| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Drugs Live: Cannabis on Trial | |
| Posted by: | Paul Pryce | |
| Date/Time: | 04/03/15 15:43:00 |
| Alastair, you are completely misunderstanding the relative risks of cannabis, alcohol and tobacco. There is no doubt prolonged and excessive abuse of the latter two can lead to serious long term health problems. With cannabis relatively short term and limited exposure does seem to be capable of having irreversible effects on young people with certain predispositions. There are also less serious but often quite devastating effects including demotivation which I have personally seen turn very bright kids into chronic under-achievers in short order. It's tremendously naive of you to think that a legal distribution network would end criminal involvement in the trade. I'm presuming higher strength strains would not be sold and that you would expect it to be highly taxed raising costs. The illegal tobacco trade currently makes up a large proportion of sales in this country and exactly the same would happen with cannabis as illegal stronger strains would also be cheaper. Also, as children wouldn't be able to buy them at your official suppliers their only source would be criminal dealers. Policing would become a nightmare because suppliers would quickly work out that if you sold stronger strains presented to look like legal product it would be impossible to tell which is which without lab testing. Some American states have liberalised due to the combined effects of a stronger libertarian ideology there and the subtle influence of the tobacco companies who see cannabis as a potential saviour. They are the global experts at advertising products when advertising restrictions are placed on them and their mission will become to boost sales. They will succeed and cannabis use , both legal and illegal will grow significantly. By the time the full health impact becomes apparent there will be a huge vested interest pushing against turning the clock back. |