Cannabis as a Class A drug?

[AndyRM]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-63115171

Putting cannabis on the same level as heroin, coke and ecstasy is a wild idea.

It's nowhere near as damaging as any of those drugs, and if anything should be decriminalised IMO. All this 'gateway drug' thing is nonsense. What governments have been doing in the last however many years in their efforts to combat drugs has not been working and bumping probably the most innocuous drug out there to a Class A would be absolutely nuts.

Thankfully, the Home Office has said there are no plans for this madness.

 

[Craig the cyclist]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-63115171

Putting cannabis on the same level as heroin, coke and ecstasy is a wild idea.

It's nowhere near as damaging as any of those drugs, and if anything should be decriminalised IMO. All this 'gateway drug' thing is nonsense. What governments have been doing in the last however many years in their efforts to combat drugs has not been working and bumping probably the most innocuous drug out there to a Class A would be absolutely nuts.

Thankfully, the Home Office has said there are no plans for this madness.

"Frequent use of cannabis, especially the start of use at a younger age, doubles the risk of schizophrenia development in the future [16]. Daily use of marijuana increases the risk of psychotic illness development with as much as five times higher risk in person using high potency THC"

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ar...of cannabis, especially,high potency THC [18].

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5042048/

Conclusions: Findings support the view that cannabis use may act to decrease educational achievement in young people. It is likely that this reflects the effects of the social context within which cannabis is used rather than any direct effect of cannabis on cognitive ability or motivation.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/146...t the view,on cognitive ability or motivation.


Yep, nowhere near as damaging

 

[Ian H]

Sounds like a very sound argument for legalisation and regulation, in a similar fashion to certain other drugs.

 

[AndyRM]

"Frequent use of cannabis, especially the start of use at a younger age, doubles the risk of schizophrenia development in the future [16]. Daily use of marijuana increases the risk of psychotic illness development with as much as five times higher risk in person using high potency THC"

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7442038/#:~:text=Frequent use of cannabis, especially,high potency THC [18].

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5042048/

Conclusions: Findings support the view that cannabis use may act to decrease educational achievement in young people. It is likely that this reflects the effects of the social context within which cannabis is used rather than any direct effect of cannabis on cognitive ability or motivation.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14651500/#:~:text=Conclusions: Findings support the view,on cognitive ability or motivation.


Yep, nowhere near as damaging

Correct, it isn't anywhere near as damaging. I'm glad we agree.

 

[Craig the cyclist]

Correct, it isn't anywhere near as damaging. I'm glad we agree.

Christ, you seriously believe that cannabis isn't damaging don't you?

I assume you have never met anyone with a cannabis induced psychosis?

 

[fozy tornip]

…cannabis induced psychosis?

“Reefer madness”, surely?

 

[AuroraSaab]

I had softened my attitude to legalising cannabis over the years but the more recent research should give anyone pause for thought about it. Once you've legalised it, it will be very hard to put the toothpaste back in the tube. And there will still be an unregulated black market as illegal cannabis will always be cheaper than taxed stuff from regulated outlets.

25% of psychosis admissions are cannabis related apparently:

https://www.priorygroup.com/media-c...sis-among-young-adults-says-top-priory-expert

 

[Ian H]

Correct, it isn't anywhere near as damaging. I'm glad we agree.

Christ, you seriously believe that cannabis isn't damaging don't you?...

He didn't say it wasn't damaging - and I don't think he can walk on water.

 

[Bromptonaut]

Christ, you seriously believe that cannabis isn't damaging don't you?

I assume you have never met anyone with a cannabis induced psychosis?

I've met people with psychosis who also take cannabis. I've also met people who self medicate depression/anxiety with cannabis.

How do the numbers pan out ie how big a public health problem is cannabis psychosis compared to those who use recreational cannabis? or are you asserting that one case of psychosis is enough?

Where does comparison between herbal cannabis, resin or the modern (spice etc) enhancements fit on the scale?

Given the experience with existing Class A drugs do you seriously believe that adding Cannabis to that group will help?

 

[Craig the cyclist]

How do the numbers pan out ie how big a public health problem is cannabis psychosis compared to those who use recreational cannabis?

I don't understand how you think the two are different.

Do you think that there are two groups of people, one group who take cannabis to develop a psychosis and one group who won't develop a psychosis because they are only taking it recreationally?

You will be able to make a fortune if you can predict who falls in to which group.

 

[AndyRM]

Christ, you seriously believe that cannabis isn't damaging don't you?

I assume you have never met anyone with a cannabis induced psychosis?

Did I say that? No. It's not as damaging as heroin, cocaine or ecstasy.

Lumping it in with them is what's most damaging.

 

[PaulB]

Did I say that? No. It's not as damaging as heroin, cocaine or ecstasy.

Lumping it in with them is what's most damaging.

Ecstasy needs to be taken off your list there. If you're not prepared to do that, then you'll need to put alcohol on there because as has been shown - Prof David Nutt - MDMA is less harmful than alcohol and produces a much smaller risk when it comes to full blown addiction.

But as for the catastrophe powder, no one says it better than Wirral's finest bard!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9R70ArRu-5Y

 

[AndyRM]

Ecstasy needs to be taken off your list there. If you're not prepared to do that, then you'll need to put alcohol on there because as has been shown - Prof David Nutt - MDMA is less harmful than alcohol and produces a much smaller risk when it comes to full blown addiction.

I'd agree with you there, I only include it because the article did. Alcohol and tobacco do way more damage than... well, any drug really.

There was that really widely reported clubber lass in the late 90s who'd apparently died from taking E, I forget the details.

Turns out, she'd drunk herself to death. On water.

 

[PaulB]

I'd agree with you there, I only include it because the article did. Alcohol and tobacco do way more damage than... well, any drug really.

There was that really widely reported clubber lass in the late 90s who'd apparently died from taking E, I forget the details.

Turns out, she'd drunk herself to death. On water.

Leah Betts. Her step-mother went on a campaign (she might still be on it) of lecturing at schools and colleges on the evils of ecstasy!

 

[AndyRM]

Leah Betts. Her step-mother went on a campaign (she might still be on it) of lecturing at schools and colleges on the evils of ecstasy!

That's that one, thanks for that!