Disband the National Advisory Committee on Drugs

[Galen]

Today saw yet another pro-liberalisation statement from the people at the National Advisory Committee on Drugs (NACD). Commenting on their recent Drug Prevalence Survey, the director of the committee Mairead Lyons (a former nurse) indicated “we could see cannabis being used for medical purposes in Ireland in the future”.

Given the complete lack of medical evidence to show cannabis is in any way beneficial this statement is reckless at best and is symptomatic of the pro-liberalisation agenda the NACD has being pursuing contrary to Government policy over the last number of years.

Given the NACD is effectively run by a nurse and a social worker these comments aren’t surprising. It’s time for Harney and McDowell to grasp the nettle here and either appoint a qualified medical specialist to take over or shut down this agenda driven outfit completely.

[stringjack]

Given the complete lack of medical evidence to show cannabis is in any way beneficial this statement is reckless at best and is symptomatic of the pro-liberalisation agenda the NACD has being pursuing contrary to Government policy over the last number of years.

Leaving aside the rather amusing hypocrisy, are you quite comfortable claiming that there is no such evidence whatsoever?

[Galen]

Given the complete lack of medical evidence to show cannabis is in any way beneficial this statement is reckless at best and is symptomatic of the pro-liberalisation agenda the NACD has being pursuing contrary to Government policy over the last number of years.

Leaving aside the rather amusing hypocrisy, are you quite comfortable claiming that there is no such evidence whatsoever?

As I said there is complete lack of medical evidence to show cannabis is in any way beneficial to users. If you can point to any credible research in the area please feel free to enlighten us?

[stringjack]

As I said there is complete lack of medical evidence to show cannabis is in any way beneficial to users. If you can point to any credible research in the area please feel free to enlighten us?

Yawn. Define 'credible'.

[BarryW]

Yet another government quango spending public money doing the opposite of what they were mandated to do.

Like the Crisis Pregnancy Agency, headed by FF stooge Olive Braiden, giving money to the Irish Family Planning Association (a pro-abortion lobby group) for its "counselling services"

[stringjack]

Yet another government quango spending public money doing the opposite of what they were mandated to do.

Perhaps you'd like to tell us what that is, exactly.

[Libero]

Yet another government quango spending public money doing the opposite of what they were mandated to do.

Like the Crisis Pregnancy Agency, headed by FF stooge Olive Braiden, giving money to the Irish Family Planning Association (a pro-abortion lobby group) for its "counselling services"

Ah Barry, if you think that Olive Braiden is bad, just wait until you see who Liz McManus appoints while acting as the new super-duper Rainbow Minister for Health and Kittens.

[smiffy]

Like the Crisis Pregnancy Agency, headed by FF stooge Olive Braiden, giving money to the Irish Family Planning Association (a pro-abortion lobby group) for its "counselling services"

So much stupidity, so little time.

(a) The IFPA is not a pro-abortion organisation; it's a pro-choice organisation. I'd try and explain the difference but intelligence isn't really your strong point, Barry, so I'd probably be wasting my time.

(b) While the IFPA does engage in political advocacy (i.e. 'lobbying') it's also a sexual health service provider and has been for over thirty years.

(c) It's counselling services, not "counselling services". If you have some knowledge that the services it provides are inadequate or defective, perhaps you should share it with the rest of us. Unlike some of the other organisations funded by the CPA, the IFPA actually employs professional trained counsellors, affiliated to IACT, not just volunteers who've done a couple of weekends training. Incidentally, it may interest you to know that the IFPA has consistently called for the professional to be regulated, in order to end the current situation where any lunatic (even you, Barry. Even you) who wants can set themselves up as a counsellor.

(d) You may also be interested to know that the state funding for the IFPA's pregnancy counselling services didn't come about with the establishment of the CPA. All the CPA has done is take over the former role of the Department of Health and put the service agreements on a more formal footing. In fact, state funding for this dates back some time. Back to the time of the abortion information legislation, as it happens. Can you remember who the Minister for Health was back then Barry?

[agora]

As I said there is complete lack of medical evidence to show cannabis is in any way beneficial to users. If you can point to any credible research in the area please feel free to enlighten us?

While the side effects of cannabis are mixed, depending on the user, the extent and method of use and the quality of the product it is a complete fallacy to say that there is no evidence of medical benefits as several studies have shown it to be of use in relieving the symptoms of several diseases, including multiple sclerocis.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3644628.stm

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...716239,00.html

Of course it would be wrong to suggest (as some pro-legalisationists have done) that there are no harmful effects from cannabis. The unregulated state of the market (thanks to criminalisation) means that the strength and quality of the cannabis available are often suspect. A well regulated and policed market in cannabis would help improve standards and provide a better atmosphere for continued research in the area of medical cannabis.

[Gladstone]

Instead of wanting the government to invade peoples privacy and nanny them untill their life is so uninteresting and boring that they could be replaced by a cardboard cutout maybe some of you should be more concerned with SERIOUS problems, not a drug less harmful than nicotene or alchol.