Cannabis haul! This is a Joke, Wake Up Smell the Beans

[sarahj]

In one case, a terrible, unforeseeable event took place and the parents were obviously caring, loving parents. In the recent case, two children have lived a young life so full of abusive neglect and disorder that they became capable of brutal torture and attempted murder. There is absolutely no comparison to be made between the Madeleine McCann case and the Doncaster torture case.

There is. Both involved neglect. Leaving your children alone in a hotel room in a foreign country is neglect in my books, regardless of how "obviously caring and loving" you believe these people to be!

[JCSkinner]

The concept of psychological dependence is very different from addiction, which relates to a physiological dependency which does not exist in relation to humans and cannabis.
And I would further dispute even the idea of a psychological dependence in relation to cannabis use.
What I wouldn't dispute is the fact that some users abuse the substance by taking it excessively in a habitual fashion.
In this regard, I support the Dutch health ministry's advice to users that they should not smoke every day or smoke excessively, as both behaviours function as escapism from the responsibilities of daily living.

[Cato]

No.

I hate to try to box you in but on this and other issues the impression I get of you is that you ask "why should it be permitted", whereas I think the question should be, "why should it be forbidden?"

What case can you make for cannabis to be forbidden?

[sharper]

But femme the line IS blurred. It necessarily has to be as there is so much debate on what can or cannot be considered a medical complaint.

For example: is stress a medical complaint?

When people talk about cannabis for "medicinal uses" they mean permitting cannabis to be prescribed by licenced medical professionals. If you require cannabis for your stress or whatever then that decision is in the hands of a professional, not yourself.

We recognise the medical importance of morphine but closely control it and don't let people sell it to each other and use it in their own homes unsupervised.

Now whether cannabis represents a threat large enough for it to need such regulation is a separate issue however the line between medical and recreational use is clearly delineated.

[sarahj]

Thanks for this. Maybe such research has already been undertaken. In a case such the one in question, I do think it would be hard to pin-point one exact thing and blame the events which took place on that one thing. I'm sure a combination of factors are responsible. I don't think the drug habits of the mother are likely to be entirely irrelevant.

Yes the drug habits of the mother may be related to the behaviour of the children. They probably are - but my argument is that the most likely explanation is that the drug use was a mediating factor for some other negative factor in their lives. Another alternative explanation is that the drug use was merely a symptom of what actually caused the neglect and abuse of the children.

So, for example, a depressed mother may be more likely to sit around all day. A depressed mother may have time to smoke cannabis. A depressed mother may neglect her kids. This could have been caused by a medical complaint.

(not making any generalisations about depression and neglect or anything, just giving a theoretical example of how cannabis use could be an irrelevant correlated factor).

[reknaw]

The nicotine in a joint howver is another story. I am not the first or last person who smoked their first cigarrette after their first joint. If only we could get our hands on enough decent weed that we could ONLY put that in a joint...

A very valid point. I must say I get quite edgy for a day or two after I've been smoking joints that contain tobacco and my supply of hash or weed runs out.

However, and I've pointed this out before, a good solution is to use a vaporiser Volcano Vaporizers - Herbal Vaporizers - Tobacco Vaporizers - Herbal Vaporizer - Buy Vaporizer

You need no tobacco then and the weed can be used at least three times before it loses most of its potency.

You can buy one via the Internet for around €600.

A very good investment that soon pays for itself.

I also think you made a very good point about the middle-class people who neglect their children while wasting their time in a genteel way compared with the working-class ("chav") ones who are just basically inadequate in most every respect. Social workers rarely if ever have any dealing with the former and would be careful to watch their Ps and Qs very scrupulously if they did - not to mention giving a lot of thought to what they told the media about their clients and the possible repercussions of doing so.

[femmefatale]

I hate to try to box you in but on this and other issues the impression I get of you is that you ask "why should it be permitted", whereas I think the question should be, "why should it be forbidden?"

I don't think like that. Indeed, that would be a very negative way of looking at life and features of it. I don't believe that everything should be banned until proven to be good or beneficial.

[sarahj]

The concept of psychological dependence is very different from addiction, which relates to a physiological dependency which does not exist in relation to humans and cannabis.
And I would further dispute even the idea of a psychological dependence in relation to cannabis use.
What I wouldn't dispute is the fact that some users abuse the substance by taking it excessively in a habitual fashion.
In this regard, I support the Dutch health ministry's advice to users that they should not smoke every day or smoke excessively, as both behaviours function as escapism from the responsibilities of daily living.

The term addiction is used to describe a psychological dependence often.

A psychological dependence is a regular strong desire for something, without physical addiction. One can have a strong desire to use cannabis for escapism, very easily. One can have a psychological dependence on absolutely anything.

I dispute your disputing the possibility of people developing a psychological dependence on cannabis. I mean, some people are dependent on turning lights on and off twenty times before leaving a room to feel normal. How could you conclude that a person couldn't become psychologically dependent on a drug as nice as cannabis?

It is entirely possible.

However, this is not an issue which is related to the cannabis itself, more the psychological state of the individual user.

[Wakeupcall]

Just legalise it and tax it.

It makes sense and we all know it deep down at least

[JCSkinner]

People aren't 'psychologically dependent on turning lights on and off'. They are expressing symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder.
Nor are people psychologically dependent on cannabis when they smoke it daily. They are simply being irresponsible and greedy.
And again, just to be clear, cannabis is NOT addictive, because addiction has a specific meaning relating to physiological dependence. It doesn't matter if other people use the term improperly. They're still wrong.