Cannabis case MP wants drug possession legalised
8:53am Thursday 18th October 2012 in News
A BOLTON Euro MP has backed a report calling for the decriminalisation of drug possession.
Liberal Democrat Chris Davies — who represents the borough in the European Parliament — was speaking after the independent Drug Policy Commission published the findings of its six-year study on drug use.
The report calls for a government rethink on policy and says giving people cautions and criminal records for having small quantities is “not proportionate” and suggests imposing civil punishments instead such as fines and drug treatment orders.
North West MEP Mr Davies was convicted of possession of cannabis in 2002 for taking part in a protest outside a police station in which he held up a small amount of cannabis resin stuck to the back of a stamp.
He fought and won a by-election in 1995 in which his views on drug decriminalisation were a major campaign issue. He said: “The law must be changed and cannabis possession decriminalised before any more careers are blighted.”
The Home Office says drug use is falling and it does not plan to alter its approach.
Comments(19)
steveG
says...
9:22am Thu 18 Oct 12
_A5HA11_
says...
10:25am Thu 18 Oct 12
also the vast amount of TAX which will be generated and it also frees up police time to "deal" with real crimes
bringing all the puns out today !!
and atlas123 your obviously so far up your own bum hole you cant see the advantages of this plant,
Josefine1
says...
11:02am Thu 18 Oct 12
http://www.thejc.com
/news/uk-news/82744/
i%E2%80%99m-no-antis
emite%E2%80%99-says-
man-contesting-corby
-election
berushka
says...
11:21am Thu 18 Oct 12
So the argument about its' affect on users is debatable,but it is an argument that has raged for thousands of years. It being banned, though, also has roots in financial interest, especially in the USA.
Babs Stanley
says...
12:03pm Thu 18 Oct 12
Doctors would be able to prescribe one of the most effective medicines that has no serious side effects at all. At the moment the government has given GW Pharmaceuticals an illegal monopoly on cannabis so they make millions out of a medicine that you can grow in your greenhouse for virtually nothing.
If we introduced a legally regulated system we would solve nearly all the problems around cannabis. Science proves how much safer it is than tobacco, alcohol, prescription medicines and all other recreational drugs. If anyone does have a problem with it they could get help without having to confess to a crime.
CLEAR published independent, expert research last year which shows that a tax and regulate policy on cannabis would produce a net gain to the UK economy of up to £9.3 billion per annum.
It is a scandal that our government, our judges, our courts, our police and our newspapers keep misleading us about cannabis. Find out the truth for yourself and wake up to the lies you have been told.
Cannabis truth
says...
1:43pm Thu 18 Oct 12
This makes sense!
The UK Gov has issued licence to GW Pharmaceuticals to grow cannabis skunk yet this same UK Gov tells the people that cannabis has no medicinal value... Double-standards from a rotten Government.
Britain stinks and the stench starts at the top.
The continued cannabis arrests are horrendous considering what we know to be true.
The cannabis laws are false laws and it is an act of good conscience to ignore the cannabis laws.
SuperSilverSourDiesel
says...
4:44pm Thu 18 Oct 12
steveG wrote: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 criminalisation of Cannabis is one of the biggest mysteries of the 20th Century.This plant has so many uses,not just as a relaxant,but in the production of so many different products.
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.
SuperSilverSourDiesel
says...
4:53pm Thu 18 Oct 12
Why are you continuing this hate campaign about a man you dont know and the only info you have was sourced from the internet? Are you a prohibitionist? I cant tell, or are you simply a hate campaigner looking to spread lies? Well pro cannabis or not, your definitely doing the prohibitionists a big favour.
Josefine1
says...
5:34pm Thu 18 Oct 12
SuperSilverSourDieseExcuse me, hate campaign? looking to spread lies? What on earth are you talking about?
l wrote:
Josefine1
Why are you continuing this hate campaign about a man you dont know and the only info you have was sourced from the internet? Are you a prohibitionist? I cant tell, or are you simply a hate campaigner looking to spread lies? Well pro cannabis or not, your definitely doing the prohibitionists a big favour.
What hate campaign? What Lies?
oftbewildered2
says...
5:41pm Thu 18 Oct 12
Babs Stanley wrote:now there is a sensible argument. It can't be any worse for you than tobacco in the long term
We need to stop this stupid and unwinnable war against cannabis. It is causing far more harm to our communities than it prevents. If we had a properly regulated system of production and supply we'd have no more illegal cannabis farms, instead we'd have thousands of new jobs. We'd have no more dealers on the streets. Cannabis would be available to adults only through licensed outlets and we'd have some control over the THC and CBD content.
Doctors would be able to prescribe one of the most effective medicines that has no serious side effects at all. At the moment the government has given GW Pharmaceuticals an illegal monopoly on cannabis so they make millions out of a medicine that you can grow in your greenhouse for virtually nothing.
If we introduced a legally regulated system we would solve nearly all the problems around cannabis. Science proves how much safer it is than tobacco, alcohol, prescription medicines and all other recreational drugs. If anyone does have a problem with it they could get help without having to confess to a crime.
CLEAR published independent, expert research last year which shows that a tax and regulate policy on cannabis would produce a net gain to the UK economy of up to £9.3 billion per annum.
It is a scandal that our government, our judges, our courts, our police and our newspapers keep misleading us about cannabis. Find out the truth for yourself and wake up to the lies you have been told.
moreachesandpains
says...
6:53pm Thu 18 Oct 12
mr.mark.c
says...
3:01am Fri 19 Oct 12
Oh and go to your doctor for pain relief not the local thief.
mr.mark.c
says...
3:05am Fri 19 Oct 12
mr.mark.c
says...
3:12am Fri 19 Oct 12
moreachesandpains wrote:Would you like black brown or some lush green, I know a lot about drugs and even weed destroys lives.
Why do people, who know nothing about cannabis, always assume that every user smokes it? I am 60, I eat it - for arthritis and to help me sleep. It also is effective in warding off dementia according to latest research. But unfortunately it does have a side effect - it makes me smile. There is so much nonsense spouted by those who are brainwashed and know nothing. An empty vessel makes most noise - eh josefine1
steveG
says...
9:03am Fri 19 Oct 12
mr.mark.c wrote:Silly person.
And yes, I did smoke the god awfull stuff over 20yrs ago as a student and it rots the brain.
Josefine1
says...
9:50am Fri 19 Oct 12
moreachesandpains wrote:Sorry, very confused here. Why do you feel you need to personally attack me?
Why do people, who know nothing about cannabis, always assume that every user smokes it? I am 60, I eat it - for arthritis and to help me sleep. It also is effective in warding off dementia according to latest research. But unfortunately it does have a side effect - it makes me smile. There is so much nonsense spouted by those who are brainwashed and know nothing. An empty vessel makes most noise - eh josefine1
berushka
says...
5:19pm Fri 19 Oct 12
mr.mark.c wrote:it rots the brain.....well, that is pretty obvious!!!
And yes, I did smoke the god awfull stuff over 20yrs ago as a student and it rots the brain.
As others have followed on from my post, the history of banning the weed has always been based on financial gain. And to add another fact; most research has shown that a young person smoking tobacco is more likely to progress to harder drugs later rather than if weed is used at a young age.
davroduk1
says...
7:44pm Fri 19 Oct 12
I would imagine that alcohol creates more problems than canabis.
Do we ban alcohol ????
No cos the government would lose billions in revenue.
Make drugs legal and the goverment can impose a tax on them.
Not rocket science is it ???
atlas123 says...
9:21am Thu 18 Oct 12
First the Tee Shirt comments now this!
Just makes me think he has a beef with society...
Why/how do we elect these people?