Man who grew cannabis in Grimsby home is jailed

“He needed tips from the elderly couple that grew the biggest one ever seen by police in their back garden. The Helicopter would never have spotted it.”

“to the idiot manipulating the voting system

The legal regulation is only a matter of time, you think red arrowing anti prohibition comments will make a difference? LOL pathetic and sad.”

“Malcolm_X

lol Yeahh some one who knows how to manipulate the voting system goes round red arrowing people discussing cannabis. Hmm, wonder why......”

“Malcolm_X

Yes im sure as a youngster, the only reasons for legalization would be cleaner better quality, easier access and to end that fear of arrest and or imprisonment for growing/smoking a plant.
But as you get to understand the situation a bit better, you realise that personal freedom is just one of the many reasons legal regulation is so desperately needed.

You mention that you dont think legal regulation will effect the black market. Well you would be right if we where talking about decriminalization. But legal regulation is different. The whole reason alcohol was re legalized in the states was because of the violence and crime prohibition created. When they re legalised, at least 80% of associated crime dropped. We are seeing the same or similar thing with prohibition and legal regulation of cannabis in 2012. Places, or countries that legally regulate, or simply have a system of regulation see much MUCH less crime that in places that gift the market to criminals by disallowing legal regulation. You mention it would be easy just to grow your own and sell it on, therefore keeping the black market surrounding cannabis alive. Well, im sure when home growing is legal like home brewing, it would be strictly controlled, regulated, licensed and taxed, unlike home brewing. So say if someone grew more than they where allowed, they get fined. If they are caught selling it, they lose their license and face a fine or penalties. It can be done properly, unlike the free for all we have now. Also, home growers could be encouraged to donate samples to science for research.

How ever its done, as long as its regulated and not decriminalized crime will reduce and age of first use will go up, no doubt, the statistical evidence is too strong now to say otherwise. Even with it simply just decriminalized will see a positive change. Portugal decriminalized drugs, and 10 years later we see a 50% drop in drug use. Holland, where cannabis isnt legal, but tolerated and regulated by coffee shops, sees less people using cannabis than in the UK. The first average age young people use cannabis in the UK is 15!! In Holland its around 20, simply because of regulation and the de-glamorization of cannabis. Also Holland has the lowest hard drug use in Europe as a Result. So we know prohibition is a fail, and we know regulation works if done properly.

Also if you do a little research, you will see the only reason why cannabis was made illegal was to with hemp production and money making. Nothing to do with our health and safety, and if you research Harry Anslinger, you will realise it had a lot to do with racism and prejudice. Why is it still illegal? Vested interest, personal prejudices, cowardly politicians, greed, the pressure from alcohol lobbies, GW pharma, the prohibition infrastructure. Nothing to do with harm reduction, expert advice or scientific evidence. Cannabis prohibition is as corrupt as the criminals selling it on the street, if not more so.

''Illegality creates obscene profits that finance the murderous tactics of the drug lords; illegality leads to the corruption of law enforcement officials; illegality monopolizes the efforts of honest law forces so that they are starved for resources to fight the simpler crimes of robbery, theft and assault. Drugs are a tragedy for addicts. But criminalizing their use converts that tragedy into a disaster for society, for users and non-users alike. Our experience with the prohibition of drugs is a replay of our experience with the prohibition of alcoholic beverages."

http://tinyurl.com/6m3qmxh”

“Is there an air show on, because the red arrows seem to be everywhere!!”

“wow someone has been playing and messing with the red arrow voting system.”

“SourAlienOG - You make some good points. I have to say though that from the age of 16 to 20 I smoked tonnes of the stuff. The only reason I wanted it legalised was to a) not get arrested b) make it more easily available (it wasn't grown so much in the UK and we struggled to get anything other than resin), and c) to get better quality dope.

Me and my friends smoked it every day. It's pretty much all we did, or certainly the one thing we wanted to do. We didn't care about making it available for medicinal purposes, we just liked getting stoned. There is nothing that makes a dull existence more interesting than a few joints. My own personal experience tells me that it definitely made me more lethargic. I didn't think so at the time, it's only as decades have gone by that I can look at those times clearly.

There is no way that cannabis should be able to be bought from the shop like alcohol or cigarettes (and I'm not saying that the current situation with either of those is ideas). The only manageble controlled system I can think if is acquiring the drug by prescription. If the idea is that it helps with pain relief then that shouldn't be a problem. Drug testing at work would have to be increased. Testing drivers would have to be increased. There is no doubt it affects your reaction times and speed of thought.

There is no doubt in my mind that a black market would thrive even if cannabis was legalised. If somebody can make a harvest in their bedroom for next to nothing and pocket all the cash for themselves, they are going to do it. If that means they have to sell if for half the price of the legal stuff, they will do it. If that means they have to mess with the electrics in their house / street, they will do it. If that means they produce a poor quality product, they will do it. It's human nature.

Like I said before, it's a complicated situation. I don't think the legal status of the drug in the UK is anything to do with race or lies. It's more likely based on the headache legalising would cause to the government and employers.”

“Malcolm_X

''There are various links between cannabis smoking and cancer, especially when mixed with tobacco, but also cannabis taken on it's own - especially amongst young men.''

Pulmonary researcher Donald Tashkin played a major role in the biggest study of its kind ever done. Tested cannabis users who dont add tobacco. Tashkin was anti cannabis, and set out to prove a link between smoking pure cannabis, and lung/head/neck cancer. His results showed there was no association with cannabis smoke and cancers. And in fact the cannabis had a 'protective effect'. What he meant by that was, yes cannabis smoke contains carcinogens, but it contains way more cannabinoids which science has proven to protect and preserve healthy cells. And the stats show cannabis smokers, risk the same chance of cancer, as non smokers. The latest scare story from the BLF was nonsense, and they could not back up their claims. Professor Nutt described it as 'scaremongering'. Please, do some research and question what you know to be true. Also, cannabis doesnt have to be smoked, it can be eaten or vaporised which minimizes all harms that smoking can do in general. Im not saying cannabis smoke is completely safe, but its MUCH safer than cigarettes as the cannabinoids have anti cancer properties.

Saying cannabis is harmless is foolish, its not harmless, but it is safer than aspirin let alone the two legal recreational drug. Mcdonalds food is far from harmless yet we dont prohibit burgers and jail unhealthy eaters.

I dont think you understand why people really want cannabis legalised, its to 1 - take as much control away from organized crime as possible, which proves to work in countries that legally regulate. Associated crimes decrease dramatically, cannabis use goes down and age of first use goes up. 2 - Safe access for people who need cannabis as the medicine it is.

Its not about comparing cannabis to alcohol, saying its safer therefore it should be legal. Its not about whats fair, its about whats right. Prohibition is causing way more harm than cannabis ever could, we have learnt our lesson with prohibiting alcohol, yet for reasons iv explained previously, we are making the same mistake with cannabis. It shouldnt be illegal because it has a potential for harm, in fact thats not why its illegal, by that logic, alcohol would be a class A drug. In my opinion the more harm a drug can do the more it needs controlling and regulating instead of the control being gifted to criminals.

Your right when you say there will still be a black market, but alcohol and tobacco are legal, and a black market still exists for those two drugs. Yet I dont know one cigarette smoker who phones a bootlegger when he wants cigs. Just like when they re legalised alcohol in the States, sure moon-shining still went on but no where near on the out of control scale it once was. I for one would like cannabis dealers to end up like bootleggers, hardly any in comparison. Its about harm reduction, the current policy offers nothing of the sort, by gifting the cannabis market to criminals crimes increase. Human trafficking, Gang Violence, Theft of Electricity, Children Enticed by gangsterism, lured in by Organised crime, under aged smoking, contamination or poorly grown cannabis, harmless gardeners locked up and thousands with a life blighted by criminal records. Will legalization stop all associated crime? Probably not, but it will dramatically decrease, making society a safer place for the next generation.

The only reason it became illegal was because of the infrastructure alcohol prohibition created, and the threat of hemp production on cotton farmers and the logging industry. It had nothing to do with harm reduction or the effect from smoking the plant. In the words of Anslinger 'The primary reason to outlaw cannabis is the effect on degenerate races'' and ''Cannabis makes white women want to sleep with black and Mexican men''. Its a policy based on vested interest, racism and lies.”

“jack_knife

Cannabis doesnt make you thick. Thick, is thinking an IQ test has anything to do with the reality of intelligence.

Further more, Professor Moffitt who took part in the study said ' Its such a big study, im fairly confident in saying Cannabis is safe for over 18's, but risky for under 18's '.

So the same study your using to further the demonisation of this plant, proves its OK for Adults to use.”

“Whilst I don't agree with Jack_Knife to a large degree, we have to take a balanced look at cannabis use and admit that it isn't totally harmless. I think much of the argument comes from the fact that alcohol is legal and has the potential to be physically and socially harmful, and that if that is the case then cannabis should be legalised. The lesser of two evils?

I'm sure that most regular users of cannabis would admit that it becomes a major part of their lives, and whilst not physically dependent on the drug, it does become a part of their daily routine. I'm also sure that those who look back on their time using the drug on a daily basis will tell you that their get up and go got up and went. There are various links between cannabis smoking and cancer, especially when mixed with tobacco, but also cannabis taken on it's own - especially amongst young men.

Yes, if legalised it could be controlled and taxed, however there will still be a black market and there will still be people growing their own. It's not a black and white subject and shouldn't be treated as such. The answer probably lies somewhere along the lines of making the possession of small amounts of cannabis a cautionable offence, but not one that makes you a criminal.”