Views, opinions ? Just curious if I'm the only fan here.

Peace.

Currently a class B drug in the UK

Calls for it to be legalised... I strongly object to that call

Let me tell you why. A few years ago, i lived wit a neighbour who smoked cannabis regularly. His house stank of it, the area stank of it, my house started to stink of it, especially in the summer. So, the guy then started inviting people around who no-body knew. Next thing, stronger stuff. The neighbourhood alliance got together and we called the police. The police raided the flat and found a large stash of cannabis. He was arrested, thrown out of the flat by the council and jailed for 3yrs for theft. I was relieved. eventually, our street stopped smelling like a cannabis factory and we were all generally happy about it. The strangers were given warnings not to return to the street by the police. We felt happy. Our street was a family street, there were children who played there, we were NOT going to accept it, we did what we had to do and it stopped. We were all happy

I think it should be a class A drug. It is discusting, the smell is vile, it is a cause of paranoia in it's users and smokers of it in public are a menace, the smell is vomit inducing.

After my experiences with that neighbour, i am bitterly against any type of legalization of cannabis

Sorry, after what i went through in my neighbourhood, those are my thoughts

It's the official plant of the UMD

I've never touched it personally, and have no desire to do so, but I am a strong supporter of legalizing it (but with strong regulation - similar to how nicotine is currently regulated).

From a purely medical standpoint, it is safer than both alcohol and nicotine which are both legal, and its criminalization is more due to a fluke of history and some strong personalities at the time than any real reason for it to be illegal. There are some potentially groundbreaking medical treatments that it could provide, but the current situation makes it very difficult even to conduct research.

Plus it could be a great area of new tax revenue.

For all you know you could have neighbours who enjoy cruising after a little too much to drink. Sounds like to me he was irresponsible, but we have plenty of irresponsible people who love drinking and causing a shit-ton more chaos then smoking a joint. Giving kids criminal records for something that kills nobody just doesn't make sense. And I hate drug dealers too; luckily I don't see people on the street offering me booze.. because it's regulated. Shift control to the government, not the criminals; tax it.

Quit defending stoners... Yes, drink drivers are awful people, i absoutely hate them and the tragedies they cause, but lets get it clear, there are cannabis users who drive as well, this makes THEM just as dangerous, stoned in control of a car is the same as being drunk. Your reflexes are compromised, your senses are compromised, your concentration is compromised, pretty much the same as a drunk driver in your neighbourhood wouldn't you say? BOTH as bad as each other, both are a criminal offense. Cannabis is a drug. It's class B, which is a confiscation of the drug and an on the spot fine if it is only a small amount found on your person in public. Harsher penalties issued for larger quantities are necessary. Don't want a criminal record, don't smoke/sell the stuff. Drug dealers create misery by selling it, users get hooked on it. People don't want stoners in their neighbourhoods anymore. We had enough of that shit here where i live in the late 90's and early 2000's. So glad our local police force really clamped down on it. I read reports of it helping those who are unwell, relieving pain etc. Hold on, beneficial to health? It causes paranoia, stinks to the high heavens, your inhaling it into your lungs which is just as bad as smoking, so how is it beneficial to your health? That baffles me. In my opinion, all drugs should be class A, and penalties for users should be high, yes, if neccessary, jail time. Drugs destroy neighbourhoods, communities and lives. I could go into this much much darker if you want me to. Best friend of mine, she met this bloke who smoked cannabis, she objected to his extreme use of it, and all the strangers he had in HER home. What did he do? When she finished her relationship with him and asked him to leave, still stoned out of his face, he beat her senseless, seriously, i did not recognise her in hospital. He did 4yrs in prison. Was not long enough. It destroyed her life, her confidence, everything. THAT'S the serious effect of drugs and drug use, including your beloved cannabis. So you see, any punishment for drugs and drug use, needs to be harsh. Lock 'em up and throw away the damned key as far as i'm concerned. Ever since that incident with my best friend back in 2003, i've always hated cannabis smokers, stoners, whatever you want to call them. It starts there, eventually, it goes to the dark place, no, cannabis should be class A and punishments for using it swift and harsh. There, you got my back up, now you know why i hate cannabis and drug users so much.

I work for a marijuana dispensary. I'm allowed to get stoned at work.

Sorry, but people who use cannabis responsibly (which is the majority of users) don't beat their significant others, or get paranoid or whatever. I've smoked for 6 years and I'm going to school, held down a job.. even been promoted, and I've never went to any "dark place." You seem to think that the current status is doing something .. It's obviously not. The war on drugs has done NOTHING but create this blackmarket. And I live in the states; if I were to get caught doing the exact same thing that our past 3 presidents have admitted doing (smoking cannabis) then I could go to jail, be denied loans, etc. As an adult, a taxpayer, a hard worker, somebody who has NEVER been arrested - the same as the majority of cannabis users - then I should have the god damn right to smoke a joint in the PRIVACY of my own home. And the smell ? What about Tobacco smoke which easily overpowers cannabis smoke ? Hate me all you want, I'm no different then the man who enjoys a beer after a long day. And you don't believe in its medical benefit ? Seriously ? lol. I could send you all the proof you need if you really think that's the case.. My grandpa who died of cancer was even told off the record by a doctor that if he could find some then it would help him eat and get rid of the deathly nausea that chemotherapy causes. What about the amazing story of a little girl who went from having over 300 seizures a week to 1 A MONTH because of cannabis oil (which is not smokable, it's edible). I encourage YOU to do some research. And that's the next thing, if it was legal, there would be so many other options then smoking. In fact, ask happy camper, places where it is legal, the majority of the people who purchase from shops buy edibles. You can vape it too. In the states where it's been legalized both medically and recreationally, states are OVERFLOWING with cash where it is taxed too. People will and are smoking cannabis, it is becoming more and more studied and accepted, legalization is going to happen, I promise you. So if people are smoking (which the war on drugs has failed at preventing) then why continue to support the black market ? The drug dealers ? Legalize it, TAX it; shift control from the black market and give it to the government.

HCW7, I am so sorry to hear about you're experiences with a drug over the last 23 year's, however, you can apply any of you're reasoning to anything.

I have been hit by cars before, came of my motorbike, fell down stairs etc, all of these had potential to KILL me, yet did not, should these be banned? just because someone else hurt themselves/ others? no.

Cannabis, has been used since the dawn of time, the reason why it has been menaced is because of propaganda, even as up to the early part of the last 100 years, it was legal, why, because the threat of the plant was not actually that great, you need to look into the paper industry as to why cannabis was made illegal.

I get that it has the ability to be abused, but you need to understand, so does everything, you call for all drugs to be made illegal and indefinite prison time (as you put it, 'throw away the key') so we do that.....but what about medicinal drugs? do you know that opiates that can make morphine also can make heroin, did you know that steroids used in physiotherapy can also be speed/base, did you know that nearly every illegal drug, can be used in medical terms, fuck, even cannabis...the devils cabbage....I USED IN BRITISH MEDICINE...... just look up Sativex, used to treat M.E and server spasmodically, what I am really trying to say is, EVERYTHING HAS THE ABILITY TO BE ABUSED, EVERYTHING HAS THE ABILITY TO HEAL.

Placing cannabis under schedule one class drugs (class A) creates more harm for the user than the actual effect of the drug itself, you call on personal experiences (which I call bluff on, can you prove this?) yet I call on the evidence presented by Profesor David Nutt, who, until he went against the governments stance on drugs, WAS the head of governments drug advisory council, he was fired because of simply stating science over stance, again, I present you with the chance to present you're argument.

Now, you don't like the smell, ok, there is nothing that can be changed about that, however, though fucking titties, there are loads of smells I retch at, coconut oil litrally induces vomiting in me, so does almonds.......should they be banned, actually, nuts have killed more people that cannabis have, ever, wait a minute...how many people have died though cannabis over does compared to nut allergies......... think you will find nuts are a bigger threat to society than cannabis.

Ok, so you claim cannabis can cause paranoia......shit you dont even smoke the herb and you already have it, want to know what causes more paranoia....propaganda, the same propaganda that you have listened too, in a few MINOR cases, yes, the drug has the effect on some which can alter minds for the worse, however, majority of users find it to be a pleasant way to relax, and out of that majority, some use it for medicinal purpose, here is a list of aliments that CAN (and have been scientifically proven) help.

M.E.
Chronic pain
Glaucoma
Eating disorders (anorexia/bulimia)
Asthma
Alzheimer's
Anxiety
Autism
Back pain
Bells Palsy
CANCER (be it in the aid of shrinking tumors and/or pain relief)
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Darier's disease
Conjunctivitis
Cystic Fibrosis
Diabetes
Eczema
Stuttering
Tinnitus
Spinal stenosis
PTSD
Multiple sclerosis
Motion sickness
Lymphoma

This is only a few of the illnesses/ deceases that this ONE drug hand help either cure or relief pain from ailments, now, ask why is this drug still illegal.....SIMPLY, there is no money to be made in something anyone can grow at home, nearly EVERY treatment for these aliments have a debilitating negative effect on humans.

Did you also know that inside you're own head, there a receptors in you're brain that actually seek out CBC/CDC/THC (the active compounds inside cannabis) if you're own head contains these specific receptors for an organic compound found in nature, do you not think that at least medically, we should be looking into the healing qualities of this plant, as that is where most medical breakthroughs have can from, plants.........

Now, that is only one side of the story, did you also know hemp, the fibers from the actual plant and not the flower, can be used to make clothing, rope, petrol, food, livestock bedding, is one of the best Co2 emission collectors.... and there are also hundreds of more things it can be used for.

ANYTHING can be abused, did I tell you this?

Education, taxation, employment and health, can all be helped by this, look at states like Colorado and Washington have already turned over enough money to not only be in the black with tax, but also then put that money into local services like education and hospitals, employment has actually risen and health related cases have dropped, now, do you think that would of happened without the aid of cannabis... no, neither did I.

If you do not like something, granted, that is you're choice, however, I dare say there are loads of people on you're street that would look negatively upon you if they knew you had a dirty little fetish, wouldn't they, public opinion is one thing, however, pray that it is never turned upon you......

Peace my friend, my advise, spark up a phatty, eat a brownie, smoke a bowl, actually try it, put some great music on and sit back and laugh a little, it might do you some good.

I leave you with this though.......

If you think drugs have had NO possessive effect on humanity what so ever....... go home tonight, and burn all that wonderful music that has enhanced every special occasion in you're life, because those artists........where really high as fuck.

Much love!

Damn this got ugly. Time to burn one and play some settlers of cattaan.