Government reclassifies cannabis as class B
Jaqui smith is at it (it being the usual badly thought out decisions) again : BBC NEWS | Politics | Cannabis laws to be strengthened
So anybody have any thoughts on this?
Apparently the experts who were asked to look into this by GB said it should remain class C, but the govt is ignoring this no doubt because they need to win back some of that dail mail voter demographic after getting a kicking in the local elections. I am really unsurprised by this move but I just cannot understand it, cannabis is the same classification as speed..? I mean come on.
Re: Government reclassifies cannabis as class B
Side A: Experts say it should remain class C
Side B: Experts were not reporting on the message classification would send to the public or the impact on policing.
So I guess while they're implementing several of the recommendations of the council, they're saying that there's an additional benefit to reclassification with regards to the 'image' of the drug and how that might have an effect on its use.
I have no idea to be honest - my first instinct would be to go with any police recommendations, as they're the ones that have to deal with it in the end. I think making the seeds illegal was probably a good step :p
Re: Government reclassifies cannabis as class B
Quote:
Originally Posted by BBC
Her decision came despite the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs' review - commissioned by Gordon Brown - saying the drug should stay as class C.
I'm going to write to the Home Secretary and ask why they're paying people to conduct reviews and then ignoring their findings. Because if they're going to do that, I'd rather they didn't pay for the review in the first place and charged me a bit less tax.
Am I being unreasonable?:rolleyes:
Re: Government reclassifies cannabis as class B
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rave
I'm going to write to the Home Secretary and ask why they're paying people to conduct reviews and then ignoring their findings. Because if they're going to do that, I'd rather they didn't pay for the review in the first place and charged me a bit less tax.
Am I being unreasonable?:rolleyes:
No you're not, but they already said why the review recommendation regarding classification wasn't followed (the review answered a specific question but wasn't designed to answer all the criteria the govt would use to make the decision).
Re: Government reclassifies cannabis as class B
No Rave, you're not, but these reviews are increasingly being carried out with a view to only getting the answers the covernment likes. Consider the report on longer heavier vehicles; bigger trucks would reduce road deaths because fewer haulage miles would be needed to move the same goods, and reduce carbon emissions for largely the same reason. Result? Report buried, because it's not "on message" by Ruth Kelly, after representations from the rail industry.
Re: Government reclassifies cannabis as class B
I think it’s a good thing as most of the n*bheads round here sit on the dole and smoke it all day. Now when I call the police because they are fighting in the street they can be carted off to Jail for possession as well.
Re: Government reclassifies cannabis as class B
I just don't think the government should be listening to the police on issues like this at all, its a social health issue not a criminal issue. The only reason the police are involved is because of the prohibition in the first place, it makes more sense to me that if you want to improve policing you should leagalise and regulate and then there is little need for any enforcement.
Besides that, the police are there to enforce laws that are decided by people we democraticaly elected not to influence those laws. They are supposed to serve us, not decide which drugs are socially acceptable and which are not.
Also, the government talk a lot about 'protecting' the public, I am sorry but I don't require any protection from them and I didn't ask for it, that goes for ID cards in the name of super scary islamic terrorism as well.
Re: Government reclassifies cannabis as class B
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rave
I'm going to write to the Home Secretary and ask why they're paying people to conduct reviews and then ignoring their findings. Because if they're going to do that, I'd rather they didn't pay for the review in the first place and charged me a bit less tax.
Am I being unreasonable?:rolleyes:
No your not.
I've actually sat and read the whole PDF of the report and what suprised me was that alcohol was right near the top of the scale. However I feel we'll never see this banned as they make far too much money from taxing it :rolleyes:
Re: Government reclassifies cannabis as class B
I think its a good thing.
Cannabis is an illegal drug whichever way its dressed up.
Its not even the fact that it doesnt really do that much. Its more based on the fact that it funds organise crime, fuels thieves to rob peoples houses/possessions/cars and is generally a small step to other things.
I would have money on it that anyone thats tried it has probably had something else aswell.
I would also think that the majority of the people, that dont want it classified as a harder drug in fact use it. Sorry to generalise but it is probably the case.
The ONLY defence there is for it is that when was the last time someone staggered out of their house after smoking weed and started a punch up. As opposed to drink where it happens all the time.
Re: Government reclassifies cannabis as class B
Quote:
Originally Posted by
G4Z
I just don't think the government should be listening to the police on issues like this at all, its a social health issue not a criminal issue. The only reason the police are involved is because of the prohibition in the first place, it makes more sense to me that if you want to improve policing you should leagalise and regulate and then there is little need for any enforcement.
Besides that, the police are there to enforce laws that are decided by people we democraticaly elected not to influence those laws. They are supposed to serve us, not decide which drugs are socially acceptable and which are not.
You make some good points, I guess I thought they might have a role in feeding back the actual effects of drugs and so on, which they might have a clearer experience of that most people. Although arguably politics is mostly concerned with what people percieve to the be the problem rather than what's neccessarily the problem.
The legalisation point is a valid one - it works in a limited fashion for alcohol, I definitely think that alcohol misuse is one of the most serious problems we have, and that all prohibition would do is increase the proportion of misusers to users, not to mention the criminal element of supplying a prohibited substance. Maybe the arguement is that there is no 'usage' amount for cannibis - any use is misuse.
Re: Government reclassifies cannabis as class B
Blitzen, whichever way you dress it up, its a plant.
Its an illegal drug because society (or more accurately in this case the government, seeing as somthing like 2 thirds of the population have tried it) decided it should be.
These things you talk about like funding organised crime might be true, but would it still be true if it was legal and you could go an purchase it legally?
Your point at the end there is interesting because you acknowlege that booze causes more punch up's but I don't hear for you calling for that to be banned. Even though liver disease is at record levels. Don't drink by any chance do you...?
Re: Government reclassifies cannabis as class B
Dress it up any way you like, it's a drug....so sure, keep it banned, and add alcohol to the list too. And caffine. And sugar....I could live without them, but I bet most of the western world couldn't :D
It doesn't matter what classification canabis carries, it's illegal and if the government wants to make the penalties more severe on a whim, so be it. After all, they tell you what speed to drive, how much money to give them in taxation, and what not to do with farmyard animals.....and when people don't like what the government is telling them to do (or not to do) they go out and do it anyway, and suffer the consequences if they get caught. This is not a free society.
Re: Government reclassifies cannabis as class B
good points IBM I suppose it just illustrates what is wrong with our sham of a democracy.
Re: Government reclassifies cannabis as class B
Quote:
Originally Posted by
G4Z
Blitzen, whichever way you dress it up, its a plant.
Its an illegal drug because society (or more accurately in this case the government, seeing as somthing like 2 thirds of the population have tried it) decided it should be.
These things you talk about like funding organised crime might be true, but would it still be true if it was legal and you could go an purchase it legally?
Your point at the end there is interesting because you acknowlege that booze causes more punch up's but I don't hear for you calling for that to be banned. Even though liver disease is at record levels. Don't drink by any chance do you...?
I like a pint yes. If i have 2 pints on 2 different nights of the week is that going to give me liver failure? Nope. Unless im an alcoholic then it wont effect me.
Its also legal and surely thats the point.
The organised crime part is also a major issue with it as the people that sell/deal this stuff invariably deal the hard stuff aswell.
Re: Government reclassifies cannabis as class B
Quote:
Originally Posted by
G4Z
Besides that, the police are there to enforce laws that are decided by people we democraticaly elected not to influence those laws. They are supposed to serve us, not decide which drugs are socially acceptable and which are not.
Spot on. The only 'message' being sent here is that both Labour and Tories will happily ignore robust scientific studies, common sense, and popular opinion in order to pander to the stupid and ignorant middle england swing voters who continue to set the political agenda at the level of dumbed-down trivialities.
Aren't we fighting a war or two? facing recession? Renewing trident and eroding habeas corpus, all with minimal debate? But ZOMG some people are smoking lethal super-skunk!
Re: Government reclassifies cannabis as class B
Does it actually make much difference since the police have already stated that they will not actually be changing the way in which they deal with cannabis users? I.e. they'll caution them and confiscate the drugs rather than arrest them.