed God. Me I don't believe in god or lies.

Philip Walsh ● 5516d36 Comments

I'm not confusing the two drugs at all Steve. I would no more ignore the obvious dangers from alcohol that I would ignore those from cannabis. As to "Cannabis users are, generally speaking,  artistic, creative and ambitious" I can only say (with the utmost cynicism) - Yeah Right!!!!!

Mick Brent ● 5503d

It's silly,and meaningless,to generalise.

Keith Iddon ● 5503d

"but they are a small percentage compared to those who suffer as a result of their or a close relatives alcohol misuse.  But an alcoholic can at least be treated for their illness without falling foul of the law, unlike the drug user."Totally agree. And going back to Mick Brent's original  post on this thread. Aren't you confusing Cannabis with Alcohol, Mick?Cannabis users are, generally speaking,  artistic, creative and ambitious whereas alcohol abusers are.....

Steve Taylor ● 5503d

If ever the case for decriminalisation of drugs was made, it was on the BBC breakfast news today. There are all sorts of chemicals being sold to youngsters and they haven't a clue what they are or how they affect people. They interviewed several clubbers who said they'd bought stuff and landed up in hospital with some nasty symptoms, even something bought as Cocaine wasn't, and chemists are having to identify them in the laboratory. Two people made the point that nothing is regulated so no-one has a clue just what people are being sold, and as far as various things are banned the dealers just come up with something else. How many more people must risk their lives before the Government wakes up?

Vanessa Smith ● 5503d

I too remember when my family was not considered a criminal one. I was nine when one of my brothers pulled me aside and informed me that I could not/should not talk about my families cannabis use as we had been declared a criminal family over night and my brothers suddenly found themselves facing possible arrest and imprisonment. It was not long before the house raids began.Long live state terrorism!!!

Philip Walsh ● 5509d

Fascinating discussion. I'm old enough to remember the days before possession of drugs was subject to the same treatment as in the U.S. The newspapers at the time frequently compared the situation in the U.S. with here. No-one listened the criminalisation of drug use has resulted in a tremendous upsurge in crime and at the same time a growth in the number of users who receive little or no help in dealing with their problem.  Exactly as was predicted.Our psychiatric hospitals may treat a large number of people whose mental health has been damaged by drug use but they are a small percentage compared to those who suffer as a result of their or a close relatives alcohol misuse.  But an alcoholic can at least be treated for their illness without falling foul of the law, unlike the drug user.Frankly the last Government should hang their collective heads in shame for not tackling this issue and for re-classifying cannabis.

Patricia Nicholas ● 5509d

Think - for God's sake - do you imagine there is one politician - of ANY party in this country who's got the balls to try and get this view accepted and then to pursue the legislation through the House? The public (well most of them) I think are now ready to listen and try the alternatives and think the unthinkable. The only other option is to go on as we are watching more young people become addicted and involved in crime and prostitution  (something else that should be legalised). What we are doing now is achieving nothing and all of us paying a fortune in tax to do it. Only regulation can change this.

Vanessa Smith ● 5510d

Why??? one wonders did not the Labour Government of the last 13 years instigate this legislation!!!! OOPS silly me, they were too busy making themselves rich and the country bankrupt to worry about such mundane things as legalising drugs.

Dawn Hardy ● 5510d

Philip I am going to scan in an article and e-mail it to you. Found it in yesterday's Observer re commercial legal Cannabis production and sale in Colorado of all places! I also noted Jane Asher's very public support for legalisation of drugs this week, again someone has said all efforts to stem the tide so far have failed in a spectacular fashion and cost this country a fortune, you'd think this crap government would realise the tax potential in all this wouldn't you?

Vanessa Smith ● 5510d

Many thanks Keith and it's healthier, every time I used to change one of my children's botties I alway's used Vasaline it stopped Nappy Rash.

Dawn Hardy ● 5510d

Funny or not it's down to knowing that somebody might end up snorting some WD40. When one considers how cocaine is made it goes from the sublime to the ridiculous!!!

Philip Walsh ● 5510d

That would be a funny thing to hear in court.'I was just chopping up a line of charlie on the pub toilet seat your honour when I was overcome by wd40 fumes...'A thin coat of vaseline works just as well.

Keith Iddon ● 5510d

There is that to it I suppose, well done.

Dawn Hardy ● 5512d

Dawn if you are going to put up advice please find out what you are talking about. The only part of the loo's the publican needs to worry about are the seats where users may cut/Chop up the coke other surfaces are often too exposed to public scrutiny. It may also get the publican arrested for an act of maliciousness (ABH GBH), your advice is to commit an illegal act. It might interest you to know that a couple of years back a high percentage of toilet seats in the Houses of Parliament tested positive for cocaine. Last year a petition on the .gov website calling for the drug testing of politicians was rejected on the grounds it was spurious and had no genuine bases.  I can tell you on behalf of all the people signing it was very serious and its removal from the site another blatant example of one law for some and another for the rest off us.One day perhaps you will grow up and realise that drugs ARE A PART OF HUMAN CULTURE. Mankind has used drugs throughout our evolution. Many people believe drugs to be the catalyst for our cognitive development; the thing that drove our questioning of the world as we know it. It is the current anti drug stance of those that assume to control our lives that is out of step with the Human psyche. Most of the problems caused are do to the attempts to restructure the development of mankind into the cog in the machine mindset of today and the hiding of truth and reality over mankind’s long term affiliation with mind altering substances and the burying of traditional uses and the knowledge of the 'Rights of Passage associated with drugs and drug use.Since childhood I have been told that as a British person living in the country as it is today, I should learn , understand and absorbs the cultures of the vast array of peoples living in this land . I have and I have found a tradition of cannabis use in the majority of these cultures. Poor mans tobacco in the time of Cromwell was cannabis.The French, Spanish, Portuguese and British navy’s transported cannabis to every part of the world for Hemp production. These plants would have been rich in THC as low THC strains are a modern hybrid. If you think that in all the hundreds of years that the sea fairing nations sailed the seas in boats the composition of which would have been a third by weight, made from cannabis, without a single sailor lighting up a fat one then you are delusional. 

Philip Walsh ● 5513d

Unfortunately may cause you to slip off loo when wiping bum!

Steve Bullman ● 5513d

WD40 sprayed liberally on Lavatory Bowl Rim's, Washand Basin Rim's and Window Sill's will deter Coke users from misusing your premises.Also it does'nt show.

Dawn Hardy ● 5513d

“Mick how come I don't come across these kids. Why in over 40 years  of indulging have I not come across them.”Probably because, unlike me,  you haven’t spent those 40 years working face to face with thousands of kids on the streets of our estates and watching cannabis use gradually become as worrying a problem with the young as alcohol use. At one stage during the early ‘90’s, research that I carried out with more than 1000 young Hounslow residents, showed that at that time, regular cannabis use was more widespread amongst 15-20 yr olds than alcohol consumption.Don’t get me wrong, I have a very balanced view of cannabis use and would be the first to acknowledge its value in medical terms. I also know hundreds of people who are or have been regular moderate users with no long term ill effects. My concern is with obsessive cannabis use by young teenagers and the dangers, both social and healthwise which go with such use.  I was discussing the issue of cannabis use and schizophrenia with a consultant psychiatrist a few months ago and he expressed serious concern that (a) he was seeing more and more young people exhibiting the symptoms of schizophrenia (especially paranoid schizophrenia); and that (b) almost 100% of those young people (who were primarily young males) had been heavy cannabis users between the ages of 14 and 17.Amongst one group of 10 young men I used to work with in the Brentford area (now in their late 20’s and all very heavy cannabis users in their teens), 3 have been hospitalised/sectioned and diagnosed with schizophrenia, and another 4 have had treatment for anxiety disorders. This could, of course, simply be coincidence, but I don’t believe it to be so.“I am presuming you to be of my generation the generation that's allowed civil liberties to be trampled under foot. The generation that sat idly by while laws to prevent people meeting, gathering and discussing were passed. The Generation that allowed laws preventing more than three people to 'congregate' in an unlawful assembly.”No – I’m older than that. I’m amongst the generation that fought for civil liberties during the sixties only to see them trampled underfoot by Blair’s social fascist government.“As for the kids not being political!! one only has to go to the forums that young people use to see that's simply not true. They are very political just not willing to engage with the established parties due to the fact that they seem to be run by self interested arse wipes lining their own pockets, whilst lying through their teeth over drugs they don't control or have shares in.”Single issue politics isn’t politics. It’s just a way of the powers that be keeping unrest ineffective. Encouraging kids to get angry about a subject so marginal and unimportant as drugs just helps to keep the people under the thumb where our rulers want them to be.I agree with you that alcohol and tobacco are deeply dangerous drugs, and that, on balance, cannabis is less dangerous than either. That does not mean, however, that we should ignore the very real dangers that heavy cannabis use holds for our young people. In the same way that I wouldn’t want my grandkids to become alcoholics, smokers or junkies, neither would I want them to become psychologically dependent upon cannabis.

Mick Brent ● 5514d

Mick how come I don't come across these kids. Why in over 40 years  of indulging have I not come across them.Recent research coming out of the US refutes the claims over cannabis induced psychosis but you won't be reading about it in the British press. Just like you wont be reading about cannabis patents being applied for across the globe for treatments of Cancer, MS, ME Crons disease, MRSA not to mention pain relief superior to Opiates for every thing from menstrual cramps to the most severe of pains.As for people to lazy to get out of the armchairs sorry chap but that's not the kids its their parents anaesthetised by TV and beer from the fridge. I am presuming you to be of my generation the generation that's allowed civil liberties to be trampled under foot. The generation that sat idly by while laws to prevent people meeting, gathering and discussing were passed. The Generation that allowed laws preventing more than three people to 'congregate' in an unlawful assembly. The Generation that calls the dispirited and disaffected youth lazy for not finding the jobs that don't exist, for feeling that starting adult life with a £20,000+ debt for being educated to a level that MAY or MAY NOT help them to find work is a daunting prospect. You didn't have that prospect for your future at that age did you.I have 2 teen age children a daughter of 19 and a son of 16they both have friends who use cannabis. None of their friends are psychotic, paranoid, suffer panic attacks, are lazy or disinterested in politics. One of my sons friends was over indulging due to poor levels of knowledge and lack of credible governmental advice; he did miss a term and a half of school. My son tackled him on the subject, armed with the knowledge of truth and reason and told him in no uncertain terms that he was F*****G up and did need to go to school, did need an education to survive and live a happy and productive life in this day and age.This boy did go back to school, did take his GCSE's and yes still likes to puff some pot apparently. He is still good friends with my son and appreciated the things my son said to him, I believe this was because the danger were not exaggerated the truth not compromised. As for the kids not being political!! one only has to go to the forums that young people use to see that's simply not true. They are very political just not willing to engage with the established parties due to the fact that they seem to be run by self interested arse wipes lining their own pockets, whilst lying through their teeth over drugs they don't control or have shares in.Check out facebook groups like 'Frank don't know Jack S**t' your will find that the youth of today are interested in politics just not your politics or the politics of bulls**t, greed and self interest that underpins the political establishment of this countyAs for allowing the conglomerates to produce cannabis, no I don't think its a good idea. One only has to look at how many chemicals are added to modern day cigarettes to see that that would be  bad idea; Allowing people to grow their own is a much better option . Combined with allowing testing of cannabis perhaps by the local chemist would guarantee that chemicals are not sprayed on the weed and Contaminates not added.This way the big grow houses would bit the dust the gangs building their empires would have to look at other ways of earning money.The levels of insecticide, pesticide, herbicides ect spayed on the weed would be limited. The ground glass, iron fillings and other containments currently being found on imported Dutch weed would decrease if not disappear along with the associated health problems. One only has to look to Europe to see that the member states allowing their peoples the right to grow are not descending into anarchy to see that this is the way forward.

Philip Walsh ● 5514d

Philip,I emphatically without fear of threat's retract the remark that I made to you Philip Walsh on the 8th Day of July at approx 12.48. Dawn Hardy

Dawn Hardy ● 5514d

Ha, ha, ha - I don't know who it is you think you know but I can assure you it ain't me. I have a pretty good memory for right wing devotees.

Vanessa Smith ● 5514d

Dawn for heavens sake get a life! if yoy children came to me for cannabis, I wouldn't sell it to them, however if they were over eighteen I would sell them seeds and cultivation equipment. Yes I am proud of who I am and if you think a totalitarian like you can frighten me with threats you can think again.The Human Rights Act guarantees that we all have the right to share in the intellectual and scientific advancements made by our nation. Which means we all have the right to make them. The hybridised seeds I sell and have convictions for producing are my scientific and intellectual property and much bigger more powerful people than you have been stuffed by me over trying to stop, frighten, intimidate and even terrorise me and members of my family since 1968. As for the shop on the high street, that was paid for with the compensation I got back from Chiswick police when they destroyed thousands of pounds worth of my equipment illegally in an attempt to put me out of business, after finding 300 plants in my greenhouses. I also received a letter of apology from the then chief superintendent.So bring it on dear, I'll stuff you financially, morally and politically.Oh yes and I note that the kind of people pushing the most damaging of drugs, the ones with the highest related death totals are considered upstanding people by you.Do you perhaps visit these drug dealers often!!

Philip Walsh ● 5514d

You always were a supercilious little madam.

Dawn Hardy ● 5514d

Philip, were you perhaps the shop in Brentford High Street who quite blatantly sold cannabis seed's, you appear to wear your convictions with pride your choice! however if you were to broach anyone of my grandchildren with your drug filth I would ensure that you would not walk for a very long time. DONT GO THERE!!!!!

Dawn Hardy ● 5514d

I would reply but I am laughing too much...................

Vanessa Smith ● 5514d

If only you had used your criticism's over the last 13 year's of Labour Rule we would not now be in this predicament, you insult all of us by saying that we are laid back at the drug problem, I think that if you would recall honestly it has come about because of the Draconian Rule of Labour whereby we were afraid to voice our complaint's for fear of being called either a Racist,Discriminative or Homophobic, you also appear to have a short memory calling the present government rich plonkers. Tony Blair came into power owning jointly with Cherie a house in Notting Hill worth 675,000 pounds when he left power in 2007 his fortune ran to the tune of 12,500,000 Million Pounds I ask myself and so should we all how could this be possible on a Salary of 200,000 Pounds per year. You should not throw stones at glass houses Vanessa your political bias comes to the fore. Give the Coalition a chance they have only been in power for a short period they will get these thing's done however Rome was not built in one day.

Dawn Hardy ● 5514d

Message removed

Stuart Hill ● 5514d

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Philip Walsh ● 5514d

In your dreams - if you think this bunch of upper class right wing plonkers have the guts to tackle this problem head on you have infinitely mmore faith than I do. The ONLY constructive thing  to do is to decriminalise all drugs, the public do seem to be taking a far more laid back and sensible view of this now, everything tried so far has cost a fortune and had no success whatsoever, remember prohibition didn't work in the 20s in the States, and more of the same here and elsewhere with drugs will also fail spectacularly. Ridiculous.

Vanessa Smith ● 5515d

Now you are being ridiculous, because scumbags abuse peoples trust i:e: publicans and shop keeper's we should punish the shop keeper's and publicans of course not, however we can certainly ask them to be more vigilant and if they see any drug deals phone our Drug Squad who will deal with it promptly. I cannot quite understand your response on one hand you cannot contain your criticism about cannabis on the other hand you would allow Drug Pusher's a Free Zone in Brentford I think not, if that offends you tough! From what I have gleened from your respnonse to my posts is that Cannabis is at the top of your list so therefore Cocaine,Heroin,Ecstasy and the rest is OK for Drug Dealer's to distribute to our youngster's in Brentford, no wonder we have such a large drug problem in Brentford and the surrounding district,s when upstanding citizens such as yourself turn a blind eye whenever it does not suit your criteria.

Dawn Hardy ● 5515d

So you are going to burn down all the pubs and off sales retailers are you.

Philip Walsh ● 5515d

Philip,You appear to blame the present government for the Cannabis Crisis that we now have. In January 2004 David Blunkett downgraded cannabis from Class"B" to Class"C" on January 26th 2009 it was reclassified by Jacqui Smith to Class"B", we should be fair and give the present government a chance hopefully they will take the whole of the UK Drug Problem and do something constructive about it, we can only wait and see.

Dawn Hardy ● 5515d

Why!!! Philip you do disappoint me, there I thought that you were genuinely concerned for our youngsters and my reply to your post would appear to have upset you greatly, this response from you presupposes that I am some sort of facist!!! shame on you. my concern is only for my community also the youngsters hereabout."DRUG DEALER'S NEED TO KNOW THAT THEY WILL NO LONGER BE TOLERATED IN BRENTFORD"

Dawn Hardy ● 5515d

Yes dawn and a quick 'Seig hail' should be tacked on the end of your post it would all add up and make sense then.

Philip Walsh ● 5515d

"It would also allow us to regulate their sale much more easily. At present, young people who have difficulty buying tobacco or alcohol can buy as much cannabis as they want from their neighbourhood dealer - no questions asked. I would be happy for all drugs (including alcohol) to be legalised and regulated and for them to be made unavailable to anyone under the age of 21. Probably wouldn't work, but it would not be any worse than what we have now!"I agree entirely - nothing tried so far has worked - nor will it, there is nothing to lose by going down this route and there may be much to gain. The knock on effects would also I think be a change for the better.

Vanessa Smith ● 5515d

The Government and our local Drug Squad should come down very hard on the Drug Dealers who daily are on our streets selling Cocaine and Heroin plus anything else you would desire, only this weekend one of our locals was attacked by a drug dealer because he told him he was not wanted in their company, the local was hospitalized and the dealer did a runner, however not too far away, has he been arrested I would not think so. How much do our Drug Squad cost us and how successful are they, the answer contradicts itself, we spend hundreds of thousands of pounds yearly for our very own Elite Brentford Drug Squad that resides in Brentford Police Station yet never have I seen such an escaltion of Drug Pushers in Brentford such as we have right now. These animals need to be caught and put to Hard Labour, not have a cushy sentence imposed at the Local Holiday Camp-Prison years ago was punishment and the majority of Villains would never go back because it was so harsh however today they have Pool Tables, Gym's,are able to use Mobile Phones also the internet is that punishment NO!!! it's a *loody Rest Home. The time for action is right now I do not want my Grandchildren being in danger of having Freebie Drugs given to them to make them addicts. I am not trying to put our Police down however we now have a new government who will assist them not curtail them. There are Drug Dealer Hotspot's all over our town and they need to be eradicated today not tomorrow.

Dawn Hardy ● 5515d

I would say that government policies on cannabis may have failed our kids, but they have definitely helped the government. Remember the '60's when all of us rebellious youth got very loud and political about nuclear weapons, the war in Vietnam etc? Compare that to today, when our vegged out generation of cannabis smokers can't be arsed to get up out of their armchairs to try to find a job let alone make a political protest. (Of course this is a wild generalisation, but I won't let that stand in the way of making a point).Having been a teenager myself during the '60's and having been a full-time youth worker for 40 years, I have seen the effects of cannabis on successive generations. I have seen otherwise intelligent young people lose all motivation for their education and slump into the easy comfort of a cannabis haze. I have seen increasing numbers of obsessive cannabis smokers develop schizophrenia so you will have to excuse me if I don't see the legalisation of cannabis as the great cure-all. Having said that, I agree that our drug laws are illogical and ridiculous and that legalisation would allow us to remove drugs from the clutches of the criminals (and displace them into the clutches of the large corporations - an improvement?????). It would also allow us to regulate their sale much more easily. At present, young people who have difficulty buying tobacco or alcohol can buy as much cannabis as they want from their neighbourhood dealer - no questions asked. I would be happy for all drugs (including alcohol) to be legalised and regulated and for them to be made unavailable to anyone under the age of 21. Probably wouldn't work, but it would not be any worse than what we have now!

Mick Brent ● 5515d